TGIM: Ten Things To Tend To

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!

I’m not feeling particularly verbose today so here is a list of 10 things that add value to my life that you can consider implementing if you’re feeling stuck:
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1. Resistance training: you don’t need a perfect workout plan. Just workout hard, sweat a little, get out of breath, and experience the endorphin rush.
2. Eating fruits and vegetables: sounds lame, but a few nutrients positively affect your gut health, improve your energy levels, and keep you regular. A win, win, win as far as I’m concerned.
3. Reading: read something to learn, to escape, and to reflect. Different content to use for different ends, but all equally valuable.
4. Quality time with friends: as we get older it gets more difficult to make plans. But human connection is vital to happiness, creativity, and stress management.
5. Walking: distinct benefits from exercising. Moving more replaces the time we would otherwise spend sedentary. Prevents overeating and promotes longevity.
6. Diversifying: don’t pigeonhole yourself. Having various hobbies, interests, and engagements keeps your brain challenging and keeps life interesting.
7. Waking up/going to bed early: it doesn’t have to be 5 am. But waking up early helps you get things done before the noise of the day starts, and going to bed early prevents the typically wasteful habits going on at night.
8. Produce > consume: the world is built to help us consume (social media, the news, shopping, eating). But producing (writing, creating, composing) expands the mind and brings a sense of accomplishment.
9. Limit drinking: Drinking is so harmful to our mental and physical health. I still love having drinks with my friends on occasion, but limiting it saves my time, health, and mental clarity.
10. Quiet time: Find time to spend with your thoughts. “Meditating,” walking, journaling, driving. Whatever the activity, it’s important to be with yourself away from the noise of the world.
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If you find yourself feeling stagnant or frustrated in an area of life, try implementing one of these and see if it helps.

If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.

This week, my podcast recommendation is from Hidden Brain, “You 2.0: Fighting Despair.”

With that, I hope this short and sweet list will help you implement some changes to get out of any ruts. Even if you think to yourself they seem too simple, they compound to a great effect. And take the time to consider how you do in each of those areas in your own life. We can all improve in all of these areas to some degree. See which one you need the most to figure out where to start.

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Until next time,

Shannon

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P.S.

1. I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
2. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape having ill health.
3. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
4. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
5. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.