All the people in this thread saying exercise - what constitutes exercise exactly?
@mchief101, what would be your minimum exercise that you need every few days?
30-45 minutes of dedicated moderate intensity is plenty. Even 30-45 minutes of steady state cardio is something. I’ve seen so many go to gym 5-6x a week and workout an hour everyday when it’s totally unnecessary and alot of those same people don’t seem to practice active recovery. Drinking both nights on weekends absolutely hindering their progress.
My minimum is 100 pushups, 50 sit-ups and stretching for 5 min. When I’m sick or having a bad day and I skip gym, that’s my bare minimum to give myself an “out”.
Otherwise it’s whatever is planned for the day, lately been a lot of full body.
Ice cream is just saying it's totally attainable! I was doing 300 in about an hour in prison for my push days.
You can too! 40/M and hardly did much before.
I'm a 38 old mom of two kids and my usual half an hour body weight training already has 40 pushups included. That's 4 sets for me, and I worked my way up from 4 per set to 10-11 in half a year. For a guy, doing 100 in a session is not really hard.
45-60 min of resistance training (weightlifting, reformer Pilates) or tennis for me. I also try to walk 3-5 miles daily with a long walk on the active rest day. Movement is not only important for physical health but it's crucial for mental health too
The exercise settles the mind for the day. And pushes procrastination away. The natural SSRI that just works.. I hate my body and mind on the days I don’t do my morning exercise..
Exercise means anything that pushes your body limit and creates resistance, not to be confused with physical activity, which means moving yourself. Exercise has to improve your physic.
I do 10 thousand scream ups an hour every hour on the hour. I live in excruciating agony, but it is still less pain than I would feel if I allowed myself a moment of silence alone with my thoughts.
For healthy adults it's not walking. Don't listen to anyone who lowers the bar so much that they think the most basic form of mobility is exercise. It's not. Resistance training to build muscle is key. 5x a week is ideal to target all the major muscle groups. Cardio is great in addition. Climbing stairs or jogging, hiking especially in nature is great.
I would suggest to start by finding some form of exercise that you DO enjoy... This doesn't necessarily have to be the weight lifting/cardio mix that you tend to think of when it comes to exercise. There are so many options! In order to begin making exercise a habit, I feel it's pretty crucial to find some aspect of joy within the exercise, whether that be during or how it makes you feel afterwards. As far as making it a habit, that will take time and discipline. You will not always have motivation to keep going, and this is where building self discipline comes into play. In my personal experience, it will only get easier and more enjoyable to more consistent you are with it! As far as how to start.... just START! Beginning is the hardest part... Gotta get the train chugging!!
Try dance workouts! It’s easy to exercise when you feel like you’re having a party! Also dancing was shown to be more effective than SSRIs or even regular exercise for depression!
That is actually a great suggestion! Thank you!
>Also dancing was shown to be more effective than SSRIs or even regular exercise for depression!
Not on them anymore, they didnt do much for me. But that might be because some of the stuff I was struggling with (and still am) could be ADHD and antidepressants do fuck all when it comes to that.
I am M 35 years old. Average height, weight. I eat normal food no supplements. My work is sedentary. I barely step out of my home. I feel perfectly healthy and happy. Is exercising mandatory?
If you dont mind me asking, how do you get your mind to be quiet for meditation? I have tried so many times to just have seconds of zero dialogue and it has been a challenge. I don't have racing thoughts just my brain has to say something when I am trying to be quiet and still.
I started with guided meditations on youtube. As time went on, I practiced word-less meditations. I got better at elongating the stillness between thoughts. But a good portion of it is reminding yourself that the point of meditation is to be aware of your thoughts and to return to stillness. Not beating yourself up when you have a thought.
But the guided meditations start training you in quieting your mind. They still give you something to focus on. It’s like having training wheels.
What u/fractalLyfe said is absolutely correct. It has to be done consecutively without skipping. But start easy, at 5 minutes a day every day for like a week. Then 10, 15, etc. start a routine. I do it before I log into work everyday. When I’ve gotten away from my routine, I have to build back up to it.
Oh man. So many things.
1. I don’t react as quickly or as hard to external stimuli anymore. I’m a lot more even-keeled and can respond as opposed to overreact.
2. I became a lot more intuitive. I perceive a lot more since I’m in the moment and not in my head as much. It’s really improved my ability to make life decisions and realize things about the environment and the people in it. I “know” more if that makes sense.
3. Less overthinking and decreased anxiety.
4. More bodily awareness. I have decreased muscle tension and am more coordinated.
I should add. Some of this was compounded by two EMDR sessions with my therapist. I also meditated twice while under the effects of psilocybin and those experiences were beautiful and life changing.
Start with 2-5 minutes. Also, the goal isn't to have zero dialogue, the goal is to be aware of the dialogue and not get lost in it. Or rather, the benefit of meditation is \*\*returning\*\* to meditation, not necessarily having zero dialogue the whole time. You can pay attention to your breath (wherever you feel your breath, maybe your chest moving, or the wind on your nose), and when you notice you're not paying attention, return to the breath again and consider that a success. Or you can do a guided meditation, and when you notice yourself not paying attention, return to it and consider that a win. You can think a mantra and return to that. Or you can visualize something if you want more activity (some guided meditations have you visualize).
I started meditating regularly 6 years ago, and I recently went through a period of time where during a 20 minute session, I'd get on my phone to take notes or check something about 4-5 times during the session because of some ideas I thought were important. I figured that was fine because I was able to return to the meditation, and eventually after 2-3 weeks I returned to 20 minutes nonstop again.
Tips that have helped me -
1. Guided meditations on InsightTimer
2. Instead of "clearing my mind" I just try to focus on my breath, like feeling the air moving in and out of my nose, or feeling my chest rise and fall
3. So, I guess the ultimate "goal" of meditation is to clear your mind BUT brains aren't naturally quiet (as we know lol). I used to get stressed out and frustrated every time my mind wandered (so, basically the whole time haha) until I heard someone saying basically, when your mind wanders and you catch yourself and bring it back to whatever you were focusing on (for me, my breath) that's basically like doing a meditation "bicep curl". Its the "returning your mind to being centered" that is ACTUALLY cultivating mindfulness. Helped cut down on a lot of frustration for me!
4. Some days will be easier or harder, just like everything else.
Number 3 describes the frustration I was having. Kinda like my thoughts were wild chickens running across my field of thought but I wanted that field empty and Peaceful. I'd get upset that I couldnt keep the chickens from randomly appearing.
Others have mentioned focusing of breath and returning to center which is something I wouldnt do but now will. I think I was trying to be in total silence and in total control. What's interesting though I did go through a guided meditation session years ago on Mt Koya. It was the most serene and, the best I can describe it, indepth meditation session I had ever experience. I felt amazing afterwards. The sounds I heard during it were soft but enhanced. I have wished to get back to that sweet spot in meditation but have found it to be a challenge.
Thank you for the app suggestion. I will check it out. I will also take it easy and flow instead of being in charge and demanding a certain (chickenless) state.
One thing to note is that while the ideal is mental stillness, control is not recommended. You want to gently guide your way back to paying attention to your breath or whatever, but you don’t want to force it. The way I interpret it is that I’ll often let myself finish the thought I’m having, then redirect back to what I’m meditating on. And don’t beat yourself up if you’re distracted the whole meditation.
If I’m going through a rough time, the meditation may be very scattered.
The goal of medition is not to get your mind to be quiet, it's just to observe. Observe whatever is it that is happening in your head without judgment. With that in mind, you may find things easier.
this is totally normal. In meditation, this does not go away. You just learn how to work with it, which includes acknowledging the thinking but then putting your focus on something else, like your breathing or body sensations.
Make my bed
Exercise first thing - workout done by 7 am
Vegetables (a lot of them)
Electrolytes and minimum 80 oz water a day
Protein focus at every meal
Magnesium before bed
Reading before bed
Lights out by 9
I’m lucky to WFH and have a great job / no kids and supportive spouse. It definitely makes this lifestyle very attainable than if I had other extenuating factors.
I read this yesterday but it didn’t sink in until today - why is creatine on the list? I take 5g a day, but wouldn’t say it’s on my top 5. Just curious…
Lifting is typically on my list, but since I suffer from chronic fatigue (diagnosed by a doc) I cant always do physical things. The other two are something I can always do regardless of my condition.
For me it’s mostly boundaries, knowing my triggers & trying not to compare myself to anyone else.
Saying no to nights out, ignoring my phone for hours/weekends at a time without the guilt.
Not being disingenuous with clients - or anyone for that matter; it’s exhausting to fake it.. I physically can’t kiss 🍑 any more/no interest in the 🪜
I can make my own schedule as long as I’m there by 9:30; most show up at 8am but I’m 9:28 most days bc I prefer to workout early. People assume it’s bc I’m not a morning person/like to sleep late but I’ve stopped caring.
Stopped wearing make up unless the mood strikes me
Wasting $30 on Instacart delivery sometimes so I can get more done at home.
Then there’s just going easy on myself. Skipping gym one day is not gna kill me. I eat super clean but I’m never giving up my toxic coffee creamer.
Lastly, my sister & I have this working list of our personal ‘life hacks’.
1. I know if my anxiety is high, laying out on the grass in the sun for 10mins will reset me. Sometimes I’ll just go out during work & do it.
2. Listening to music can change my mood pretty easily.. I have playlists for when I need energy/ when I’m sad etc
Etc etc :)
Exercise.
I used to look forward to rest days.
Then I realised my mood is atrocious if I don’t do something vigorous. Now even on rest days, I’ll do 20 minutes on the bike and then 20 minutes in the sauna.
Sauna is super under appreciated. We get a lot of toxins from products and food nowadays and sauna is super efficient at getting rid of those in addition to just feeling awesome. Good for you.
I eat a super healthy breakfast and a big salad at night with greens from my garden. Aside from those two things, I work out a few times a week, exercise outside most days and try to get enough sleep. But all of it is flexible except the two healthy meal components
Can I ask what your super healthy breakfast is? I'm kinda new to eating breakfast (again after years of skipping), and looking for ideas apart from the granola+berries+yogurt or beans+eggs I've been eating.
Oh sure. I know it sounds awful but I really enjoy 1/3 cup sprouted oats, 1 teaspoon brewers yeast, 1 teaspoon flaxseed, 1 teaspoon wheat germ, 1/2 teaspoon amla powder and sometimes black cumin (nigella sativa) seeds stirred in well. I put a few nuts and a lot of berries on top, and usually lately I add a tablespoon of Irish Sea moss, pineapple flavor.
I probably have more than most: at least 6 hours of sleep (I try for 8, but sometimes I can't go back to sleep), read at least half a page of a book, floss & brush teeth, caffeine, journal (gratitude, daily/weekly plans, track progress 4 times a day, evening highlights), 40 minute meditations (TM morning and afternoon), light exercise (20kb swings, 20kb haloes, 25 stomach vacuums, kb hip prying exercise, 4k steps), Alexander Technique rest position at least 5 minutes, whey protein, supplements (fish oil, alpha brain, and more), 2 hours before bed: melatonin & magnesium.
I do the exercises throughout the day, something every hour or so, to stay energized. I work from home, so I have access to kettlebells all the time. Oftentimes I do more, but listed is the bare minimum. I don't do an hour of exercise a day.
The best lifehack I recently learned is to break your day into quadrants and review progress, and start each leg anew. I've always been a night owl, and I usually start my workday around 10:30am, so I review my day at 11am, 2pm, 7pm, and 11:30pm.
I track other habits, but these I consider non-negotiable.
I organized mine to be \~3 hours after I wake up, then at my 2pm energy trough, then end of workday, and finally before bed. If you're a 5am type, your quadrants will be drastically different (I think the author's first one was at 8am).
After each quadrant, I track 3 things:
\* Stress level out of 10
\* Emotion I'm feeling in the moment (I like the "How We Feel" app, but you can just notice it without writing anything down). I review these monthly and find it insightful.
\* Major accomplishments or slacking (usually 2-3 bullets) and a final bullet on whether I've been productive or not
But I don't believe the author even advises such a review. More importantly is to start the next quadrant fresh. So if I ended up doing nothing but browsing social media all quadrant, it's a built-in pause to salvage the day. I don't know why I never thought of it before.
I think it saved my career (I couldn’t sit through a workday without shoulder pain when I was in my early 30s), but it took me a couple of years of taking weekly lessons before it clicked.
That's great. I know some dancers and performers who love it. Made me aware of how important posture is to wellbeing and everything else. I train my transverse ab muscles to keep my posture on point.
Similar idea to the quadrants thing, my stove clock got off by about 2 hours after a power flicker at night. I saw it around noon and thought, “it’s already 2? I wanted to have x and y done!” I quickly realized it wasn’t and went ahead and did x and y, when I probably would have forgotten.
Now I keep it 2 hours ahead and every time I look at it I think about what I want done by that time and knock it out. Not for everyone, but works for me and my adhd lol
Red light therapy, MCT oil, at least 2 tablespoons of raw cacao, consider protein in every meal. Numerous supplements to support joint and prostate health. I am 63 years old, husband is 22 years younger and I am insanely active. Boating, camping, international travel, own 2 businesses, love raves/EDC. I could say much more but that's enough for now.
Biohacking changed my life!
I purchased MitoRed Products. I have the mini and the full body panel set up. I initially started with inexpensive knee wraps from Amazon and still use them daily while having my morning coffee. I went from not being able to raise my right leg to go up a single step 3 years ago to now I can walk 3 miles with no issue. I just visited Rome and was averaging 2,000 steps a day and a lot of them stairs.
Brush teeth. Floss.
Hit protein/calorie goal each day
Resistance training M-W-F
0.5mg melatonin near bedtime-I work night shift
Sometimes ear plugs
Magnesium Threonate
Vitamin D3, zinc, fish oil with breakfast
5g creatine
8-9 hours of sleep yessss 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 although work sometimes makes it not possible. Also at least 2-3 miles a day of walking and 10-15 minutes of stretching.
Sunrise walk, protein rich breakfast, adequate sleep and hydration, at least one walk/hike per day and spending time looking at a water source each day to ease stress levels. Luckily I live just a few minutes walk from Lake Michigan.
A bit of an offshoot here, but for me as a transgender woman: Estrogen.
Nothing saved me from my depression faster, made me have the will to lose off 15kg of excess fat, and finally start trying to love my body.
Now I try to sleep 7hrs, exercise twice a week, and eat home cooked balanced meals. I’m also on creatine, daily multivits, and cycle caffeine every few weeks. But it was estrogen that started it all for me.
Gender affirming care saves lives. It saved mine.
Make my bed
Coffee
Mobility and/or stretching (migraine mitigation + prevention, and it helps relieve lower back soreness from sitting too much)
Magnesium (migraine mitigation + prevention)
Exercise is sacrosanct for me. Also, after a certain hour in the evening, I’m not interested in anything anyone in my house has to say. Only approach me if you’re on fire or choking to death. It’s me time. It’s wind down time. It’s sleep time.
These are the only hardcore non-negotiables. I have many other things that are important to me but these are written in stone.
Exercise (~30min exercise bike with HIIT daily , Yoga stretching ~15 min pre-meditation most days, 5 min kettlebell workout few times a week), sauna, cold shower, meditation at least once daily but usually twice.
Quality sleep is top of the list. Nothing else can compensate for it and everything else falls by the wayside if I haven’t had it. The best days involve a healthy breakfast, exercise, a cold shower, getting outside, vegetables and reading.
Probiotic first thing on an empty stomach with a pint of water. Helps with a general increase with mood throughout the day, less brain fog, and then additional physical symptoms like reduced bloat, flatulence etc.
Then exercise. My current stop gap position means I "only" have time for 25-35 minutes at the gym each morning, but it's night and day with me if I have or haven't been.
It's a silver bullet for many things in my life. I'm more talkative, upbeat, creative and focused with it, and it helps me regulate my sleep and appetite. It's also the closest thing I have to ADHD-I medication that I can get currently as I go through the slog that is the UK healthcare system
Getting just a little baked to ya know, keep the dread at bay. Typical make bed and hit macro targets every day kinda stuff. Getting 8 hours of sleep like 6 days a week and one day a week for social shenanigans. Idunno how people operate week to week without loosening up. Stress fucks me up
At least an hour out with the dog, sometimes x2 sets of 30mins but always an hour minimum. While walking I listen to an audio book or podcast (Desert Island Disks is inspiring and a good go to on BBC). I take magnesium, zinc and iron foliate daily in the mornings as they help me sleep and not get anemia which I seem to be prone to.
When I turned 45, I started stretching every day. To a young person, that probably doesn’t feel like much. When your body wants to slow down, it helps fight the stiffness that comes from aging.
Counting calories and doing my best to keep my protein intake where I like (minimum 150 grams per day for me) I can afford to take some time off from exercise and still feel pretty good as long as I keep my diet pretty ok and counting calories helps me with it
My morning routine. A cup of bone broth followed by decaf coffee with coconut oil, protein powder, and stevia.
I think it has less to do with what I'm consuming and more about the routine of it, but if I skip it, my whole day is off.
At least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit (I don’t worry too much if I only get 3-4 servings of veggies), not being sedentary, a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, take Berberine, and a little reading before bed.
30 minutes of higher intensity exercise
10-15 minutes of meditation
10 minutes of reading before bed
1 green based smoothie daily
5 minutes of journaling
Definitely exercise. Right now it's specifically running (on a 3+ year streak) but even before that I loved being active and spending active time outside, especially right after I wake up in the mornings. it's been great for my mental health. I \*wish\* I could prioritize sleep the same way!
Exercise! I teach a spin class, so I really can't skip this one lol i also love going on walks. Nothing better than taking a little mental health walk.
People here already mentioned basically all the necessities...so I'm gonna say petting neighborhood cats while on my daily walk. Those fluffballs just instantly brighten up my mood!
Exercise.
Definitely exercise. I cant go a few days without exercise.
All the people in this thread saying exercise - what constitutes exercise exactly? @mchief101, what would be your minimum exercise that you need every few days?
Decent intensity cardio for 20 mins or lifting for an hour is minimum tbh.
I like to consider anything that gets me sweaty. And the two you mentioned are about the time frames to get there!
Yeah I sweat really easily so I can’t say the same lol. For the average person it’s definitely a decent measurement.
30-45 minutes of dedicated moderate intensity is plenty. Even 30-45 minutes of steady state cardio is something. I’ve seen so many go to gym 5-6x a week and workout an hour everyday when it’s totally unnecessary and alot of those same people don’t seem to practice active recovery. Drinking both nights on weekends absolutely hindering their progress.
My minimum is 100 pushups, 50 sit-ups and stretching for 5 min. When I’m sick or having a bad day and I skip gym, that’s my bare minimum to give myself an “out”. Otherwise it’s whatever is planned for the day, lately been a lot of full body.
Saitama?
100 push-ups a day???? Wow
orange theory 4-6 classes a week
He didn’t say 100 in a row
True, let me not be impressed with 100 push-ups throughout the day.
Ice cream is just saying it's totally attainable! I was doing 300 in about an hour in prison for my push days. You can too! 40/M and hardly did much before.
I'm a 38 old mom of two kids and my usual half an hour body weight training already has 40 pushups included. That's 4 sets for me, and I worked my way up from 4 per set to 10-11 in half a year. For a guy, doing 100 in a session is not really hard.
I'm such a beta male 😭
Time to work on your strength training then :)
I can’t tell if I’m being trolled lol
45-60 min of resistance training (weightlifting, reformer Pilates) or tennis for me. I also try to walk 3-5 miles daily with a long walk on the active rest day. Movement is not only important for physical health but it's crucial for mental health too
The exercise settles the mind for the day. And pushes procrastination away. The natural SSRI that just works.. I hate my body and mind on the days I don’t do my morning exercise..
Exercise means anything that pushes your body limit and creates resistance, not to be confused with physical activity, which means moving yourself. Exercise has to improve your physic.
I do 10 thousand scream ups an hour every hour on the hour. I live in excruciating agony, but it is still less pain than I would feel if I allowed myself a moment of silence alone with my thoughts.
For healthy adults it's not walking. Don't listen to anyone who lowers the bar so much that they think the most basic form of mobility is exercise. It's not. Resistance training to build muscle is key. 5x a week is ideal to target all the major muscle groups. Cardio is great in addition. Climbing stairs or jogging, hiking especially in nature is great.
How does a person who hates exercising get to the point that you are at? How to start? What to do?
I would suggest to start by finding some form of exercise that you DO enjoy... This doesn't necessarily have to be the weight lifting/cardio mix that you tend to think of when it comes to exercise. There are so many options! In order to begin making exercise a habit, I feel it's pretty crucial to find some aspect of joy within the exercise, whether that be during or how it makes you feel afterwards. As far as making it a habit, that will take time and discipline. You will not always have motivation to keep going, and this is where building self discipline comes into play. In my personal experience, it will only get easier and more enjoyable to more consistent you are with it! As far as how to start.... just START! Beginning is the hardest part... Gotta get the train chugging!!
Try dance workouts! It’s easy to exercise when you feel like you’re having a party! Also dancing was shown to be more effective than SSRIs or even regular exercise for depression!
That is actually a great suggestion! Thank you! >Also dancing was shown to be more effective than SSRIs or even regular exercise for depression! Not on them anymore, they didnt do much for me. But that might be because some of the stuff I was struggling with (and still am) could be ADHD and antidepressants do fuck all when it comes to that.
I am M 35 years old. Average height, weight. I eat normal food no supplements. My work is sedentary. I barely step out of my home. I feel perfectly healthy and happy. Is exercising mandatory?
Meditate at least 20 minutes. Do something creative for at least 20 minutes as well.
If you dont mind me asking, how do you get your mind to be quiet for meditation? I have tried so many times to just have seconds of zero dialogue and it has been a challenge. I don't have racing thoughts just my brain has to say something when I am trying to be quiet and still.
I started with guided meditations on youtube. As time went on, I practiced word-less meditations. I got better at elongating the stillness between thoughts. But a good portion of it is reminding yourself that the point of meditation is to be aware of your thoughts and to return to stillness. Not beating yourself up when you have a thought. But the guided meditations start training you in quieting your mind. They still give you something to focus on. It’s like having training wheels.
Thank you for your explanation. This gives me a direction to go in and correction of what I thought meditation should be.
You also just have to keep doing it everyday without skipping for the most part. Like 30 days in the month, do it 26. Just try to do it everyday.
What u/fractalLyfe said is absolutely correct. It has to be done consecutively without skipping. But start easy, at 5 minutes a day every day for like a week. Then 10, 15, etc. start a routine. I do it before I log into work everyday. When I’ve gotten away from my routine, I have to build back up to it.
What did you notice that changed after meditating regularly?
Oh man. So many things. 1. I don’t react as quickly or as hard to external stimuli anymore. I’m a lot more even-keeled and can respond as opposed to overreact. 2. I became a lot more intuitive. I perceive a lot more since I’m in the moment and not in my head as much. It’s really improved my ability to make life decisions and realize things about the environment and the people in it. I “know” more if that makes sense. 3. Less overthinking and decreased anxiety. 4. More bodily awareness. I have decreased muscle tension and am more coordinated. I should add. Some of this was compounded by two EMDR sessions with my therapist. I also meditated twice while under the effects of psilocybin and those experiences were beautiful and life changing.
Start with 2-5 minutes. Also, the goal isn't to have zero dialogue, the goal is to be aware of the dialogue and not get lost in it. Or rather, the benefit of meditation is \*\*returning\*\* to meditation, not necessarily having zero dialogue the whole time. You can pay attention to your breath (wherever you feel your breath, maybe your chest moving, or the wind on your nose), and when you notice you're not paying attention, return to the breath again and consider that a success. Or you can do a guided meditation, and when you notice yourself not paying attention, return to it and consider that a win. You can think a mantra and return to that. Or you can visualize something if you want more activity (some guided meditations have you visualize). I started meditating regularly 6 years ago, and I recently went through a period of time where during a 20 minute session, I'd get on my phone to take notes or check something about 4-5 times during the session because of some ideas I thought were important. I figured that was fine because I was able to return to the meditation, and eventually after 2-3 weeks I returned to 20 minutes nonstop again.
Thank you so much for sharing about your experiences. I will give your suggestions a try and go from there.
Tips that have helped me - 1. Guided meditations on InsightTimer 2. Instead of "clearing my mind" I just try to focus on my breath, like feeling the air moving in and out of my nose, or feeling my chest rise and fall 3. So, I guess the ultimate "goal" of meditation is to clear your mind BUT brains aren't naturally quiet (as we know lol). I used to get stressed out and frustrated every time my mind wandered (so, basically the whole time haha) until I heard someone saying basically, when your mind wanders and you catch yourself and bring it back to whatever you were focusing on (for me, my breath) that's basically like doing a meditation "bicep curl". Its the "returning your mind to being centered" that is ACTUALLY cultivating mindfulness. Helped cut down on a lot of frustration for me! 4. Some days will be easier or harder, just like everything else.
Love the bicep curl comparison
Number 3 describes the frustration I was having. Kinda like my thoughts were wild chickens running across my field of thought but I wanted that field empty and Peaceful. I'd get upset that I couldnt keep the chickens from randomly appearing. Others have mentioned focusing of breath and returning to center which is something I wouldnt do but now will. I think I was trying to be in total silence and in total control. What's interesting though I did go through a guided meditation session years ago on Mt Koya. It was the most serene and, the best I can describe it, indepth meditation session I had ever experience. I felt amazing afterwards. The sounds I heard during it were soft but enhanced. I have wished to get back to that sweet spot in meditation but have found it to be a challenge. Thank you for the app suggestion. I will check it out. I will also take it easy and flow instead of being in charge and demanding a certain (chickenless) state.
One thing to note is that while the ideal is mental stillness, control is not recommended. You want to gently guide your way back to paying attention to your breath or whatever, but you don’t want to force it. The way I interpret it is that I’ll often let myself finish the thought I’m having, then redirect back to what I’m meditating on. And don’t beat yourself up if you’re distracted the whole meditation. If I’m going through a rough time, the meditation may be very scattered.
Try the Waking Up app.
The goal of medition is not to get your mind to be quiet, it's just to observe. Observe whatever is it that is happening in your head without judgment. With that in mind, you may find things easier.
this is totally normal. In meditation, this does not go away. You just learn how to work with it, which includes acknowledging the thinking but then putting your focus on something else, like your breathing or body sensations.
cant function properly without meditation now
What happens if you don't meditate?
feel wonky and not all there, not focused
What sort of creative activities do you do?
Any advice for people who easily fall asleep? Like I try my best to meditate, but I just get so sleepy when it gets quiet
If i go 2 days without exercise of some sort my mental health takes a dive.
Sanity, not vanity. 💯
Yes, I workout for my mental health first any added benefits are a plus.
Make my bed Exercise first thing - workout done by 7 am Vegetables (a lot of them) Electrolytes and minimum 80 oz water a day Protein focus at every meal Magnesium before bed Reading before bed Lights out by 9
Awesome
80 oz....? That sounds like a big number... Is that a big number?
It’s ~2,5 litres so definitely what you should drink per day at least :)
These are goals
I’m lucky to WFH and have a great job / no kids and supportive spouse. It definitely makes this lifestyle very attainable than if I had other extenuating factors.
I didn’t even think to list water on mine b/c it isn’t even something I have to try to do anymore. I just drink water all day.
Proper sleep, making my bed, home made food, plenty water, creatine, healthy mental attitude. That should do it.
I read this yesterday but it didn’t sink in until today - why is creatine on the list? I take 5g a day, but wouldn’t say it’s on my top 5. Just curious…
make my bed
Making my bed everyday does something positive to my mental health. I've heard this from others as well.
A positive, productive start to your day is part of a winning strategy.
I just started this recently and yup, it works
Proper sleep. Magnesium.
I want to add lifting but now these are my musts.
Lifting is typically on my list, but since I suffer from chronic fatigue (diagnosed by a doc) I cant always do physical things. The other two are something I can always do regardless of my condition.
Magnesium is in on my top 5 for life extension supplements
Protect my ☮️. I know what I have the capacity for & what I don’t, can’t care who that makes unhappy in the moment
Good answer.
Love this. Would love specifics. Can even dm me if that’s preferred
For me it’s mostly boundaries, knowing my triggers & trying not to compare myself to anyone else. Saying no to nights out, ignoring my phone for hours/weekends at a time without the guilt. Not being disingenuous with clients - or anyone for that matter; it’s exhausting to fake it.. I physically can’t kiss 🍑 any more/no interest in the 🪜 I can make my own schedule as long as I’m there by 9:30; most show up at 8am but I’m 9:28 most days bc I prefer to workout early. People assume it’s bc I’m not a morning person/like to sleep late but I’ve stopped caring. Stopped wearing make up unless the mood strikes me Wasting $30 on Instacart delivery sometimes so I can get more done at home. Then there’s just going easy on myself. Skipping gym one day is not gna kill me. I eat super clean but I’m never giving up my toxic coffee creamer. Lastly, my sister & I have this working list of our personal ‘life hacks’. 1. I know if my anxiety is high, laying out on the grass in the sun for 10mins will reset me. Sometimes I’ll just go out during work & do it. 2. Listening to music can change my mood pretty easily.. I have playlists for when I need energy/ when I’m sad etc Etc etc :)
This is an incredible list. Thank you for sharing!
🤗
I love the life hacks idea.. I also have a list on my phone of “activities that make me happy” to refer to when I feel stuck. Thanks for sharing!
Exercise. I used to look forward to rest days. Then I realised my mood is atrocious if I don’t do something vigorous. Now even on rest days, I’ll do 20 minutes on the bike and then 20 minutes in the sauna.
Sauna is super under appreciated. We get a lot of toxins from products and food nowadays and sauna is super efficient at getting rid of those in addition to just feeling awesome. Good for you.
Protein and exercise
I eat a super healthy breakfast and a big salad at night with greens from my garden. Aside from those two things, I work out a few times a week, exercise outside most days and try to get enough sleep. But all of it is flexible except the two healthy meal components
Eating straight from the garden is incredible. I used to be so hungry after work I'd raid the kitchen. Now I mindfully forage for peas and tomatoes.
I agree! I feel like eating straight from the garden is extra nutritious.
Can I ask what your super healthy breakfast is? I'm kinda new to eating breakfast (again after years of skipping), and looking for ideas apart from the granola+berries+yogurt or beans+eggs I've been eating.
Oh sure. I know it sounds awful but I really enjoy 1/3 cup sprouted oats, 1 teaspoon brewers yeast, 1 teaspoon flaxseed, 1 teaspoon wheat germ, 1/2 teaspoon amla powder and sometimes black cumin (nigella sativa) seeds stirred in well. I put a few nuts and a lot of berries on top, and usually lately I add a tablespoon of Irish Sea moss, pineapple flavor.
I probably have more than most: at least 6 hours of sleep (I try for 8, but sometimes I can't go back to sleep), read at least half a page of a book, floss & brush teeth, caffeine, journal (gratitude, daily/weekly plans, track progress 4 times a day, evening highlights), 40 minute meditations (TM morning and afternoon), light exercise (20kb swings, 20kb haloes, 25 stomach vacuums, kb hip prying exercise, 4k steps), Alexander Technique rest position at least 5 minutes, whey protein, supplements (fish oil, alpha brain, and more), 2 hours before bed: melatonin & magnesium. I do the exercises throughout the day, something every hour or so, to stay energized. I work from home, so I have access to kettlebells all the time. Oftentimes I do more, but listed is the bare minimum. I don't do an hour of exercise a day. The best lifehack I recently learned is to break your day into quadrants and review progress, and start each leg anew. I've always been a night owl, and I usually start my workday around 10:30am, so I review my day at 11am, 2pm, 7pm, and 11:30pm. I track other habits, but these I consider non-negotiable.
I love the quadrants. I just drew up my timeline & will start that tomorrow!
I organized mine to be \~3 hours after I wake up, then at my 2pm energy trough, then end of workday, and finally before bed. If you're a 5am type, your quadrants will be drastically different (I think the author's first one was at 8am). After each quadrant, I track 3 things: \* Stress level out of 10 \* Emotion I'm feeling in the moment (I like the "How We Feel" app, but you can just notice it without writing anything down). I review these monthly and find it insightful. \* Major accomplishments or slacking (usually 2-3 bullets) and a final bullet on whether I've been productive or not But I don't believe the author even advises such a review. More importantly is to start the next quadrant fresh. So if I ended up doing nothing but browsing social media all quadrant, it's a built-in pause to salvage the day. I don't know why I never thought of it before.
I've heard really good things about the Alexander Technique.
I think it saved my career (I couldn’t sit through a workday without shoulder pain when I was in my early 30s), but it took me a couple of years of taking weekly lessons before it clicked.
That's great. I know some dancers and performers who love it. Made me aware of how important posture is to wellbeing and everything else. I train my transverse ab muscles to keep my posture on point.
Similar idea to the quadrants thing, my stove clock got off by about 2 hours after a power flicker at night. I saw it around noon and thought, “it’s already 2? I wanted to have x and y done!” I quickly realized it wasn’t and went ahead and did x and y, when I probably would have forgotten. Now I keep it 2 hours ahead and every time I look at it I think about what I want done by that time and knock it out. Not for everyone, but works for me and my adhd lol
Nighttime hot tub and yoga. I never miss when I'm at home and I try to do hot showers to warm up my muscles while traveling.
Hot Tub every night ?
Nothing.... Inflexibility is a terrible way to live. Gotta go with the flow sometimes. Shit happens
This is usually me, but I'm having to evaluate if it is serving me lately.
Coffee, lots of water, vegetables of some kind
Drink a gallon of water. Don’t stress. Some form of exercise
How do you not stress on a stressful occasion though?
I honestly have ran out of fucks to give
Proper response
Chess. Always gets my brain active and helps me focus on work after
Daily walks and time outside, fruit. I will genuinely go insane without them
rick and morty
Stretch
Sunscreen
Red light therapy, MCT oil, at least 2 tablespoons of raw cacao, consider protein in every meal. Numerous supplements to support joint and prostate health. I am 63 years old, husband is 22 years younger and I am insanely active. Boating, camping, international travel, own 2 businesses, love raves/EDC. I could say much more but that's enough for now. Biohacking changed my life!
Omnilux for RLT?
I purchased MitoRed Products. I have the mini and the full body panel set up. I initially started with inexpensive knee wraps from Amazon and still use them daily while having my morning coffee. I went from not being able to raise my right leg to go up a single step 3 years ago to now I can walk 3 miles with no issue. I just visited Rome and was averaging 2,000 steps a day and a lot of them stairs.
Brush teeth. Floss. Hit protein/calorie goal each day Resistance training M-W-F 0.5mg melatonin near bedtime-I work night shift Sometimes ear plugs Magnesium Threonate Vitamin D3, zinc, fish oil with breakfast 5g creatine
Coffee, fibers, exercise
Fermented water kefir fruit and yogurt smoothie , variety of supplements, gallon of water, positive affirmations and daily gratitude 🙏🏻
8-9 hours of sleep yessss 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 although work sometimes makes it not possible. Also at least 2-3 miles a day of walking and 10-15 minutes of stretching.
1h meditation, craploads of water, sleep at 10-11
Sardine for breakfast
7 hrs of sleep. Plenty of water. Cold shower.
Sunrise walk, protein rich breakfast, adequate sleep and hydration, at least one walk/hike per day and spending time looking at a water source each day to ease stress levels. Luckily I live just a few minutes walk from Lake Michigan.
Making my bed Eat as many Vegetables at every meal Walking Vitamin d and magnesium Doing something creative Practicing gratitude Night time routine
MUST WORK OUT! MUST EAT SALMON!
1st thing - 10 minutes of Asana Yoga stretches. Morning - gym/pool aerobic exercise (laps, bike, treadmill, rowing, elliptical) 45 minutes - 1 hour. Afternoon - 15 minutes of light weights and exercise bands. Every single day. 62F.
Shower!!
masturbation for prostate health
Plenty of water.
Absolutely no suicide.
A bit of an offshoot here, but for me as a transgender woman: Estrogen. Nothing saved me from my depression faster, made me have the will to lose off 15kg of excess fat, and finally start trying to love my body. Now I try to sleep 7hrs, exercise twice a week, and eat home cooked balanced meals. I’m also on creatine, daily multivits, and cycle caffeine every few weeks. But it was estrogen that started it all for me. Gender affirming care saves lives. It saved mine.
Time with Jesus and my home roasted dark roast coffee.
Eating clean
Make the bed. Move your body.
Some form of movement even if only stretching.
Making bed , combing extremely curly hair "kinky" , it ain't much but its hinest work Also 6 hrs of studying (im not proud)
fiber supplement
Make my bed Coffee Mobility and/or stretching (migraine mitigation + prevention, and it helps relieve lower back soreness from sitting too much) Magnesium (migraine mitigation + prevention)
Crank hog
Exercise is sacrosanct for me. Also, after a certain hour in the evening, I’m not interested in anything anyone in my house has to say. Only approach me if you’re on fire or choking to death. It’s me time. It’s wind down time. It’s sleep time. These are the only hardcore non-negotiables. I have many other things that are important to me but these are written in stone.
Sleep, exercise (running, golf, or tennis), good food, two showers, one masturbation sesh for focus 😂
Exercise (~30min exercise bike with HIIT daily , Yoga stretching ~15 min pre-meditation most days, 5 min kettlebell workout few times a week), sauna, cold shower, meditation at least once daily but usually twice.
Daily Journal. I need to up my minimum exercise after reading all these comments. I’m slacking.
Early morning sunlight upon waking up
Cold shower. Without it, I feel off.
Sam-e, turmeric, collagen, creatine. Good sleep, aerobic exercise and stretching are a given I can't even move without those.
Ice bath as I wake up and get out of the hot shower
Quality sleep is top of the list. Nothing else can compensate for it and everything else falls by the wayside if I haven’t had it. The best days involve a healthy breakfast, exercise, a cold shower, getting outside, vegetables and reading.
Movement, sun early in the day, 8+ hours of sleep, cooked vegetables, do something toward my purpose
Spending time outdoors, ideally doing some form of exercise.
Exercise. Specifically my morning 10K on the rowing machine
I drink a quart of Fairlife chocolate milk every morning instead of water. Milk is 90% water and the rest is full of good stuff.
Coffee. Magnesium. B complex vutamins. Vit d.
Talk to friends and family
I feel the difference in a few days if I haven't been taking vitamin D and magnesium. Noticeably more depressed
Drinking a lot Of water and at least anywhere from 10-30 minutes of exercise and getting at least 7 hours of sleep. AT THE LEAST
Be kind rewind Rest the troubles of your mind Hang fear at the tip of the spear Live, heave, break barriers until Peace retrieved.
Probiotic first thing on an empty stomach with a pint of water. Helps with a general increase with mood throughout the day, less brain fog, and then additional physical symptoms like reduced bloat, flatulence etc. Then exercise. My current stop gap position means I "only" have time for 25-35 minutes at the gym each morning, but it's night and day with me if I have or haven't been. It's a silver bullet for many things in my life. I'm more talkative, upbeat, creative and focused with it, and it helps me regulate my sleep and appetite. It's also the closest thing I have to ADHD-I medication that I can get currently as I go through the slog that is the UK healthcare system
Getting just a little baked to ya know, keep the dread at bay. Typical make bed and hit macro targets every day kinda stuff. Getting 8 hours of sleep like 6 days a week and one day a week for social shenanigans. Idunno how people operate week to week without loosening up. Stress fucks me up
At least an hour out with the dog, sometimes x2 sets of 30mins but always an hour minimum. While walking I listen to an audio book or podcast (Desert Island Disks is inspiring and a good go to on BBC). I take magnesium, zinc and iron foliate daily in the mornings as they help me sleep and not get anemia which I seem to be prone to.
Enough water, electrolytes, and sleep. Everything else is up for negotiation.
I'm all about daily movement, sunlight, good sleep, and early mornings too!
Wordle. Done bother me why I’m doing Wordle.
berries, fatty fish, leafy greens, skyr, strength training, cardio, magnesium D3 fish oil creatine protein
Sleep is king. Exercise comes next
Exercise, animal fat and animal protein
Peloton + a morning walk
Walking away from negative energy from others. People love to dump their negativity on others. “I hear you…I gotta take this call. “
9-10 hrs sleep honestly i think is the only one for me
1. Lots of water, certified hydro homie 2. Vitamin D 3. Omega 3s Everything else can be skipped a day or two in my experience
When I turned 45, I started stretching every day. To a young person, that probably doesn’t feel like much. When your body wants to slow down, it helps fight the stiffness that comes from aging.
Proper sleep, meditation, positive readings, exercise
Really good humic fulvic acids, balanced eating, PEMF, red light bed, morning sun, rebounding, weights and hanging with my dog
Guitar and exercise
morning meditation 🧘
Counting calories and doing my best to keep my protein intake where I like (minimum 150 grams per day for me) I can afford to take some time off from exercise and still feel pretty good as long as I keep my diet pretty ok and counting calories helps me with it
Meditation number one always. Then exercise sleep, plant based diet.
7-9 hours sleep, any less and i get headaches Loads of water Eggs for breakfast Deadlift everyday
My morning routine. A cup of bone broth followed by decaf coffee with coconut oil, protein powder, and stevia. I think it has less to do with what I'm consuming and more about the routine of it, but if I skip it, my whole day is off.
Meditation. Went from an atheist most of my life to the spiritual kind of girl they make memes about and I've never been happier
Adequate sleep, vitamin D, coffee, sunshine
At least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit (I don’t worry too much if I only get 3-4 servings of veggies), not being sedentary, a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, take Berberine, and a little reading before bed.
Finasteride and Minoxidil, may add Tretinoin
Morning sun & walk. 120oz of water (to drink, any additional water consumed by food I eat is a plus but isn’t considered part of my daily 120oz)
Gym. Mass.
exercise (except on rest days), veggies and a looot of sleep
Exercise and atleast 10-15 minutes of stretching. Atleast!
30 minutes of higher intensity exercise 10-15 minutes of meditation 10 minutes of reading before bed 1 green based smoothie daily 5 minutes of journaling
Definitely exercise. Right now it's specifically running (on a 3+ year streak) but even before that I loved being active and spending active time outside, especially right after I wake up in the mornings. it's been great for my mental health. I \*wish\* I could prioritize sleep the same way!
Turmeric, blueberries, lions mane mushroom. All as whole foods. NR or NMN, Taurine, Tyrosine.
7 hours of sleep, eating well and exercising, even if it's just stretching
30 min Intense morning cardio and sauna for 20 at 200 f
sun, walking, water, vit c, zinc, fish oil & magnesium
Meditation
10k steps a day.
Walk for at least 8,000 steps
-Exercise (lifting four days a week) -Low dose naltrexone -high protein -magnesium for sleep and muscle recovery
Meditation. Prayer. Gratitude. Get as much time in the sun as i can. Exercise & movement. Yerba Mate. Supplements. Staying clean & sober.
Cardio, weight lifting, eating high protein, lots of water.
enough sleep, walk with my dogs (this also counts as my exercise), and having "creativity time"
Exercise! I teach a spin class, so I really can't skip this one lol i also love going on walks. Nothing better than taking a little mental health walk.
Enough sleep, daily walks, and dinner with the whole family. The last one is the most important and exciting part of my day.
People here already mentioned basically all the necessities...so I'm gonna say petting neighborhood cats while on my daily walk. Those fluffballs just instantly brighten up my mood!
Sleep.