Today’s world is driving us insane. Everything is moving faster and faster and we rarely have the opportunity to sit down and relax for at least a few hours without having to answer the phone or take care of an urgent task.
To better manage the complexity of our lives, developing healthy habits is essential. In the same wa,y in which a good night sleep is critical to physical health, other habits are critical to our overall well-being.
If you never allow yourself to relax for at least 30-60 minutes every day, there’s a high chance that you will burn out at some point. Even a little bit of creativity, physical activity, or entertainment is enough to improve your mental state.
Some people enjoy a simple walk every day. Others read, paint, or engage in online gaming activities. Regardless of how you choose to reward yourself and stay away from work for at least a few hours a day, what matters is that you disconnect completely from demanding activities that are causing you stress.
Fitness
Movement has been a key part of our daily lives for thousands of years. It’s only recently that a large part of humanity became extremely sedentary and it’s a mistake.
Not just your physical but also your mental health suffer a lot when you spend less than 30-60 minutes per day moving. Ideally, you should walk 6-8 kilometers each day and also engage in more intensive forms of exercise at least three times a week.
When you do this consistently for a few months, your overall well-being increases dramatically. That’s because two of its major components, health and mental health, receive a massive boost from this kind of activity. You experience fewer pains throughout the day and you also feel more motivated to do something interesting with your life.
A positive change in your biochemistry is a great benefit and you can easily get it through a combination of exercise and healthy nutrition.
Creative Pursuits
Whenever we use our minds in creative ways and achieve something, even if it’s small, our self-confidence increases. Creative hobbies also put us in a good mood and help us relax. Just try playing the piano for instance. Or any kind of instrument.
Painting is also a common hobby that gives people a much-needed hour of relaxation. If you’re generally doing intellectually intensive work, a hobby that involves manual labor and dexterity can be very relaxing.
Just try cooking or some sort of carpentry. Both of them work well for hyperintellectuals who are stressed out all the time.
Writing poetry or reading books for fun can work well for a lot of people, especially if their daily activities do not include reading and writing.
When it comes to choosing a hobby, always start with the question: what part of my mind is constantly hungry but never gets any food? Some activities feel great simply because we don’t get to enjoy anything similar in our profession but at the same time, we have a drive to be creative in ways that aren’t necessarily practical.
Mindful Gaming and Entertainment
When it comes to gaming and entertainment, today’s world is full of amazing options. Ask anyone with a Steam account. There are hundreds of new excellent video games being released every year, as well as hundreds of old ones with large player bases.
If you enjoy this sort of thing, gaming can be one of the most relaxing activities that you can engage in. Just make sure you don’t overdo it. Too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing.
Other forms of entertainment include watching movies, listening to music, and so on. There’s a lot to choose from. If you don’t already have a hobby that can entertain you, it’s a good idea to experiment with various options and see what works best.
Socializing
Socializing is an underrated activity. In today’s world, we do most of our socializing via technologies like smartphones and computers. Very few of us take the time to actively socialize with others in the good old way.
Because we’re social creatures, a little bit of socializing can help a lot. It’s hard to do it every day because everyone is busy. But at least 2-3 times per week would be enough to give your life a motivational boost.
