In a world in which so many of us are struggling just with the day-to-day, it’s a wonder that we often don’t help ourselves but the habits and choices we make that are detrimental to our wellbeing. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, having often (for example):
- shortened sleep to try and get more done;
- drank way too much coffee, way more than I needed, many consecutive days in a row
- given way too much money to Starbucks Inc., which, apart from fuelling above addiction, also belied the fact that I didn’t use a budget then. What was I thinking?
- Stayed indoors when I could have got fresh air and, therefore, fresh thinking, better sleep, better health.
- Etc.
But it’s no use beating oneself up for these things. These behaviours are the negatives of a life lived well. Flip the image and, with a little bit of determination, you can immediately start to draw up a list of all the things that are good for you. This list is based on years of experience and quite a bit of research that has helped me on the way. I may expand on it all sometime, but for now, and in no particular order, here are:
Things that are good for you:
- budgeting
- treats – rare, exceptional, once-in-a-while soul ticklers, not everyday obsessions rolling into excess
- love (loving and being loved with love)
- sleep
- exercise
- fresh air
- drinking mainly water
- a balanced diet
- prayer and meditation
- education
- reading
- friends
- conversation in which the parties really listen
- transcendent experiences
- also sleep
- music and the arts
- routine
- healthy habits
- tax breaks
- holidays
- friendship
- forgiveness
- humility
- I might have mentioned sleep
- also naps
- laughter
- a delectable meal with one or more loved ones
- encouragement
- having at least one hobby
I’d encourage you to spend a few minutes reflecting on what from this list might have jumped out at you, hit you on the nose perhaps: is there something here you know that you might need to work on? You know it will be good for you. Think about one habit you could try to establish to try to help you instil that thing in your life.
Ben David Trigg 