Life is hard and complicated. But if we realize that it is simply not possible to have everything and get used to minor and major necessary sacrifices, while diligently repeating the motto "progress, not perfection" in our heads, we soon come to the realization that in life in reality we can only control 7 things. With perseverance, we can quickly turn these into a habit.
1. We can become aware of breathing.
Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale - on repeat. When was the last time we breathed in such a way that we felt how our chest expands and how the air fills us with peace? Breathing, which is the most basic characteristic of every living human being, can be transformed from a completely self-evident process into a tool that can be used to get out of a stressful situation at any time by paying more attention to it. "let's ground" and we find an oasis of peace within ourselves.
2. We can be kind to ourselves - especially with words.
Most of the time we are not even aware that we are talking to ourselves in our heads all the time, and we are even less aware of how many times we are telling ourselves negative things. You should talk to yourself (especially in difficult moments) as you would talk to a child or a best friend in need: with compassion, with a great deal of forgiveness and with kind, comforting words. Let's love each other.
3. We can learn gratitude.
Each of us should set a goal several times a day to say thank you – to loved ones, strangers, life or just to yourself. If we can learn to be grateful even for those difficult schools that are not for anyone's pleasure, we achieve that we go to sleep every day happy, because we know that life is leading us along exactly the path that is best for us.
READ MORE: 10 traits of good listeners
4. We can learn the language of our body.
Psychologist Amy Cuddy in the famous Ted speech it talks about how our mentality changes even if we put ourselves in a different stance and adopt a different pose. A straight and strong posture (say with your hands on your hips and your legs apart to take up a lot of space) in our body lowers the stress hormone cortisol and increases the testosterone that gives us a sense of self-confidence.
5. We can exercise our body and brain.
Daily physical activity has incredible effects on our well-being - even if we resist it because we are more lazy in nature. At least 20 minutes of active exercise a day works anti-stress and increases our creativity. With all the running and fitness, we must not forget that our brain also needs exercise. Crosswords, Sudoku, quality reading and deep meditation are just some of the ways to keep our brains vital even when we are much older.
6. We can eat healthy and of good quality.
Fast, unhealthy food smells and looks intoxicating, but if we listen carefully to our body, our well-being after eating such food is always pretty miserable. Preparing healthy meals may indeed take more time and energy, but a body filled with quality foods will thank us in the long run when it shines with health, energy and well-being. A proverb "you are what you eat", still true.
7. We can get some sleep.
Maybe we think of sleep as a waste of time. Perhaps we are more of a nocturnal bird. Maybe we're not sleeping well. No matter what: sleep is key. The body regenerates during sleep, and how productive our tomorrow will be depends the most on sleep. But for our sleep to be really deep and for us to wake up full of energy, it is important that let's establish a routine, in which we go to bed at the same time every day, without exception.
Adapted and adapted from:
www.greatist.com
