Neuro-Nutrition: Top Ten Brain Foods
Our brain is by no doubt, the most important organ in our body, as it is responsible for controlling and coordinating hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions that happen simultaneously in our bodies every day. Even though roughly speaking, our brain makes up only about 2% of our body weight, it uses up to 20% of our total energy, meaning that it is crucial that we take proper care of this special organ and make sure that we are supplying it with the best fuel and nutrients for its optimal functionality.
KEY NUTRIENTS FOR OUR BRAIN HEALTH
OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS
Omega 3 fatty acids get a lot of praise in the health industry because of their overall positive effects on cognition and being overall beneficial for our health throughout all age groups. These fatty acids belong to the group of polyunsaturated fats, and because they are called “essential”, it is necessary for us to obtain them throughout our diet, as they can not be naturally synthesized by our body alone.
Omega 3 fatty acids are acclaimed to carry many benefits such as increasing our intelligence and cognition while decreasing levels of depression and health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease and cancer. The most common form of Omega 3 fatty acids that our body preferably consumes is DHA and EPA that are most commonly found in animal sources like fish, therefore we have to first convert plant-derived ALA omega 3’s to EPA or DHA for us to be able to make use of them.
These fatty acids, in particular, come in many different forms, however, the main three forms that are most commonly talked about are:
Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA)
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
All of these three forms are different from one another in their chemical compositions, sources, potential benefits and recommended doses, therefore I have provided useful information on each of them below:
Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA)
The ALA form of Omega 3 fatty acids is mostly found in plant varieties such as walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and tofu. While studies have shown that adequate ALA consumption can reduce the chances of heart disease and can also function as an antioxidant that in turn lowers our blood pressure, levels of inflammation, high levels of blood sugar and improves our nerve responsivity, the issue is that our bodies are not as well suited for absorbing ALA as we are suited for EPA or DHA absorption, because the conversion between ALA and EPA or DHA is very inefficient.
In fact, as an average result, only about 1-10% of the consumed ALA is converted into EPA and only 0-5-5% is converted into DHA. Therefore is we are to obtain our omega 3’s from plant foods through ALA, we have to consume much more of these plant foods to get the same dose as from EPA or DHA, just because of the conversion rate.
Furthermore, the conversion between these different types of Omega 3’s is dependant on the level of other nutrients and minerals in our body, such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and certain B vitamins. This means that if we are deficient in either one of these micronutrients, we have an even lower chance of getting the adequate dose from ALA omega 3’s.
Roughly it is recommended that female adults consume about 1.6g/ day of ALA while males should consume about 2g/ day, in order to ensure adequate absorption levels.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
This form of Omega 3’s is mainly found in animal foods like salmon, mackerel, cod liver, herring and certain types of sea algae. EPA omega 3’s are important for our mental cognition because they are responsible for the synthesis of special signalling molecules called eicosanoids that play a myriad of roles in our human physiology.
Research on EPA is varied, and many studies indicate that adequate intake of EPA omega 3’s can reduce rates of depression and inflammation throughout the body, as well as improving our cardiovascular health and being an essential component of the developing brains of infants.
The recommended dose for EPA is said to be roughly 250-500mg/day for both men and women, where women are encouraged to increase that amount if they are pregnant or lactating.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
This is usually the most talked-about form of Omega 3 and is predominantly found in animal sources like fatty fish. eggs, algae as well as DHA fortified products.
DHA consumption is known to bring many benefits to humans, which include improved eyesight as DHA is a crucial component of our eye retinas, encouraging proper brain development in infants, improving memory loss among Alzheimer’s disease patients, being able to decrease the negative effects of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, as well as having the ability to decrease the level of triglycerides circling in our blood, that could, in turn, lower our levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, thus improving our cardiovascular wellbeing.
ANTIOXIDANTS
In our bodies, substances are known as “antioxidants” are responsible for neutralizing the so-called “oxidative stress” that results from a build-up of damaging molecules called free radicals, that are naturally produced as a by-product of many daily chemical reactions such as digestion. A certain level of free radicals is completely normal, however, if our body lacks antioxidants to neutralize the harmful effect of these molecules, then oxidative stress can build up and through time really damage our bodies both internally in terms of our organs and eternally in our looks.
Being exposed too long to oxidative stress has been correlated with increased chances of heart disease, cancer, respiratory issues, stroke, immune deficiencies, Parkinson disease and even emphysema so antioxidants play a pretty vital role in our health. Furthermore, in terms of our brain health, antioxidants have been linked with reduced memory loss, lowering rates of Alzheimer’s disease with flavonoids such as Lutein, as well as improving our cardiovascular health throughout the consumption of anthocyanins that are mostly found in red berries.
Antioxidants come in many forms, the main ones being Vitamins A, C and E, Beta carotene, Lycopene, Lutein, Selenium, Manganese and zeaxanthin. What all of these antioxidants have in common however is that they are predominantly found in quality plant sources like fruits and vegetables, such as dark chocolate, forest berries, dark leafy greens, red cabbage, beans, beetroot, sweet potatoes, green tea and black coffee. Therefore the more variety in colour on your plate, the more chances that you are obtaining adequate levels of antioxidants.
VITAMINS
Vitamin K:
Apart from being a crucial blood clotting factor that ensures that your blood clots correctly, adequate vitamin K consumption also promotes the formation of membranes of our central nervous system. Furthermore there have been studies that show that vitamin K consumption could protect against dementia however more research is needed on that.
The recommended dosage for vitamin K is 75-90mcg/day for female adults and 75/120mcg/day for males. Some of the most concentrated sources of vitamin K include dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach and rocket, as well as vegetables like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, parsley and certain animal products like beef liver and chicken.
Vitamin B12:
Vitamin B12, also called Cobalamin, is crucial for our overall well being and without it, we could not live. It has a major role in synthesizing DNA as well as regulating amino acid and fatty acid metabolism. In terms of our brain health, vitamin B12 has been shown to decrease the occurrence of brain atrophy which is known as the loss of neurones in our brain, leading to improved memory and lower rates of dementia. Furthermore, studies have linked vitamin B12 consumption with reduced depression because the vitamin acts as a precursor to the chemical serotonin, that acts as a mood-regulating substance in our body.
Generally for adults, between 1.8-2.4mcg is recommended per day, where pregnant or lactating women need to consume even more to ensure proper development of their child.
Because vitamin B12 is largely exclusively found in animal sources, it is either important to consume fortified vitamin B12 products or take a daily supplement, in the case that you do not consume enough of it through animal sources. This is especially true for vegans.
CHOLINE
The nutrient, choline is one of the most newly discovered nutrients, on which research is still being done as it was only recognised as a nutrient in 1998 by the National Academy of Medicine. Through our research on this nutrient, we have discovered some of its functions and its high connectivity to the functioning of our brains.
Some functions of choline include the production of the crucial neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the synthesis of fats (phospholipids) that form cell membranes and it is essential for making a substance that is responsible for removing cholesterol from your liver, leading to better cardiovascular health. Apart from that, studies also pointed out that adequate choline intake is connected with improved memory and general cognition which makes it a very important brain nutrient.
Per day, adult females are recommended to intake 400-450mcg and more if they are pregnant. That figure is slightly higher for men, reaching up to 550mcg/day.
Some of the most potent sources of choline include foods like eggs, cows milk, peanuts, cod and salmon.
FOODS TO AVOID FOR BRAIN HEALTH
When it comes to foods that do our brain more harm than good to our brains, there are a couple on this list that we should try and consume in limited amounts. These foods include processed food that falls into categories such as refined carbohydrates, refined low-quality fats, food additives and artificial animal product replacements, as well as fish with high levels of heavy metals.
VERY REFINED CARBOHYDRATES
We all know them; they taste good but do little good for our bodies health, especially our brain. Refined carbohydrates come in forms like sugary sodas, plain white sugar, ultra-refined grains like white rice and pasta, bleached flours and artificial sweeteners.
The issue with refined carbohydrates is not the idea that they contain sugar, but it is the idea that they contain added sugar - sugar that was additionally added on top of the preexisting natural sugar. With added sugar being so prevalent in processed food products nowadays, many studies positively confirm that excessive consumption of added sugar reduces the production of a brain chemical called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), that is a crucial component of forming new memories and learning. Without it, learning new things becomes much more difficult. Furthermore, low levels of BDNF have been shown to contribute to more dementia and depression, all of which are mentally connected conditions.
Additionally, the regular consumption of processed added sugars greatly increases our odds of developing type 2 diabetes which later often manifests itself in Alzheimer’s disease and also damages our blood vessels through the constant exposure to elevated blood glucose levels, that eventually also damages our blood vessels in our brain, leading to learning and cognitive challenges.
Lastly, excessive added sugar has been associated with greater rates of inflammation in our brain that leads to greater learning and memory impairments, as well as being directly correlated with an increased chance of developing obesity that then leads to a higher chance of developing dementia.
LOW QUALITY PROCESSED FATS
Fats are quite a mixed and controversial topic in the world of nutrition, but with no doubt, healthy fats form an essential and crucial part of our diet, with some fats that are especially beneficial for our health, while other fats, we could skip out on altogether.
When talking about “bad” fats, or fats that we should consume in limited amounts, I am talking about low-quality vegetable oils, lard, margarine, deep-fried foods and specific fats like trans fats and to a point, saturated fats.
If we consume too much of those fats as mentioned above, we have a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease due to greater deposition of brain plaque in our circulatory system and becoming more forgetful with an actual decline in brain volume and general cognition. With these fats, especially in deep-fried foods, we experience a phenomenon called “brain fog”, which is where we have low levels of concentration and find it hard to focus on our work with stable energy levels.
FOOD ADDITIVES
There are certain harmful food additives such as MSG, sodium nitrate and sodium benzoate, that when excessively consumed over a period of time can negatively impact our health. MSG, in particular, is commonly used in prepackaged processed food in order to enhance the “umami” flavour of foods. In itself, MSG is the salt that comes from glutamic acid, where actually a certain level of glutamate is needed by our brains and body, however, when that level is exceeded, our brain health goes downhill. In our bodies, glutamate is also used to intentionally trigger cell death and too much of it can lead to a serious disruption of our brain function and cognition by crossing the blood-brain barrier.
ARTIFICIAL ANIMAL PRODUCT SUBSTITUTES
Any nutritionist will recommend to you that it is best to eat food in its whole, unprocessed form since that way the food contains the most useful nutrients and brings the most benefits to our body. However in the past decade or so, there has been a large emergence of highly processed animal product replacements such as fake meats, eggs, dairy products and more. In essence, the rise of these products has been attributed to the rising popularity of vegan diets, which when implemented correctly, can be a sufficient way of eating and living. However, these animal product replacmenets are more often than not, highly processed, artificial and chemically adulterated with additives, while being branded and marketed as a “healthy alternative”.
Eat foods in their natural form and don’t resort to eating food alternatives for what they are not supposed to be.
FISH CONTAINING HEAVY METALS
The last category of foods that we should consume in moderation for optimal brain health would be fish and seafood that is high in heavy metals. That, however, is not to say that all the seafood should be avoided- absolutely not- ceratin seafood like salmon as discussed below is one of the most beneficial foods for our brain health, therefore it is important to pay attention to the quality fish we are eating and where they are from.
Heavy metals such as copper, nickel, cadmium, iron, lead, mercury and zinc are nowadays found in very small quantities in oceans across the world and the issue here is that these heavy metals over time bioaccumulate throughout the lives of these fish- especially top food chain fish predators. This is why generally the highest sources of heavy metals are found in the largest fish such as albacore tuna, sharks, swordfish, marlin and king mackerel.
In terms of mercury contamination, mercury has been shown to disrupt the functioning of our central nervous system as well as encouraging the secretion of neurotoxins into our bloodstream that can result in serious damage to our brains. Furthermore, there has been extensive research done on the link between heavy metals and the development of children’s brains, where mercury, in particular, has been shown to disrupt brain development and the build-up of healthy brain cells, that can lead to many types of brain deformities and deficits in the developing brains of young children.
TOP TEN BRAIN FOODS
FATTY FISH AND SEAFOOD
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, cod, herring and sardines and other seafood sources such as caviar and mussels, are high-quality sources of crucial brain nutrients, that include omega 3 fatty acids, a complete source of protein, iodine and vitamin D that is a fat-soluble vitamin.
Specifically, due to their high omega 3 content, fatty fish consumption has been attributed to improved mental cognition and a slower rate of mental decline since omega 3’s are also responsible for increasing blood flow to the brain that keeps our brains young and active. Furthermore, omega 3’s are essential for the developing brain of infants as well as keeping the brain in a state of good functionality among older people, with regular fatty acid consumption being linked to lower rates of Alzheimer’s, dementia and depression, meaning that it is an all-around brain-protecting nutrient.
Apart from omega 3’s, vitamin D in seafood is responsible for good bone health and the Iodine is crucial for the health of our thyroid gland that regulates the secretion of metabolism and growth-related hormones.
Eating fatty fish or seafood at least once per week is a great start to a happier and healthier brain.
BLUEBERRIES
Nowadays, these powerful blueberries have been labelled as “superfoods” due to their high antioxidant profile and being a good source of fibre, vitamins C and K as well as the mineral manganese.
The health benefits centred around blueberries are mostly associated with their antioxidant content, where studies have shown that frequent consumption of this fruit could improve brain cognition since they improve brain cell signalling and delay mental ageing. Powerful antioxidants in blueberries such as anthocyanins, also work towards fighting oxidative stress that is produced by free radicals in our body which would over time result in sooner ageing and less mental agility. Furthermore, blueberry consumption has been attributed to lower rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease among the elderly, due to their concentration of antioxidants called flavonoids.
Blueberries are great because they can either be brought fresh or frozen and can be used in a variety of recipes - and the best part is that many people already enjoy the fruit for its sweet berry taste.
CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
The family of cruciferous vegetables that includes broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, brussel sprouts and collard greens are one of the most nutritiously dense vegetables, by being very rich in folate and other vitamins like vitamin C, A, E and K, as well as being loaded with fibre and powerful phytonutrients like sulfur-containing compounds called sulforaphanes that has been linked with cancer prevention.
Apart from being cancer-protective, they are also brain-protective foods that prevent the breakdown of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine that could as a result improve brain functioning and eye vision, as studies have suggested. Furthermore, because of their antioxidant properties, they are able to lower levels of inflammation throughout the body, which can slow down mental ageing for up to several years.
DARK LEAFY GREENS
Together with cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens are absolutely packed with essential micronutrients that are essential to the health of both our body and brain. Dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, rocket, mustard greens and Swiss chard, are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese. Furthermore, they are a powerful source of antioxidants, fibre and folate that contributes to their many health benefits.
Because of their antioxidant content, dark leafy greens are able to reduce oxidative stress in our brain with which they can slow down mental being and lower levels of inflammation in our brain and body. Furthermore, Vitamin K is a crucial component of healthy blood clotting and folate is known to ensure proper fetal development and prevent neural tube defects in babies.
NUTS AND SEEDS
When it comes to optimal brain functioning, nuts and seeds are a complete no brainer - they are a absolute must for healthy cognition. Seeds such as flax, chia, hemp, sesame and pumpkin and nuts like walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews and brazil nuts are amazing powerhouses in terms of their nutritional profile.
Such nuts and seeds contain heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats while containing minimal to no cholesterol and limited amounts of saturated fat as well as being high in protein and fibre, making them a filling snack. Furthermore, they contain a wide variety of vitamins like vitamin E, B6, B3 and B9, as well as minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, copper and potassium, all of which serve a whole spectrum of functions in our body.
In terms of our brain health, regular consumption of nuts and seeds has been associated with reduced inflammation and an increase in our attention span and being in a happier mood. Apart from that, Omega 3 containing nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flax, chia and hemp seeds, has been attributed to better mental cognition, improved memory and faster learning of new information.
The only consideration when it comes to nuts and seeds is that they are rich in calories, so keep daily portions moderate and make sure you keep your sources varied to get the best of everything.
DARK CHOCOLATE
Despite “chocolate” getting a bad press in the health and nutrition industry, dark chocolate has actually been found to be a great source of brain health-promoting substances, as was shown by several research studies.
The higher the percentage of real cocoa in chocolate and the darker it is, the more nutrients it contains. Dark chocolate above 70% is rich in fibre, antioxidants and important minerals like iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. In fact, the cocoa plant is one of the highest antioxidant containing plants in the world, so no wonder dark chocolate packs such a punch with its nutrient profile.
Dark chocolate with a percentage of cocoa that is above 70% has been shown to increase blood flow throughout the brain that overall improves our mental cognition and at the same time lowers our blood pressure because dark chocolate contains powerful flavonols that are able to support the production of nitric oxide that helps relax our blood vessels. Because of the improved cognition, dark chocolate has been shown to make us faster learners with a greater capacity to remember things in a shorter span of time.
Due to its antioxidant content, it can protect our brain from oxidative stress and reduce inflammation throughout our body. Furthermore, chocolate consumption has been linked with improving our mood because it promotes the synthesis of happy brain chemicals called endorphins.
Lastly, chocolate is also known for containing a decent amount of caffeine like the one found in coffee, which is known as a brain stimulant, since it boosts our brain activity, improves our memory, mood and focus, by keeping us more alert and our heart rate slightly raised.
Just like with nuts, we have to keep our dark chocolate servings moderate since it is still high in calories, but nevertheless brings plenty of fo health benefits to the table
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Olive oil has for a long time been claimed as a health food and has been a part of the “Mediterranean” diet, being one of the main reasons behind the diet’s success. But recent studies have shown a powerful connection between olive oil consumption and brain health, which is due to its high content of monounsaturated fats like oleic aid, Vitamins E and K, as well as its high antioxidant profile.
Because of the powerful phytonutrients and antioxidants found in olive oil, it has been shown that high-quality olive oil could reduce inflammation in the body and as a result reduce the oxidation of proteins and lipids that would otherwise result in oxidative stress and harmful levels of free radicals.
Apart for that, the oleic acid in olive oil has been linked with improved memory and learning abilities as well as decreasing the rate of brain autophagy, which is the ability of our brain cells to remove toxic waste products, which helps keep our neurons healthy and intact.
Long term consumption of olive oil in elderly has also been shown to reduce the formation of damaging proteins called beta-amyloid and tau, that are individually responsible for contributing to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia - both of which impair our brain functioning.
EGGS
In the past, eggs have gotten a bad reputation in the media because of their high cholesterol amount, but recently more and more studies have been showing that consumption of high cholesterol foods like eggs does not directly raise our cholesterol levels in our blood and even if it does, it is for a very small increase that causes us no major harm.
Eggs have been designed by nature as a “perfect” food containing all of the essential nutrients in healthy proportions, among which are vitamins A, B5, B12, B9, B2 and D as well minerals such as phosphorus and selenium. Furthermore, eggs are a good protein source, providing about 6g of protein per egg and are also a good source of mono and polyunsaturated fat. Lastly, eggs contain a vital brain nutrient called choline that has only recently been referred to as a crucial component of our brain cognition.
The reason why choline is so essential is that it is responsible for producing acetylcholine, that is a crucial neurotransmitter in our central nervous system that regulates mood, memory and ensures proper fetal development.
Folate or vitamin B9 has been linked with preventing the development of dementia and a deficiency in vitamin B12 has been shown to make us more susceptible to developing depression.
AVOCADO
The popularity of this green fruit has grown dramatically in the past decade partly due to its nutritional profile and partly due to its versatility in cooking. To begin with, avocado is very likely the fattiest fruit in the world, with up to 77% of its calories coming from monounsaturated fats, in the form of oleic acid like in olive oil. Moreover, avocados are rich in vitamins K, B9, C, B5, B6 and E, as well as minerals like potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorus and iron. Apart from that, the avocado is a great source of fibre, having up to 7g of fibre per 100g of fruit which makes it good for our digestion and gut flora.
The monounsaturated fatty acids in avocados have been linked with several things: inflammatory properties, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K, treating epilepsy patients and ensuring the health of glial cells in our brain that support and protect our neurones. With better neurones, there comes better cognition.
Lastly, studies have discovered that long term consumption of avocados has been connected with lowering blood pressure that lowers our chances of developing many chronic illnesses such as type II diabetes, obesity and many mental conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
GREEN TEA & COFFEE
For non-coffee drinkers, green tea is a great substitute as it contains powerful plant-derived chemicals (polyphenols) that positively contribute to our health. High-quality green eat have been shown to contain large quantities of catechins that are a natural phenol compound and antioxidant that is able to decrease blood cholesterol, reduce body fat, protect against cancer and function an antioxidant. Furthermore, green tea provides vitamins C, B2, B9 and E albeit in small quantities. Lastly, just like coffee, green tea contains some caffeine although not as much, which helps keep our brain alter and improve our focus, reaction time and memory.
The polyphenols inside green tea have been shown to reduce levels of inflammation and prevent oxidative stress that helps keep our brain agile and especially in elderly people, it has been shown to decrease the rate of cognitive decline. Furthermore, a study found that elderly people who are regular green tea drinkers have more organized brain regions, which allows them to have better cognitive abilities and functioning.
Coffee in its pure black form contains a decent amount of vitamins B2 and B3, minerals like magnesium and potassium, potent antioxidants and predominantly caffeine that is a brain stimulant.
There have been studies done that report that regular black coffee drinkers, especially men, have lower chances of developing Parkinson's disease. In fact, coffee contains special compounds called phenylindanes, that are able to prevent the deposition of the proteins beta-amyloid and tau, that are responsible for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which makes coffee a brain-protective drink.
Apart from its high caffeine amount that raises our alertness and focus, black coffee also lowers inflammation in our body since it is rich in antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds, making it a great morning pick me up.
Habits For A Meaningful Life
Throughout my exploration of personal growth, that included exploring what personal growth meant for me and referring to external sources for ideas as to how to improve yourself as a person, I had collected a list of habits which seemed to constantly get mentioned and talked about. These habits, by many, have been claimed to be the foundational building blocks of a healthy and meaningful life, which we all desire. I already implement some of these habits myself on a daily basis but would like to start or improve my consistency with others, because after all, the purpose is not to be perfect but to put your best effort into everything you do.
Some of these habits are most beneficial when implemented on a daily basis, however keeping track of 15 habits all at once is a lot to expect of somebody, especially if you are new to the world of self-development, so I would recommend focusing and picking 1-3 habits you feel like you could implement on a daily basis and seeing how you stick to them and what kind of benefits you gain.
I have also written a separate blog post; Habits Are The Key To Your Success that goes more into the depth of habits themselves and also discusses some practical tips for how to implement new habits into your life. Therefore, I would recommend you read through that first to get some background understanding of habits, but for your convenience, I have also included a short explanation below, about the importance of habits in our life and exactly why they are so important for our personal development.
WHY ARE HABITS SO IMPORTANT?
I have previously already spoken of the hidden superpower that good habits can have on our well being, so here I have provided a short iteration of why habits play such an essential role in our life.
The point of habits is not to look at them from a short term perspective, but to focus on the long term, because habits require consistency and discipline to build and maintain, which can then yield in long term result and prosperity for all aspects of our life. When looked individually, habits can seem very small and futile, but a daily incremental action and change that we set ourselves to do, can overtime accumulate and result in many desired outcomes, ranging from an improved mental and physical performance, as well as impacting our relationships.
Our lifestyle and identity is largely a reflection of our habits. It is estimated that roughly 40% our of daily actions are habitual, meaning that habits form a large chunk of our life, which is why we have to take advantage of them. If we can take control of these subconscious actions and substitute them for actions which do us and others good, then that is one of the best things we can spend our time doing, and we won’t even mind or notice we are doing those things because they become an effortless habit. But consistently takes time and effort, so we have to be willing to invest our time and energy into sticking with these habits that we believe will have the largest impact on our life.
Don’t let negative habits sway and determine your direction of life, but replace them with beneficial and worthwhile habits that will bring meaning to your life and the lives of others.
BEST HABITS FOR LIFE
HABIT 1: Fueling your body correctly:
Everything starts with what we choose to input into our bodies, which can be summed up with the Aruvedic proverb “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need”. What we choose to eat and drink, not only has direct impacts on our physical health, but can tremendously impact both our mental and emotional health, so it is important to place our foremost focus on our health - because we only get one. In terms of taking care of your health through healthy eating patterns, it involves increasing your consumption of minimally to non processed foods, eating seasonal and varied produce as well as eating in healthy portions (Both eating too much and too little does our body harm).
It is also important that we establish a good relationship with the way we choose to view “healthy” food because that relationship determines ultimately what we will eat, and therefore our overall health. Avoid the regular consumption of highly processed artificial foods that yes, may taste and feel good at the moment, but for the long term, they are not a good investment in your health.
In life there are things that are within our control and things that we don’t have control over; food choices are something that we can control, so it is up to us to fuel our bodies with what makes us feel, think and look best for the long term benefit.
HABIT 2: Getting enough sleep
Sleep is the second-best way to take care of our health. I had recently read the book “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker, and my mind was opened to a whole nother dimension of benefits that sleep can bring to us, instead of just the usual “recharging our batteries”.
The benefits of sleep are widespread and include aspects such as:
Improved heart and circulatory health
Grater stability in energy and mood during the day
Muscle regeneration
Improved memory formation and knowledge association
Weight management
Regulation of blood sugar and hormone levels
Keeping a healthy immune system
Reduces stress and anxiety
Nowadays, sleep can be looked down upon, especially since it is seen as a “non-productive” use of our time, however, with all the evidence and research that support the plethora of gains that result from sufficient sleep, it is fair to say that that statement is false. Teenagers and young adults should be getting minimally 8 hours of sleep per night, however that is often not the case because we stay up late and stare and screens from our electronic devices, all of which emit blue light that suppresses the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, meaning that our brains do not become tired and do not feel the need to go to bed, so we end up falling asleep later - a recipe for disaster especially if we have to get up early the next day.
If you are interested in the topic of sleep, I would highly recommend you check out the book “Why we sleep”, and start with taking charge of your sleeping schedule, because it impacts your health in more ways than you would think.
HABIT 3: Daily movement
Exercise is another habit to implement on a daily routine, because just like sleep, it has plenty of health benefits for both our mental and physical health, such as increased, strength, flexibility, bone density and decreased chances of chronic diseases, stress poor quality sleep. To find more benefits and to find out how to implement exercise as part of a consistent habit, I have written another blog post on this topic.
Exercise comes in different forms and types, and the foundation in building regularity in our exercise habit is to find something which we enjoy, based on the benefits we get from it. Experiment with activities that you enjoy and occasionally step out of your comfort zone to try out a new sport or activity that will keep you challenged but also improve you as a person. To keep yourself motivated to exercise, track your own progress and results, or join a community where exercising becomes a part of a social event.
Even the famous Greek physician, Hippocrates, had stated “Even when all is known, the care of a man is not yet complete, because eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise. For food and exercise, while possessing opposite qualities, yet work together to produce health”. The relationship that we have with exercise is crucial in forming a long term exercise routine and it is also important to mention that exercise should be kept in moderation; not forcing our body too much or not doing any at all, but finding just the right balance between deriving the benefits and finding enjoyment in a challenge.
Reframe your mindset by saying that exercise is something you “get” to do, not “have” to do, especially in the case that you are a healthy individual, that is fully capable of exercising.
HABIT 4: Meditation
This is another habit that I have recently integrated into my daily morning routine and have now, after more than a month of doing it, found plenty of benefits, which I have talked about in my blog post Benefits Of regular Meditation.
Meditation is a practice that you have to go into with an intention - why you want to so it - and also be very persistent and regular with the practice because meditating once will only produce short term benefits when we should be looking for a long term benefit in our health.
If you would like to pick up the habit of meditation and have heard about all of the benefits it can bring, I would recommend exploring different apps that focus on meditation or engaging in online or real-life courses that teach you how to meditate, that will both provide the benefits of meditation but build you up with enough knowledge and independence to be able to meditate then on your own.
HABIT 5: Journaling
Journaling has become quite a popular form of personal growth and has recently become one of my favourites too. Journaling itself is not a purely defined action and can mean different things for different people. For example, for some, journaling may mean simply wiring down their thoughts and feelings, while for others it might be a time to reflect and plan for the future.
For me, journaling is a mixture of both of those ideas, along with doing regular gratitude writing, planning different life events and setting goals for the future. The act of journaling is a great opportunity to squeeze in some gratitude writing, which could be a habit in itself, but I have started to include it in this section since at least for me, I like to express gratitude writing when I am using my journal.
Many people enjoy the act of journaling because it is non-restrictive, non defined and the journal will not judge you for what you write, so it is a great way for people to declutter heavy and unnecessary thoughts and worries onto a page. As far as neatness and aesthetics go, perfectionism should not be a barrier or a limiting factor in your habit of journaling, since journaling is meant to be unedited and imperfect
HABIT 6: Learning time
This is a habit that I would like to start doing myself, in the near future, because I have heard of just how impactful it can be to take 20-30 minutes each day to learn something new about a topic we are interested in. I believe that investing in your knowledge, personal growth and education are some of the best areas that you can invest your money and time in since it overall improves you as a person.
Nowadays, there is so much information available online, so it is literally possible to learn almost anything we want just from looking through books, online videos, courses, classes and audio recordings. All of the information we need is out there, it is just a matter of picking a topic that we want to learn about and finding suitable sources for it.
I think that each of us has some topics that we are interested in, however, we rarely take enough time to explore them and enrich our knowledge in those aspects. So I encourage you to read, watch, teach and listen about topics that spark your interest because it just might be so that if you are interested in something, you can use that knowledge to spark someone else’s interest in that topic. Don’t just assume that if you find something interesting, that no one else will.
HABIT 7: Reading
The habit of reading is a very popular one that is endorsed by millions of people throughout the world and is also a great way to keep our brain active and our imagination swift, as well as having a chance to expand our vocabulary and reducing stress. Furthermore, reading can strengthen our storytelling skills and give us a chance to learn about something we find interesting, which links to the previous point I made above.
Reading is so popular because everyone can find something they enjoy reading about, whether its fiction or non-fiction, both are beneficial. Nowadays, you also have the option to read on e-readers and tablets which are a more practical and cheaper book reading alternative, but many people still prefer psychical books because of their size and front covers.
If you find it hard to include reading as part of your daily routine, I would recommend either designating about 30 minutes a day that is meant for reading (Right before bed for example), or you can use your time commuting on public transport or during your time that you are eating, to pick up the habit of reading.
HABIT 8: Stepping out of your comfort zone
While we often hear the advice of stepping out of our comfort zone, not many take the self-initiative and really propel themselves into an unfamiliar situation, but those who do and manage to implement that as part of a habitual mindset, obtain a great array of benefits. The issue of not challenging yourself is that you essentially become too comfortable and your brain becomes untrained when it should be active and efficient. When we let our life be controlled by the walls of our comfort zone, we gradually become less comfortable with doing tasks; even tasks that before were inside our comfort barrier, therefore we spiral down a vicious cycle of eventually losing the majority of our self-belief, our capabilities and our discipline.
However, stepping out of your comfort zone can yield amazing benefits such as:
Giving you an opportunity to learn and gain valuable new experiences
Learning more about yourself and what truly interests you
Expanding your confidence and self-esteem
Becoming a more flexible and adaptable person - which are key qualities in today’s world
Becoming more creative and productive because our brains require a challenge to keep active and to come up with new ways of looking at a situation
If you can adopt a “stepping out of your comfort zone” mindset, every so often, then that is amazing, because that is how you will be able to learn and grow the most as a person.
HABIT 9: Managing your personal finances
Everyone has the urge to want to earn money, however, when it comes to managing and dealing with money, many of us freeze and like to leave that to others when really our money is our responsibility. This means that the money you earn is yours to take care of and you are the one who decides whether that money will be saved, spent or invested.
If you are new to the world of (personal) finance, it is always encouraged to learn about it and familiarize yourself with smart ways to manage your money, because money nowadays plays a big role in determining the quality of life you live. I encourage you to read books and articles, watch videos as well as part take in interactive courses or workshops, to get a grasp of your own finances and how you can learn and transition to a more financially independent lifestyle.
HABIT 10: Managing distractions
In today’s world, one of the best and most worthwhile skills you can have is the ability to stay focused for extended periods of time. This skill, however, is becoming more scarce and harder to master simply because of the mass influx of information and distractions that occupy our environment; whether that is from people, our devices or events that are happening around us. It is up to us to intentionally try and manage our distractions and identify how best we are able to stay focused on the task.
The ability to efficiency avoid distractions can be learnt and strengthened over time, and when it becomes part of our work ethic, we are able to manage our time better, be more productive, increase the quality of our output and also get a sense of accomplishment out of it because staying on task is not an easy job.
Here are some methods for how you can minimize distractions in your environment, while you work:
Temporarily disconnecting yourself from the internet
Muting your phone or putting it on do not disturb
Placing your phone or potentially distracting devices further away (For example: Not keeping them around in your workspace)
Implementing the Pomodoro technique or any other time tracking system, where you set aside a period of time for which you will stay focused and setting a scheduled break. This way you are able to tackle one task at a time and set yourself deadlines, which motivates you to stay focused
If you like to listen to music while you work, choose longer study playlists instead of picking individual songs that will wase you more time
Keeping your environment clean and organized
Choosing a time of day to work on you right energy consuming, or difficult tasks, when you feel most calm and least distracted (For example in the morning hours)
HABIT 11: Treating failure as growth as improvement
This is another beneficial mindset habit where we teach our brains to start viewing challenges and mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve ourselves. We need to start looking at setbacks as a chance to readjust our current technique or strategy, identify what caused the setback in the first place and try again to be able to grow and exceed our expectations.
If we do not view failure in a positive light, we risk becoming someone who is easily hurt, offended and unmotivated - none of which are qualities we should be striving for.
HABIT 12: Focusing on the process instead of the end result
This is something that I am trying to implement more in my own life because I have just recently realized how important it is. We are often used to going into a task or action simply because of the end output that will come out of it, whether that is money, recognition, status, enjoyment or love. The catch here is that, the more we become focused on the end result, the less enjoyment and motivation we finding executing the action, even if previously this action was something we loved to do.
The solution to this issue is to switch our focus onto the action process, instead of the action outcome. By enjoying and finding pleasure in the process, getting to the result will not be an issue, it will take care of itself. We will face less resistance to keep going and generally be more motivated to complete the action, simply because we enjoy it.
The idea of being result-focused can also be applied to setting goals, where our goals act as our “end outcomes”, however, I among many others, think that goals should be used in setting a general direction for where we are headed, they should not take the spotlight of our life. They should simply play the role of a guiding direction, but should not necessarily act as a measure of our success or achievement, because if we do not achieve the goal, we have the tendency to view ourselves as incapable and as a failure.
Therefore whenever we feel an increased resistance to doing or starting something, it might be because we are too focused on the end result and are not actually finding satisfaction in the process. If we don’t like something, how are we expected to pursue it? See how you can alter the process to make it enjoyable.
HABIT 13: Always trying your best
Trying your best is quite a self-explanatory mental mindset shift, but it should nonetheless not be neglected.
By trying our best we are able to:
Produce the highest quality output of work, with which we are able to overtime, surpass our own expectations and thus gain an opportunity to learn and develop our knowledge and skillset
Improve our trust, reliability and reputation with other people's especially in the case that we are producing work for them
Overtime your esteem and confidence can improve because you are constantly pushed to learn and experiment with new things
HABIT 14: Surround yourself with inspiration
This idea is so important but is one that we like to overlook and not assign much importance to. Inspiration is vital for our work and the generation of ideas, so it is important to be submerged in an environment that has a variety of inspiration, which can come in plenty of forms, such as people, art, music, writing, poetry, books or anything else that fills you with creativity.
When we surround ourselves with people that act as our role models and place ourselves in an inspiration-rich environment in which we able to generate richer and more valuable ideas, we have the chance to adopt some of the qualities of the people that we aspire to be similar to and ultimately, grow as a person.
HABIT 15: Doing things you love
Our greater life purpose should be to fill our life with actions and opportunities that we love and that bring a sense of deeper fulfillment to us. We should design our life around the things we enjoy doing and assign them as “high priority” because otherwise if we miss out on pursuing things that spark our passion, we may adopt a depressive and non-positive outlook on life, that will get us to nowhere.
To identify where our passions and deeper interests lie, we must take personal time to self reflect and become more self-aware of our own preferences and dislikes. The more time we spend actively reflecting and identifying what we enjoy doing, the more precise we are able to become with our preferences and therefore, have a clearer image of how to pursue a life that is filled with passion and intention.
If we don’t know ourselves and don’t know what we want or desire, then how are we going to know what we want out of life?
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Hacking Your Negative Exercise Habits
Exercise; We either seem to love it or hate it. It seems like some people are just naturally born as being more athletic and sports-driven while others simply just don’t fit into the category of “athletes” and rather find exercise annoying or treat it as a chore they know they should do but don’t like to do. Well, I believe that both of those assumptions are wrong. I believe that through the right shit in mindset, the implementation of correct habits and tailoring exercising to our preferences is the correct way forward in making people believe and understand that everyone is able to become physically fit - while also enjoying the process.
Proven by a multitude of existing studies and more that are in the process, scientists are now starting to unravel the array of benefits exercise can bring to our physical, mental, and emotional well being, so it is our job to implement a sustainable exercise habit/routine into our life.
Want to know how? Keep on reading to find out.
I want to first begin by defining what “exercise” even means, because from the majority of people that I have encountered in my life, they seem to have a misconception of what exercise actually is. Exercise, for many, is associated with going to the gym, more specifically either running on the treadmill for hours on end or lifting heavyweights. Now, I am a big fan of going to the gym and if you are too, then great, but exercise is most definitely not only just defined by going to the gym and doing endless cardio and weight training. The gym can be so much more, and so can exercise.
Exercise can come in hundreds of different forms and types, ranging in intensities, time lengths, techniques, and results. Below I have listed four of the main categories of exercises we usually sort exercises in.
TYPES OF EXERCISE GROUPS:
Endurance exercises: These are high-intensity cardio-based activities such as running, sprinting, high-intensity workouts, dancing, aerobics, and swimming that use up a lot of energy and increase our stamina and coordination skills.
Strength training exercises These exercises are specific for toning our muscles and focusing on slower and more controlled movements, such as weight lifting, using resistance bands, walking up the stairs, and carrying heavy objects.
Balance exercises: These are slow and controlled movements that target our main balancing muscle groups, and involve using a balance ball/board, doing exercises on one leg, yoga and many martial arts.
Flexibility exercises: Usually implemented before and after endurance and strength training in order to warm our bodies up or to stretch out and dissipate the lactic acid that has gathered in our muscles after an intense workout (Which usually results in muscle soreness the following day). These types of exercises include dynamic (before activity) and stationary (after activity), as well as gymnastics and martial arts.
The reason why going to the gym is usually associated with the word “exercise” is because, at a place like a “gym”, we have the chance to do all four of these types of exercise groups, which makes it very convenient for people and one of the reasons why gyms are so popular. Some physical activities can fall into two or even more groups depending on the intensity and pace we do them at. For example, swimming done at a slower pace is a great exercise to focus on specific muscle groups but done at a faster rate it becomes much more of an endurance exercise
WHY WE FACE RESISITNCE TOWARDS EXERCISING:
Often when wanting to implement a positive change into our lives, we faced what is called “resistance”. Resistance is a nonliteral obstacle in our life, something that prevents us usually from starting or continuing something, but it is something that we all battle with.
Resistance in our lives usually arises because we see the action that we are trying to implement, as something foreign. The resistance that we encounter at times where we are potentially putting ourselves in an unknown territory, is there to act as a safety caution, where it is warning our bodies that whatever we are wanting to do will likely be hard, dangerous, and uncomfortable. Once we get used to staying within the walls of our comfort zone, our comfort zone actually stars to shrink so we become comfortable with doing and trying fewer and less things in our life - which is exactly what happens to us with exercise. We want to start a regular exercise routine, however, we face resistance towards it because a) it is hard and requires effort and discipline, b) we are maybe not yet at a level where we feel comfortable at executing the exercise and c) we may feel like we don’t have the self-esteem or needed abilities and capabilities to start it. But guess what? All of those 3 doubts are removed once we start what we want to start.
By starting, you learn along the way, adjust your goals, master new skills, and practice new knowledge along while expanding your comfort zone.
Isn’t that what we all want to do?
Below I have listed some common excuses we may come up with to avoid us starting to exercise, even though most us realize and acknowledge that exercise is good for us. It is in human nature to face resistance to anything that is harder or more strenuous than what we are currently doing, as it requires more thought and energy, but overcoming that resistance can have profound and positive long term benefits on all aspects of your health.
EXCUSES FOR NOT EXERCISING:
“I don’t like exercising”
Identify what about the idea of exercising you don’t like and how you could change it. For example, if you don’t like hard physically intensive exercises, perhaps try starting out with something like slower and more controlled strength/resistance training, or maybe you like yoga that is both good for your mind and body.
Pick an exercise or pick several exercises that you enjoy, whether that is a sport like football, basketball, hockey, or tennis or pick another activity like dancing, running, hiking, martial arts, or rock climbing. There is something for everyone, and it’s up to you to find what you enjoy and focus on doing more of those things, while also gradually improving in your skills in exercises you are less comfortable with doing.
“I don’t have the time to exercise every day”
This is often the result of the idea that exercise has to take a large chunk of our every day, but that is simply not true because even just 30 minutes a day can have profound impacts on our health. A small amount is always better than nothing.
Another cause of not having “enough time” to exercise because exercising simply is not high enough on your priority list. I firmly believe that whatever you prioritize in your daily life is what is most important for you to get done that day, so by doing the same with exercise whether that is on a daily or weekly basis, we are on the right path to creating positive change in our wellbeing.
“I am too tired to exercise”
Everyone has moments where we feel tired and exhausted, but how often do we ask ourselves what caused us to feel this way; was it our own actions or something else, and what can we do to get out of the trap of exhaustion. These are important questions to identify.
Some of the most common causes of lethargy or a lack of energy are insufficient sleep/poor quality sleep, an unbalanced and highly processed food diet that makes our blood sugar levels fluctuate, thinking too much all the time and dehydration. Exercise, even though it is seen as an energy-consuming activity, actually recharges our bodies with more energy during the day and makes us more tired in the evening, meaning that we will sleep better at night and have more energy the following day. As counterintuitive as it sounds, exercise can wake you up from a state of drowsiness and fatigue, powering you up with energy.
“My health is not good enough right now to exercise”
We often have the idea that “When we will be….” or “when we will have..:.” then we will be able to pursue whatever is in our intention of doing, however, that in other words, is simply just a method of procrastination.
The same concept can be applied to exercise, where we make unnecessary excuses such as “I am not fit enough to do that”, “I am not flexible enough to try that” or “I can t exercise because I have pain in my arm”. Here it is crucial to realize that in the case that “we are not strong enough” to do a certain exercise or sport, that we will get stronger by doing more exercise, so if we don’t start with any exercise, we won’t get anywhere to a position where we will have a chance to improve our strength.
While it is important to respect our bodies needs when we are ill and listen to it regarding what feels right for it and what doesn’t, it doesn’t mean that we can’t do any exercise at all during this period. Perhaps if our ankle hurts, we might not be suited for running at the moment, but maybe we could replace running with walking or something less intense. Adjust exercise to your current needs and abilities.
HOW TO BUILD A CONSISTANT EXERCISE HABIT
Things to consider, which will help you stick to your exercise habit:
Changing your exercise mindset
Start treating exercise as a gift: It is important to realize that the ability to be able to move your body and to be in a healthy state, is not something that should be taken for granted. There are so many people in this world who are physically ill, missing a limb, mentally unwell or unable to move by themselves, so if you are lucky enough to that your body and mind are well, use that and invest it in exercise because it is something, not everyone can afford to do.
Identify, why you want to start exercising: Everyone has different goals for wanting to start something and the same, goes for exercise. Some people focus on physical results such as losing or gaining weight, more muscle definition, etc. , while others prefer to integrate exercise into their life because of the mental benefits that come from it such as increased energy, clarity of thinking, and having a more positive mindset.
Starting with what you have: We often think that we need to have the newest running shoes and most prestigious gym membership or that we have to be in a certain shape for us to start exercising, but all of those thoughts are just a form of procrastination that is preventing us from starting. The best way to combat this is to just start with what you have around you; furniture, outdoor space, indoor space, and people that you can be active with.
Not being too harsh on yourself: Everything that is usually worthwhile to implement requires time, energy, and effort making it hard. While doing any action that is hard for us, we will likely have moments where we will struggle keeping on track and even experience thoughts of quitting, it is important that in the case that we do go off track, it doesn’t mean that we completely quit, but we simply pick ourselves back up and continue onwards. Stopping temporarily and continuing is better than stopping permanently.
Personalizing your workout
Type of exercise: Chances are that if you like and enjoy your exercise regime, then you are much more likely to stick to it. So it is up to you to identify what kind of physical activity you enjoy thinking, and again don’t only feel constrained to the idea of going to the gym. Feel free to add variety into your exercise regime and keep it exciting but also challenging for yourself.
Clothing: Perhaps you are the type of person who gets motivated to exercise by the clothes you wear or the gear you use, which is great. Find something you feel good in while allowing you to stay practical and flexible.
Audio: Some people enjoy listening to music during their exercise, however, it doesn’t end there. Instead of music, you also have the option to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and speeches - all of which can add value to your life alongside being physically active.
Scheduling your exercise
When will you do it: it is important to in advance roughly determine the time we plan to be active because it is up to us to set exercise as a priority for ourselves and whatever we prioritize in our day, we will usually get done.
What sort of exercise will you do: This is another decision that is good to make in advance because believe it or not, but our brain can only make so many well thought out decisions in a day before it starts resorting to irrational choices. Therefore, by picking our workout in advance, we save our brain energy and time, which can instead be spent on making more important and impactful decisions during our day.
How long will you exercise for: When deciding on the duration of our exercise, it is important to be realistic with ourselves and also not to start to overwhelmingly huge, since our goal is to gradually build progress and increase our performance through regular practice.
Rewarding yourself afterward
Exercise really becomes a repetitive habit once we fall in love with the process of doing it, because we get pleasure from its results. In the case of personal benefits, exercise offers a myriad of health benefits for our mind and body, both of which can act as rewards to continue the habit.
Mental benefits of exercise: Exercise releases chemical endorphins into our bloodstream, which are known to stimulate a more positive outlook on life, thus increasing our self-esteem, as well as reducing stress, anxiety, and depression rates on a long term basis, as was proven by several studies. Apart from endorphins, exercise recharges our mind with more energy, greater clarity of thinking, as well as showing vast improvements in sleep quality which has been scientifically shown to greatly improve our memory.
Physical benefits of exercise: Several studies have shown that people who exercise have lower rates of chronic diseases are generally at a healthier weight, have a greater bone density as well as having increased flexibility and strength.
Having accountability
Social connectivity: Through a social basis you can stay accountable and on track with your fitness goals by working with someone else or a group of people that encourage and care for your progress, as well as perhaps getting involved with a personal trainer that will make your health and progress their priority.
Progress tracking: Nowadays there are plenty of fitness tracking applications and gadgets you can buy to help keep you on track with your exercise habits as well as connecting you to an online community of people that will keep you motivated to exercise.
Designing your environment accordingly
Our environment plays a huge role in either the continuity or cessation of our habits, so it is important as to how we design it so we enforce the correct habits.
Examples of environmental design: Preparing your exercise clothing and gear in advance, keeping around a gym bag or running shoes in convenient places such as a car or in a hallway, preparing healthy meals and snacks in advance, and fueling your body with the correct food.
DISCRETE WAYS TO BE MORE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
Using your cleaning chores as a way to be active
Opting for stairs when we can, instead of the escalator or elevator
Opting for walking, biking or any other nonmotorized transport method, instead of relying on vehicle transport like cars and buses
Taking breaks during work, to get up for a quick stroll and stretching our legs, especially if we sit at a desk for the majority of our day
Try seeing if there are any lunch break or coffee spots next to your workplace, that are within walking distance
Organize or propose ideas for active team-building with your coworkers, that can be either indoors or outdoors
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Benefits Of Regular Meditation
“Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind.”
I have always heard of the many benefits that meditation can bring along with it, but I have always had a hard time comprehending them or believing they are true since I had never integrated meditation into my lifestyle as part of a regular practice. To test these benefits for myself, about a month ago I had decided to try and start a daily meditation routine, to see whether these benefits are as widespread and impactful as meditation articles make them seem.
After having done more than a month of regular daily meditation now, I can firmly confirm that I have uncovered some of these benefits for myself and I hope that with this article I can convince you to at least try meditation once and that the benefits will show themselves if you are consistent and intentional.
Before I start stating and explaining some of the most profound benefits that I have discovered with a regular meditation routine, I would like to first open up by clarifying what meditation even is - as many people have an incorrect assumption of it- as well as providing insight into how meditation is carried out and some practical tips that we can all use to integrate meditation into our lifestyle.
LEARNING THE BASICS
WHAT IS MEDITATION:
If we simplify the idea of meditation, we can define it as a practice or skill in which we are able to sit in stillness, not forcing our mind to think or reflect about anything, while becoming an observer to our behaviour, emotions and thoughts. The point of meditation is not to be perfect or to experience zero thoughts during our practice - which is very unlikely if you are a beginner since during the day our minds are exposed to a constant influx of information from the outside world - but the purpose of meditation is to be acceptant to anything that comes and goes through our minds while being submerged in the present moment, not worrying about the past or future.
During meditation we often turn our focus to our breath as it is one thing that is always with us in the current moment, meaning that it helps keep us grounded to the present moment.
Meditation is also a time we choose to schedule purely to ourselves, not having to worry about worries and thoughts arising from our external situations, meaning that it is a time that we can calm down, get a new perspective on things and find moments to slow down in this fast-paced lifestyle that we live.
HOW TO MEDITATE:
Sit down in a crosslegged position that you find comfortable with your hands resting on your knees or in your lap, and your shoulders being pushed slightly back to open up your chest and maintain a proper posture.
Relax your muscles thought out your whole body, but still keeping yourself in an attentive and upright position.
Close your eyes and take a couple of deep long breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth.
Once you feel your body has started to calm down, resort to following your natural breathing patterns, keeping your eyes closed and the focus on your breath or an area of your body where your breath can be felt (nose, expanding of chest or stomach).
Focus on your breathing for the majority of the practice and when you start coming to the end of your practice, slowly start bringing awareness to your body and space around you, until you are able to fully open your eyes.
GENERAL MEDITATION TIPS:
Turn your mindset from being a perfectionist to being accepting of everything that comes your way and not letting it make you get off track permanently. In the beginning, everyone finds it hard to quiet our minds, but forcing this will also yield in no beneficial results.
The more consistent and intentional you are with your practice, the more likely you are to find purpose in doing it and the more likely you are to integrate it as a habit. Reflect upon your practice and identify whether afterwards you feel any different and try and set up an intention for why you want to start meditating.
People tend to often assume that meditation is a very strict, perfectionistic and hard to do practice, however it is not. Meditation can be a very easy and effortless process to follow as long as we do not become judgemental of whatever wanders through our minds. Just like it is not a practice of being a perfectionist, meditation can also come in different styles depending on your preference for sound, pace and technique, making it a universal skill that people can master if they put their mind to it.
Meditation can be done in silence or with accompanying music or instrumental background sounds. Which one you prefer is up to you.
Nowadays there are also plenty of meditation apps that help you with starting or continuing the habit of meditation. Many apps offer the option of guided meditation where you are listening to another person that it systematically guiding you through the process of meditation.
Meditation does also not have to take up plenty of your time, but can instead range anywhere from as little as five minutes to more than an hour, depending on which level you are and the amount of time you choose to dedicate to this practice. As a beginner, I would recommend starting with five minutes and then slowly progressing to ten minutes and eventually twenty minutes until you are able to do the practice on your own for however long you feel like.
Whether you decide to meditate in the morning, evening, during the day, or all three, it is up to you. Many people prefer to meditate first thing in the morning as in the morning hours our brain is not compleltčey clouded with thoughts of the upcoming day, making it easier to focus and relax into the practice itself.
MY MEDITATION PRACTICE:
I have been meditating for a little over a month now, doing between 10-20 minutes every morning right when I wake up. I personally like using the app Oak as it is free of charge (except their mantra meditation course) and it provides the chance of guided meditation that I am a big fan of as it helps me enter the state of meditation quicker.
In the background, I often like to play relaxing instrumental noises such as a flute or rain falling, but sometimes I also just do it in silence.
If you are someone who is a big app user, there are many different apps out there that specialise in meditation, so experiment with them and find which one brings you the most value, enjoyment and regularity in your practice
PERSONAL BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
BENEFIT 1: Becoming an observer
The first benefit that had uncovered itself to me after starting a regular meditation routine, was that I became an observer and spectator to my own life. Becoming an observer has firstly benefited my life from an emotional standpoint, where I was able to assess the way I reacted to a certain situation, whether I reacted appropriately and why did I react in that way. By improving the way I reacted to situations, I was able to influx more positive opportunities into my life, as well as maintain or build new social connections.
Furthermore, gaining the perspective of an observer also enabled me to become a better decision-maker as I was able to look at a situation objectively and start relying on rational thought instead of just emotional drive.
BENEFIT 2: Feeling more calm and centred
The second benefit comes with no surprise, but undoubtedly meditation has allowed me to become calmer, more level headed and more focused on my work, where I was able to approach situations with a clearer mind and produce less of an anxious response. By feeling calmer, it has lead me to improve my work prioritization which manifested itself into being able to focus on a given task for longer periods of time and becoming better at avoiding distractions - all of which are needed for a balanced and productive lifestyle.
BENEFIT 3: Increased gratitude
By becoming more of an observer through the process of meditation, you are able to self reflect, gain more control throughout different areas of your life, which leads you to become a more present person. The ability to be present in a situation is becoming rarer but it is also one that is becoming more necessary to do. By being more present we are able to truly assess our life and look at it through a lens of gratitude for all the things, experiences, people and opportunities we had, still have or we will get in the future.
I believe that we should not label situations as either being “good” or “bad” because that can predetermine our response to them when it is still in our control to choose the way we intentionally react to them. The focus in your life should not only be on “good” situations because we also need “bad” situations to learn from them and be able to appreciate and realise what a “good” situation even means for us. Through expressing gratitude, you are able to view even the most negative situations with at least a hint of positive light, which is always better than seeing only the bad in something negative, as dwelling on your losses never gets you anywhere, but learning from them does.
BENEFIT 4: Increased mental clarity
Another benefit that came to me through the practice of meditation was that I experienced greater mental clarity during my day, with which I was able to react more appropriately in situations, make better decisions, stay focused on the task consistently and live more in the present moment. “Mental clarity” means something different for everyone, but in my terms, it meant that I became a generally all-around more rational person with the things I said and did which made me become more intentional with my actions and the way I choose to spend my time. I realized that it was up to me how I spent my time and how much time I choose to allocate to a specific task. It was up to me to decide how much focus to bring to the table and where to concentrate it on.
Lastly, because I started viewing life events in a more objective light, I was able to tune into my intuition more, which simplified and quickened the process of decision making that so often usually drained me of energy.
BENEFIT 5: Becoming less judgemental and more accepting
The last point links to the idea of neutrality and not labelling something as being “good” or “bad” but simply being acceptant and aware of it. By labelling something as “bad” or “good” you are in a way predetermining your response and thus the outcome from that situation, that would otherwise have been up to you as to how you choose to react to it. It is crucial to realise that we will be okay even if we encounter a “bad” situation and that we can use those situations that make us struggle and fail, to our advantage, to fuel our growth as a person and to strengthen our mindset.
ADVICE FOR PICKING UP THE HABIT OF MEDITATION:
Start small and be consistent. Even just five minutes a day can be sufficient as a beginner, and when you feel ready to extend that time period, go for it.
Involve the use of a meditation app that will make it easier for you to stick to your practice and encourage you with your progress thus far.
Understand and figure out why you even want to start meditating in the first place. What do you think or want to get out of this practice?
Adapt the practice to your preference in terms of the length you choose, time of day you do it, your choice of having music, background vocal guidance or silence. Design it so that it will be enjoyable to you, increasing your chances of sticking to it.
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Habits Are The Key To Your Success
“Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”
There is a reason as to why habits get so much praise in the “productivity world” today, and that comes with very good reasoning behind it. Habits, when implemented correctly over time, can have massive and incredibly positive effects on our life and well being, but that also means that if they are not used correctly, they can quickly lead us to stumble down negative habit loops that do us no good.
So how exactly do we make the most out of our habits and implement them in a way that we will derive the most benefit from them? Read on to find out.
Before we delve into the topic of habits and how exactly they are able to transform our lives, I would like to mention that the information in this post is partly based and built upon from the points that James Clear has made in his best selling book, Atomic Habits, that explores the science behind habits and how we build new ones and break bad ones. I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in improving their life by using habits.
I would like to first begin by giving some introductory information on the topic of habits, that will enable us to grapple and understand the forthcoming content with much more ease.
WHAT ARE HABITS?
In basic terms, a habit is any automatic behaviour that we execute without having to put mental thought into doing it, meaning that it is largely unconscious. We all perform habits, however, most of the time we do not even realise that something is habitual behaviour since we are not applying conscious thought while executing the action.
A prominent study done by Duke University has concluded that about 40% of our daily actions are said to be habits, meaning that habits form a large chunk of our daily behaviour. What is the reason behind this? Why such a big percentage?
ROLE OF HABITS
Well, the answer quite plainly lies within our brain, that functions, in simple terms, like a big energy conservation machine. Even though our brain only takes up about 2% of our total body weight, it uses an astonishing 20% of our total energy intake for performing its daily functions. Because of its large energy use, the brains main goal is to use the energy it receives with as much efficiency as possible, meaning that not much of it goes to waste. And that is exactly what habits are here to do. They are unconscious actions, meaning they do not require thinking - or the use of mental energy - for them to be executed, allowing our brain to save this precious energy and use it for more important matters.
Apart from the fact that habits allow our brains to save energy, they also save our brain time, as habitual behaviour happens subconsciously and is in a way almost predetermined, meaning that we lose less time with coming up with a final decision, that would otherwise lead to the commonly known “decision fatigue”.
Therefore, because habits form such a large chunk of our behaviour, they can have very large and noticeable effects on our lives and well being, either being good or bad, depending on which ones we prioritize.
BUILDING BLOCKS OF HABITS
In order for us to understand how we can build long-lasting positive habits and break negative habit loops for good, we have to first understand the actual structure of a habit and what causes them in the first place. The first two components (the Cue and the Craving) are part of the problem phase that are based on input actions of the habit, while the last two components (Response and Reward) form the solution component as they focus on the outcomes of a habit.
CUE: This concerns an exterior stimulus in our environment that acts as a trigger to our habit. This is exactly why our habits are based so much in our environment because our environment provides most of the triggers to those habits.
CRAVING: The carving is all about the emotional drive behind a habit, and acts as a main reason of power for our brain to execute the action automatically. After all, if an action was not being craved by our brain, then why would it be done? While the craving is all about wanting the action, the response concentrates on performing the action.
RESPONSE: In other words, the response is the action that is triggered by the cue and is accelerated by the craving. Over time this repetitive response will form a habit loop, however, your responsibility to a cue is determined by a) how determined you are to complete the action and b) your level of ability to perform the action.
REWARD: Finally, the reward focuses on stimulating our brains with a positive reward that will encourage the repetition of the same behaviour later on, because the action will become associated with the same reward.
EXAMPLE OF A HABIT LOOP:
CUE: The sweet smell of a doughnut shop that you walk by on a street.
CRAVING: The sweet smell of fried doughnuts makes it hard for your brain to resist it because if something smells good it makes us want to eat it, as it will likely also taste good.
RESPONSE: You walk into the doughnut shop, purchase a doughnut and eat it, as a result of the initially enticing smell.
REWARD: Your taste buds are immediately rewarded by the sweet and fatty taste of the doughnut, so now walking by a doughnut shop will become associated with a sweet-tasting reward.
BUILDING NEW AND POSITIVE HABITS:
GENERAL TIPS:
Starting small and easy: When trying to implement a new habit into our routine, we have to start small as otherwise we feel overwhelmed as to how to start or we simply lose motivation to keep executing the action that has not yet become automatic, meaning that we will face more resistance to it.
Small daily imprvements: In his books Atomic Habits, James Clear often emphasizes the point that if we improve for even juts 1% each day, that over the course of months and years can accumulate to a large and noticeable improvement. The same can be said if we decide to pursue a negative habit and get worse for 1% each day. Small changes add up through consistency and effort.
Breaking down your habits: To once again not get too overwhelmed with the expectations that implementing a new habit brings, it is very useful to break up a large and hard to do habit into smaller easier to do actions. For example, if you want to start running every day, you can split this large habit into two smaller habits of fueling your body the right food to have enough energy and to get into the habit of finishing your work quickly to have more time to run, both of which will contribute towards your overall habit.
Getting back on track and tracking your progress: Many of us, when trying to start a new habit we wither forget about it rather quickly or we fall back into our previous habitual actions. These situations are completely normal, which is because when we try and introduce a new habit, old habitual neural pathways never get deleted, because they are only replaced by new habits, which explains why we often slip back into our old routines. To remain consistent with our new habit, I would also recomed tracking our progress, whether that is from a visual, numerical or emotional perspective, that when seeing positive results, will motivate us to continue the habit.
Have patience and consistency: Humans are wired to function based on instant gratification which allows us to receive immediate benefits from doing something but with habits it takes more time for the results to show, which is why it is important to keep trying our best, be consistent and be patient as the results will eventually come as long as we work for them.
RULES FOR STICKING WITH NEW HABITS:
Make the habit:
Have an obvious trigger (Desing your environment accordingly)
Attractive (Increases our likeness to do it)
Easy to do (Makes starting less daunting)
Satisfying (Ensures that we will repeat it)
QUITTING BAD AND PERSISTENT HABITS
GENERAL TIPS:
Replacing your habits: By replacing a bad habit with a good one that brings about the same reward or feeling, we will find it less tempting to slip back into our old habit routines as by doing the habit that is good for us we will still be getting the same or at least a similar reward as previously with the bad habit.
Social environment and Accountability: By working or partnering with another person or a group of people who support you in your habits and motivate you to keep persistent, that will greatly increase the chances of you a) sticking to the new habit and b) quitting a bad habit, as someone can hold you accountable for how much time has passed since you last did the bad habit. Accountability does not only have to wor with real-life people but can also be done with digital applications that help track your habits if you prefer.
Environmental design: Our environment is the largest sources of our, good and bad, habit triggers, therefore it is important to surround ourselves in an environment that will promote the formation of good habits while preventing the continuation of bad habits.
New identity: By adopting or quitting a habit, we essentially want to become a new person. For example, someone who might want to start eating healthier could identify themselves as a “healthy eater”, while someone who is trying to quit smoking will refer to themselves as a “non-smoker or ex-smoker”. By giving ourselves a new identity based on our habits, we become more intentional behind our habits as to why we would want to start or quit one, in order for them to align with our new persona.
RULES FOR BREAKING BAD HABITS:
Make the habit:
Have a non-obvious trigger (Designing your environment accordingly)
Unattractive (Decreases our chances of doing it)
Difficult (Requires more effort to do it)
Unsatisfying (Ensures we will not repeat it)
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Top 10 Productivity Tips
Everyone likes the idea of being productive, however many of us fall into the traps of procrastination and distractions, that hinder us from becoming the best version of ourselves. Here are my personal top ten tips that will boost your productivity, work output and efficiency.
TIP 1: Time Tracking
Tracking your time is more than just a productivity tip; It enables you to identify how long it actually takes you to finish a task and it also encourages you to fully focus on the task at hand without any distractions, ultimately leading to a higher quality piece of work.
The Pomodoro time tracking technique is very popular, where you work for 25minutes, have a break for 5 minutes and repeat. However, if you feel that you can maintain focus for more than 25 minutes, go ahead, just do not neglect to have breaks in between.
Tracking the time you spend on tasks can be done by simply setting a timer on one of your devices or installing time tracking software which can automatically start and stop timing when taking a break.
Some of my favourite time tracking software:
Toggl (Individual and group tracking)
Focus keeper (Pomodoro style)
Emphasis (Pomodoro style)
Forest (Paid application)
TIP 2: Eliminate Distractions
A crucial aspect of keeping focused is putting aside all potential distractions, which prevent you from entering a "flow state", which is defined as a “optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best" by the author of the book Flow, Mihály Csíkszentmihályiwhich.
Methods of avoiding distractions include:
Muting notifications
Placing your devices in less convenient places
Setting time for focus and time for taking a break
Use website/ internet blockers (Eg: Freedom and Cold Turkey Blocker)
TIP 3: Stay Energized
For us to be able to execute a task well, we must be physically and mentally in shape first before we can fully commit to doing it. If we neglect any of the daily biological necessities that keep our minds sharp and our bodies in shape, we firstly see a decline in our focus, motivation and clarity of thinking, which inevitably leads to lower productivity - something that we do not want.
It is also important to mention that the neglect of one of these essential caretakers (such as sleep) will lead to us having even less energy and motivation to complete other important habits (such as exercising), clearly resulting in a vicious cycle that is hard to stop.
Ways of energizing ourselves:
Sleep minimum 7-8 hours each night
Eat a varied, balanced and whole-foods based diet
Try and get in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
Being out in fresh air
Taking a nap in the middle of the day
Replacing sugary drinks with water
Meditation
TIP 4: Plan out Your Day In Advance
By planning the following day the night before, you instantly know exactly all the things you have to get done that days so you waste less time deciding what to fit and not to fit onto your to-do list.
When planning your day ahead I would plan for:
Small and large tasks and projects I have to start or complete (in order of priority)
How you will avoid and deal with potential distractions and issues
How long you will spend on those tasks and then using a timer to track the time spent
What resources will I need to get those tasks done in time
TIP 5: Task Prioritization
It is not only important to consider what you add onto your to-do list but also which tasks are most important to get done for that day. This way you at least know that if you completed your highest priority tasks, you did the most important work.
Often times we like to start with the tasks that are shortest and require last effort, making them lowest priority tasks, but if we take time to consider how we will tackle and complete larger, higher priority tasks, we will get much more satisfaction and reassurance that the hardest work has been done already.
Prioritize tasks based on:
Importance and effort needed (proximity to a deadline)
Amount of time needed
In the case that we feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks we have on hand, it is an important skill to learn when to say "no" to opportunities. We should say "no" to opportunities when we know we have too much on our plate for another task, when the task will not bring much value or opportunity to our life or when we do not find the opportunity interesting because we have other more interesting occupations already.
TIP 6: Avoid Multitasking
This is again something that links to the idea of a "flow state", whereby multi-tasking we are not applying an equal amount of focus to the tasks we are doing simultaneously, but we are instead only diverting our attention when ever we switch to a new task. This way all of the tasks that we are multitasking on will be of lower quality and it will even take us longer to complete those tasks as our attention is continuously distracted.
In creative fields specifically, where a lot of idea generation and periods of extended focus are needed, I would try and limit the amount of multitasking, but instead, try and complete tasks one after another in their order of priority.
The only times when I would require multitasking:
When doing a repetitive task
When doing a task that does not require creative thinking
When doing a task that we are highly familiar with and not much thinking is required
TIP 7: Break Up Large Tasks
Often when starting a large project-based task, we feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that lies ahead of us so we don't even feel like starting because we don’t even know where to start with the task.
To overcome this issue, I recommend dividing you larger task into smaller more tangible tasks that will still make progress towards your larger task but will not overwhelm you.
When splitting up a task, I would consider the following:
What is the end goal/ result of me doing this smaller task?
How long will it realistically take me to finish each small task?
When is the deadline for the whole task to be completed?
How much effort and resources will each small task cost me?
TIP 8: Identify Your “Why”:
You should always have a reason for doing something, a larger intention that stands behind your actions, otherwise, what’s the point of doing anything?
Identifying the reason behind doing something is not always the easiest thing, so before starting, ask yourself:
Why am I doing this task?
What will I get out of it by completing it?
Who am I doing the task for? (Myself or someone else)
By clarifying your intention behind each task, you also create the underlying factor of motivation that powers you through the task and allows you to keep the end goal in sight, increases the chances of you finishing the task and at the end, also makes you more proud of what you have completed thus far.
TIP 9: Set Realistic And Achievable Goals
Unlike the last tip, this point focuses on the output value of the tasks you do in the form of setting goals that guide and allow you to complete the task in the first place.
Purpose of setting goals:
Guide us in the general right direction
Motivate us to work towards something
Defining what is "enough" for us and when to stop with something
However I do want to clarify, that while goals are important, it is important to not keep them in our foresight all the time, but instead, we should be using them as an every so often reference point to check that we are headed in the right direction.
Because goals should be specific and well defined, there are different types of goals for this purpose:
Progress goal: I want to improve my piano playing skills
Numerical goal: Focus on reaching a certain number/ figure (Eg: I want to save up X amount of money by the end of the year)
System goal: A output shcedule that you follow on a regular basis (Eg: I will go to the gym 3x per week)
I believe that focusing on numerical goals is not a good long term solution, as they are often unrealistic which leads us to be disappointed if we don't achieve them. On the other hand, a progress or system goal allows you to stay more committed to your goal as a long term solution and makes sure that you are headed in the right direction.
When setting goals, it is important to consider:
How will I achieve my goal: What steps will I take towards completing it?
How long will it take me to complete it: When is the deadline?
How will I measure my goal: How will I know that I have completed my goal?
What resources will I need: Physical resources, time, money, energy, social connections
How will I stay commited to my goal: Being accountable to someone or reminding myself?
TIP 10: Just Start and Don’t Complicate
As simple as it sounds, it can’t be overstated that the only way to get something done, is just by starting it. We often procrastinate from starting a task by doing excessive planning and thinking about starting, but then we never actually end up starting.
Its always easier to dream about, plan and think about starting than putting in the actual effort of starting
By just starting and acknowledging that no one is perfect when they initially start out, it frees your mind from judgement and self-doubt that is often faced when starting something new, which allows you to develop your ideas organically as you grow. Starting is the first proactive step to take and only once you start you will be able to figure out all of the other smaller details in your journey because it takes starting and building real experience to direct yourself in the correct direction.
Don't overthink, just start. You will figure things out as you go and that should never be a prerequisite for starting out in the first place because no one has everything figured out when they first start out.
Enjoy the process.
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