A day in the life
The following are some of the things that I do on a regular basis and a few of them, every day :-
Start the day, the right way - Being in a hurry is stressful for me and many others. I make sure that I have plenty of time available before I need to do anything or go anywhere. My alarm goes off two hours before I need to really start my day, which gives me plenty of time to read, relax, caffeinate, stretch and prepare. I have never been a great sleeper and add to that my (all too frequent), evening social life activities, and that means that I have to force myself to try and get to sleep early, as many days as possible.
Interact with others - If you have a significant other, then make sure that you talk to them in the morning. Everything from basic chit chat, to enquiries about their plans, to affirmations of love. If not, message a friend or family member and get a quick conversation going, or continue one. Conversations create connections and good ones are scientifically proven to reduce stress and increase our feelings of well being.
Exercise my body - My various genetic joint issues and old sports injuries mean that I will never be able to get the muscle mass I would like or the excellent cardiovascular system that I enjoyed as a younger man. However, most of us can still do something that makes us a bit stronger, a bit fitter and a bit more flexible. All 3 reduce pain, lower body fat, make us more agile, help our heart and lungs, plus a myriad of other health benefits. This is not news to you, but it really needs to become a part of your weekly routine. Even the busiest person I know, can schedule a minimum of 20 minutes a day, for 6 days a week.
Exercise my mind / Learn - We all know that old adage of "healthy body / healthy mind". It is a truism that if we make our bodies stronger, it helps to do the same for the mind. Outside of our regular cerebral challenges at work, we should all push ourselves on a regular basis with something new. That could be a mixture of books, educational podcasts, reading interesting investigative journalism, learning new skills, and many other areas that expand our knowledge. Not only could one of these new things prove useful one day, but the process will fire synapsis that make our mind stronger.
Work - I have not been motivated by material things for a long time. I have no interest in accruing more stuff in my life. In fact, my minimalist approach is quite the opposite. I do however want my wife and I to enjoy a certain lifestyle, and for that, I need to earn money. The lack of hours that I work compared to the average full time employee would shock many and could lead to charges of laziness. I will not defend myself against that, but simply say that when I am working on a project, I am intensely focussed, very dedicated and try to be as smart and efficient as possible, so that I don't have to "put the hours in".
Switch off - Rest and relaxation is so important to our physical and mental well being, that if we reduce these periods of downtime too much, the repercussions can be terrible. I admire those people that can push themselves to extreme lengths, such people are needed in this world. However, when possible, even they need to slow it, or even shut it down for a while.
Explore - A multitude of benefits and lessons have been shown to me when I have tried new things, been to new places and met new people, including - To enjoy experiences over things. Leave your comfort zone and try new things. Appreciate different cultures (and our similarities). Make friends with strangers. Never take nature for granted. Be spontaneous. Appreciate the little things.
Eat well - We have to consume calories to survive, so as often as possible, we really should try to make it an interesting and enjoyable experience and get the best "bang for our buck" that we can.
Laugh - Research has shown that the health benefits of laughter include helping to relieve pain, bring greater happiness, and even increase immunity. Unfortunately, many people don't get enough laughter in their lives. In fact, one study stated that healthy children might laugh as much as 400 times per day, but adults tend to laugh only 15 times per day.
Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones, like endorphins.
Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress, and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.
Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a threat or a challenge. Humour can give us a more light-hearted perspective and help us view events as challenges, thereby making them less threatening and more positive.
Laughter connects us with others. Just as with smiling and kindness, most people find that laughter is contagious. Going to a movie or a comedy club with friends is a great way to get more laughter in your life. The contagious effects of laughter may mean you'll laugh more than you otherwise would have during the show, plus you'll have jokes to reference at later times.
Instead of complaining about life's frustrations, try to laugh about them. If something is so frustrating or depressing it's ridiculous, realize that you could 'look back on it and laugh.' Think of how it will sound like a story you could tell your friends, and then see if you can laugh about it now.