We are living in an age of immense connectivity & digital entertainment – multiple streaming shows, countless social media platforms, 24/7 newsfeeds, all instantly available at your fingertips.
The technological advancement that enabled social connectivity & ease of access to information came with a huge prize: mental distress. How does access to information and social connectivity cause mental derangement in the human psyche?
Distractibility , or a fleeting attention span! The seventeenth-century Catholic philosopher Blaise Pascal once said, “All of man’s problems arise from an inability to sit quietly in a room.”
Sent By Sabith Mohammed

Cerebrate Weekly: Your Attention shapes your reality

But from what are we absolutely distracted? “Verily in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest! “  Chapter 13:28.  It is indeed this state of distractibility from God, that is the root cause of most of the mental health issues that we are facing. God Himself revealed in His Book that the peace of mind that we are longing for lies in our remembrance of Him. He also says in another verse: “And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind.”  Chapter 20:124

We usually tend to blame our distractibility on social media & streaming channels  — but these are all just proximate causes of distraction. We blame them, while the root causes stay hidden as explained by Nir Eyal in his book Indistractable. For the past ten to fifteen years, there has been a huge increase in the degree to which that human vulnerability has been exploited for profit. Huge enterprises, and entire economic sectors, are dedicated to preying on our attention and focus. They have merged the sciences of Psychology, algorithms & information technologies to create habit-forming products that hook us onto their infinite pool of content.

They don’t call it “surfing the web for nothing”. In reality, this is what’s happening. Nothingness! Just think about the idea of a Web! What do you do with a web? A spider knows what it does with a web. He captures flies, liquidates their innards, then suck the life out of them, and then there’s just a shell lying there on the web. This is exactly what surfing the web does to you. Also, the interesting thing about the sport of surfing is that you’re just trying to stay on the wave. The wave has you. You’re not controlling the wave, the wave is controlling you. You’re just trying to stay afloat. The first step in combating this is to be conscious of the fact that our desire for comfort may easily bleed into general apathy and the potential to be manipulated leading to our attention being bought and sold in destructive ways.

The first step in combating this is to be conscious of the fact that our desire for comfort may easily bleed into general apathy and the potential to be manipulated leading to our attention being bought and sold in destructive ways. Hence it is important to be mindful of our attention.

Mindfulness

Let’s get into the Etymology of some of these words. Advertisement:  The word “advert ” means to turn towards, so an advertisement means to divert your attention to something the ad campaign (a military term) wants you to be mindful of.Distraction : What exactly do you mean by “distraction”? One of the definitions we find in the dictionary is “mental distress or derangement”. Isn’t it interesting that we also live in one of the most mentally deranged periods in human history, with people unsure of what the ultimate purpose of life is?

The best way to be mindful is to delve deep into Etymology

Another meaning in the dictionary for distraction is “that which divides attention ”. The word “ Decide ” in English comes from a word “decidere ” which means to cutoff. Why would “decide” mean “to cut off”? because what you decide cuts off everything else. Once you’ve made your decision you’re actually cutting off other things. So make conscious decisions on where you spend your time. The Arabic word for distraction is ‘ilha ‘, which means to pull someone into entertainment. Therefore, whatever receives our attention influences the reality we experience.

Entertainment , according to the dictionary, means “agreeable occupation of the mind, diversion, amusement.” Who or what is occupying your mind? Our Prophet ﷺ occupied his own mind with the remembrance of God. He said, “Whoever makes his concerns (what he or she is mindful of) one concern (God), God will take care of all his other concerns.”

Who or what is occupying your mind? Our Prophet ﷺ occupied his own mind with the remembrance of God. He said, “Whoever makes his concerns (what he or she is mindful of) one concern (God), God will take care of all his other concerns.” One of the Arabic words for mindfulness  is “muhtamm “, which means “what one is concerned with.” The Arabic word for attention is ‘tiba ‘, which means to be awake and aware. It also means to devote. So We should try to be mindful and present in order to direct our attention & devotion to God. Source:  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZHj5O-eKaU">The Mindful Messenger </a> ﷺ, Hamza Yusuf, Zaytuna College

Podcast Episode: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/221-how-to-train-your-thoughts-tame-the-hidden/id1208024744?i=1000512138284">How to Train Your Thoughts & Tame the Hidden Dragons</a> With Dr. Daniel Amen & Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik.
Blog: <a href="https://www.akramnadwi.com/shaytans-tricks/">Devil’s Tricks.</a> An excellent take on “Distraction” from a Psycho Spiritual perspective on how human’s are lured to distraction by the devil.

Weekly Compass

Book Summary: <a href="https://www.thinkabled.com/dopamine-detox/">Dopamine Detox</a> by Thibaut Mueriss. This book explains the role of the Neurotransmitter “Dopamine” in our behavior & how its functioning has been hijacked in modern world.
 Article: <a href="https://www.thinkabled.com/pavlovs-experiment-the-reason-why-you-are-distracted/">Pavlov’s Experiment: The Reason Why You Are Distracted</a> . In this article Omer Mohammed revisits the Pavlov’s Experiment & explains how environments trigger our behaviors.
Video : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDIkyP9WOdQ">I Left Social Media For 14 Days</a> : Afterbreaking his phone accidentally, Omer was forced to undergo a social detox. In this video he shares his experience on dopamine detox after quitting social media.

Read & Rise

Or were they created without there being anything, or are they themselves the creators? ―<a href="https://quran.com/52/35">Quran 52:35</a>

Food for Thought

<a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/books/book-lady-of-dubai-celebrates-third-anniversary-of-booktopia">Book Lady of Dubai:</a> This article tells the story of a voracious reader and book enthusiast who went on to become a successful entrepreneur in Dubai.

Weekly dose of Inspiration

<a href="https://readwise.io/">Readwise </a>: Do you want to remember everything you read ? Then check out this app named Readwise   to grow wiser and retain books better. Readwise  helps you get the most out of what you read by making it fun & easy to revisit your highlights from all your favorite reading platforms in one place Get more wisdoms and actionable ideas in our weekly newsletter: Cerebrate . Sign up here to join our growing community of readers.

Tools for Thought

Cerebrate Weekly: Your Attention shapes your reality We are living in an age of immense connectivity & digital entertainment - multiple streaming shows, countless social media platforms, 24/7 newsfeeds, all instantly available at your fingertips. The technological advancement that enabled social connectivity & ease of access to information came with a huge prize: mental distress. How does access to information

health

Health

problemsolving

Problem Solving

meditation

Meditation

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

Your Attention Shapes Your Reality

The universe that we see is really what we are within.The world looks happy when we are joyous—and gloomy when we are melancholy.The inner and outer worlds reflect one another in a circle of action and reaction, where every action or reaction of ours—determined by what we are feeling within—transforms our experience of the outer world.

Relation Between Self and the World

The result of my reality depends on my reaction to it.At every step, every day, our reactions to hundreds of situations determine the outcome of that moment, that day, week, and even year.We can even say that our reactions to people, to ideas, to the monsters in our head determine what we call our destiny.

Interaction of Self and the World

Only inner unity, inner stillness, peace within ourselves can bring positive attitude and actions in our reactions to the situations.

Being positive in situations

The fundamental design of the universe remains consistent.If you know the atomic, you know the cosmic.Know the atman to know the brahman

Self and Cosmos

Understanding a Peaceful Path in a Violent World

Winner of the 2018 Wilbur Award There are more than one billion Hindus in the world, but for those who don’t practice the faith, very little seems to be understood about it. Followers have not only built and sustained the world’s largest democracy but have also sustained one of the greatest philosophical streams in the world for more than three thousand years. So, what makes a Hindu? Why is so little heard from the real practitioners of the everyday faith? Why does information never go beyond clichés? Being Hindu is a practitioner’s guide that takes the reader on a journey to very simply understand what the Hindu message is, where it stands in the clash of civilizations between Islam and Christianity, and why the Hindu way could yet be the path for plurality and progress in the twenty-first century.

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Personal Development

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Habits

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Love & Relationships

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Books

Winner of the 2018 Wilbur Award There are more than one billion Hindus in the world, but for those who don’t practice the faith, very little seems to be understood about it. Followers have not only built and sustained the world’s largest democracy but have also sustained one of the greatest philosophical streams in the world for more than three thousand years. So, what makes a Hindu? Why is so little heard from the real practitioners of the everyday faith? Why does information never go beyond clichés? Being Hindu is a practitioner’s guide that takes the reader on a journey to very simply understand what the Hindu message is, where it stands in the clash of civilizations between Islam and Christianity, and why the Hindu way could yet be the path for plurality and progress in the twenty-first century.

Hindol Sengupta

Being Hindu

Many people believe willpower is fixed and finite. Yet powerful strategies exist that can help us increase it. Our reserves of self-control and mental focus appear to be shaped by mindsets. And new studies suggest powerful strategies for anyone to build greater willpower – with huge benefits for your health, productivity and happiness.

The Mindset That Brings Unlimited Willpower

We all face demanding days that seem designed to test our self-control. Perhaps you are finishing an important project and you have to remain in quiet concentration, without letting your attention slip to other distractions. If you are on a diet, you might have spent the past few hours resisting the cookie jar while the sweet treats silently whisper “eat me”. In each case, you would have relied on your willpower, which psychologists define as the ability to avoid short-term temptations and override unwanted thoughts, feelings or impulses where some seem to have much greater reserves of it.

Defining Willpower

Until recently, the prevailing psychological theory proposed that willpower resembled a kind of battery. You might start the day with full strength, but each time you have to control your thoughts, feelings or behaviour, you zap that battery’s energy. Without the chance to rest and recharge, those resources run dangerously low, making it far harder to maintain your patience and concentration, and to resist temptation. Drawing on the Freudian term for the part of the mind that is responsible for reining in our impulses, the process was known as “ego depletion”.

The Depleted Ego

People with the non-limited view on willpower did not show any signs of ego depletion: they showed no decline in their mental focus after performing a mentally taxing activity

In recent years, some scientists have debated the reliability of the laboratory tests of ego depletion, but Job has also shown that people’s willpower mindsets are linked to many real-life outcomes. She asked university students to complete twice-daily questionnaires about their activities over two non-consecutive weekly periods. As you might expect, some days had much higher demands than others, leading to feelings of exhaustion.

Most of the participants recovered to some degree overnight, but those with the non-limited mindsets actually experienced an increase in their productivity the following day, as if they had been energized by the extra pressure. Once again, it seemed that their belief that “mental stamina fuels itself” had become their reality.

If you already have the non-limited mindset about willpower, these findings might be a cause for self-satisfaction. But what can we do if we have been living under the assumption that our reserves of self-control are easily depleted? Studies suggest that simply learning about this cutting-edge science – through short, accessible texts – can help shift people’s beliefs, at least in the short term. Knowledge, it seems, is power; if so, simply reading this article might have already started to galvanize your mental stamina. You might even enhance this by telling others about what you have learnt.

Galvanizing your willpower

Researchers at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania recently designed a storybook to teach pre-schoolers the idea that exercising willpower can be energizing, rather than exhausting, and that self-control can grow the more we practice it. Children who had heard this story showed greater self-control in a test of “delayed gratification”, in which they were given the chance to forgo a small treat to receive a bigger treat later on, compared to their classmates who had heard another tale.

Exercising Willpower

One useful strategy to change your mindset may be to remember a time when you worked on a mentally demanding task for the pure enjoyment of the activity. There might be a job at work, for example, that others appear to find difficult but you find satisfying. Or maybe it’s a hobby – such as learning a new piece on the piano – that demands intense concentration, yet feels effortless for you. A recent study found that engaging in this kind of recollection naturally shifts people’s beliefs to the non-limited mindset, as they see proof of their own mental stamina.

You mustn’t expect miracles immediately. But with perseverance, you should see your mindset changing, and with it a greater capacity to master your thoughts, feelings and behaviors so that your actions propel you towards your goals. Once you have proved to yourself that your willpower can grow, you may find it easier to then resist other kinds of temptation or distraction.

Read this article to find out that willpower is continuously exercising and improvable mind muscle

Many people believe willpower is fixed and finite. Yet powerful strategies exist that can help us increase it.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

The mindset that brings unlimited willpower

For some years now, <a href="https://www.gq.co.za/wealth/5-books-that-bill-gates-wants-you-to-read-to-expand-your-mind-and-knowledge-b23053ae-351d-4e98-9d26-58c1413abfff">Bill Gates </a>has managed to maintain a place near the top of the list of the richest people in the world, but, more importantly, he has also managed to have a successful and remarkable career. Even now that he is no longer the CEO of his company, he is one of those people who seem to have the ability to turn everything they touch into gold.

Bill Gates’s habits to increase your brain power: 

And how has he achieved all that he has? Gates knows very well that, to be successful, to age well, and to maintain your good memory over time, you first need to have a sharp and powerful brain.The brain is a muscle and that means you have to look after it and exercise it. You have to make sure your cognitive abilities are kept in good shape and that you protect your memory and your ability to react and think.You need those<a href="https://www.gq.co.za/wealth/the-soft-skills-you-need-to-get-a-good-job-e47dd09f-d278-4ffe-97a4-78652e3a7b74">skills </a>to do all sorts of things, like making better decisions or finding the right solution to a business challenge.

And it’s not just about excelling at Sudoku or Wordle, you need to have good habits that help protect, strengthen, and empower your brain, and Bill Gates has some of the most important ones.

Many studies talk about the importance of getting enough sleep, because the brain needs time to recover, consolidate memories, and store the information it has absorbed during the day. Lack of sleep is a major factor in cognitive decline.Bill Gates once said that, early in his career, he slept very little and thought it was not a priority, but he soon realised that lack of sleep was affecting his <a href="https://www.gq.co.za/culture/4-ways-to-be-more-productive-according-to-experts-22609f53-19f2-4128-87b3-609c94feb6bd">creativity, productivity </a>, and more, so he decided to have a nightly routine (starting with washing dishes to relax his brain) to get adequate rest and sleep each night.

1. Sleep at least 8 hours

A powerful brain needs to be learning and discovering new things, and reading is ideal for this. Bill Gates recommends reading around 50 <a href="https://www.gq.co.za/culture/sport/the-20-best-sport-books-to-read-right-now-281c0745-5a77-4f18-b2ea-9731afb63c66">books </a>every year and his lists of suggestions always consist of books that he has read, and that have taught him important things about success, business, and much more. Reading leads to learning, improves your writing and vocabulary, can inspire you, and keeps your brain from getting rusty and sluggish.

2. Never stop reading

According to some studies, people in the world’s so-called “blue zones” live longer and better for several reasons, one of which is that they don’t stop working.This doesn’t mean that you have to stay at your job until you die, but rather that you have to find activities that make your brain feel useful and like you are constantly challenging it so that you don’t stop using it and the “muscle” is lost.Finding an activity or pastime you like (which can be things like gardening or remodelling your home) helps prevent cognitive decline and can even reduce the symptoms of some mental conditions.

3. Don't stop working

This is not simply about sleeping, but also setting aside time for yourself, to do the things you like, and simply to take a break from thinking when you relax and have fun. Downtime is important for physical and <a href="https://www.gq.co.za/culture/5-questions-you-should-ask-yourself-to-have-good-mental-health-57f2fb92-d055-4de0-9f42-7e54cd48b980">mental health </a>, it restores your energy, can provide motivation to keep going, and helps clear one’s mind and reduce stress, which can be dangerous if it is at very high levels or if it becomes chronic.

4. Find time to rest

Many experts agree: Physical exercise is important to strengthen the brain, but that doesn’t mean hours and hours of weight training every day. Any kind of exercise is good, especially when you do it outdoors and surrounded by nature, which has also been shown to be very good for brain health.

5. Work out, even if it's just light exercise

Bill Gates 5 Habits that'll Help You Think Smarter 

You’re not going to be successful or smart if your brain isn’t up to the challenge. Here’s what you can learn from Bill Gates.

Bill Gates’s 5 habits that'll help you think smarter

Use These 7 Daily Habits to Boost Your Mental Health in 2023:
<ol>
<li>Make relaxation a routine</li>
<li>Practice gratitude</li>
<li>Value social interaction</li>
<li>Take care of your physical health</li>
<li>Monitor your social media intake</li>
<li>Journal your feelings</li>
<li>Make yourself laugh</li>
</ol>

Simple mental health habits to boost your mental health:

Very few things in life are promised. Times of stress are, unfortunately, one of them. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed or stressed out. However, you can control how you respond to the strain by implementing relaxation techniques into your daily routine.
Meditation is a popular way to relax as it can help reach a state of calm, decrease stress and improve your mood. Some people even use music to guide them through their meditation sessions. If meditation isn't your thing, deep breathing, reading or taking a bubble bath are also popular techniques to relax.

1. Make relaxation a routine

Including gratitude in your life is a way to create a positive outlook on your life. More than that, it has tangible benefits for your mental health, including reducing stress, lessening depression symptoms and boosting your mood.
Gratitude is a simple concept, but sometimes difficult to keep up with. In 2023, take time for self-reflection and share your gratitude with the people around you. If you like to journal, regularly write down a list of things you're grateful for.

2. Practice gratitude

<ul>
<li>Sharing our time with others is sometimes just what we need to boost our mood or change our perspective on things. </li>
<li>By making time for friends and family, you will decrease feelings of loneliness and ensure you have an emotional support system at your fingertips. If you can't regularly meet in person, text messages and zoom calls are all meaningful ways to connect with others without actually seeing each other. </li>
<li>Boundaries are an essential part of mental health that help you from pushing yourself too far. Feel empowered to say no or move plans around when your body tells you to.</li>
</ul>

3. Value social interaction

Mental health is directly tied to physical health - one cannot flourish without the other. The three main areas to target are:
<ul>
<li>Sleep: If you don't get enough sleep, your brain doesn't have the chance to rest and recover.</li>
<li>Food and hydration: Giving your body the nutrients and hydration it needs to function is another essential part of mental health. In addition to eating well-balanced meals, try adding foods to your diet that boost happiness.</li>
<li>Exercise: Being active is another way to boost your mood and make you feel good. Adding exercise to your routine gives you a chance to bond with others, reduce anxiety and boost your confidence.</li>
</ul>

4. Take care of your physical health

Our phones are our lifelines. Most of the time, they're beside us, keeping us connected to the outside world through calls, texts and social media. 
The hours spent scrolling through social media, comparing ourselves to the snapshot of perfection people post, can seriously impact our self-view and stain our mental health. 
Constant social media use has been linked to worsened anxiety and depression symptoms, feelings of inadequacy and unhealthy sleeping habits.

5. Monitor your social media intake

Journaling is a powerful tool to cope with mental health disorders by working through emotions and channeling thoughts. 
A 2018 study found that journaling for 15 minutes each day significantly reduced stress and feelings of anxiety. Other research has linked it to helping work through PTSD symptoms or depression.

6. Journal your feelings

Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine:
<ul>
<li>When you're feeling stressed or down, do things that will make you laugh to reduce anxiety and stress. </li>
<li>Watch your favorite TV show or movie to give your mood a boost. Or find the source within yourself. </li>
<li>Sing while you're in the shower </li>
<li>Dance while cleaning your home. Dancing reduces the stress hormone cortisol in the body.</li>
</ul>

7. Make yourself laugh

Improving your mental health is a journey; it doesn't happen overnight. You can make lasting tweaks to your well-being by intentionally adding habits to your routine.

For overall well being and balanced mental equilibrium, it is necessary to work on your habits to keep you in shape mentally

Aiming for healthy daily habits this year will improve your mental health.

mindfulness

mentalhealth

Mental Health

7 Daily Habits to Boost Your Mental Health in 2023

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Hormones are chemicals produced by different glands across your body. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">They travel through the bloodstream, acting as messengers and playing a part in many bodily processes.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Certain hormones are known to help promote positive feelings, including happiness and pleasure. These are referred to as the "Happy Hormones".</li></ul>

What Are Hormones?

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Dopamine: “Feel-good” hormone, a neurotransmitter - important part of brain’s reward system - associated with pleasurable sensations, learning, memory.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Serotonin: Help regulate mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, memory.</li></ol><ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Oxytocin: “<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/love-hormone">Love hormone</a>”, essential for childbirth, breastfeeding & strong parent-child bonding, promote trust, empathy & bonding in relationships.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Endorphins: Body’s natural pain reliever, produced in response to stress or discomfort. Levels may also increase when engage in reward-producing activities such as eating, working out or having sex.</li></ul>

What Are Happy Hormones 

<ul><li>Spend time outdoors, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight">in sunlight</a>. </li><li>According to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987716303966">research </a>, exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can increase the production of serotonin.</li><li>You can try spending about 15 minutes outside a few times a week. Try exploring a new neighborhood or park if you’re tired of the same old sights. </li><li>Just be aware that UV exposure can also increase the risk of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-cancer">skin cancer</a>, so don’t forget <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/sunscreen-guide">sunscreen</a>. </li></ul>

How to Boost Your Serotonin Level? 

<ul><li>Exercise has multiple physical <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise">health benefits</a>. It can also have a positive impact on emotional well-being.</li><li>If you’ve heard of a “<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/runners-high">runner’s high </a>,” you might already know about the link between exercise and endorphin release.</li><li>But exercise doesn’t just work on endorphins. Regular physical activity can also increase your dopamine and serotonin levels, making it a great option to boost your happy hormones.</li></ul>

Physical Exercise As Happy Hormones Booster

To see even more benefits from exercise:<ul><li>Include a few friends : A small <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171030092917.htm">2017 study </a>of medical students found evidence to suggest group exercise offers more significant benefits than solo exercise.</li><li>Get some sun : Move your workout outdoors to maximize your serotonin boost.</li><li>Time it : Aim for at least 30 minutes of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/aerobic-exercise-examples">aerobic exercise </a>at a time. Any amount of physical activity has health benefits, but <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35195103/">research </a> associates higher-intensity workouts with a greater release of endorphins.</li></ul>Laughter can help relieve feelings of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety">anxiety</a> or stress, and improve mood by boosting dopamine and endorphin levels.

Maximize your workout

<ul><li>Social laughter triggered endorphin release. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27439375/">Research </a></li><li>So, share that funny video, dust off your joke book, or watch a comedy special with a friend or partner.</li><li>An added bonus? Bonding over something hilarious with a loved one might even trigger oxytocin release.</li><li>This tip could — in theory — boost all four of your happy hormones.</li></ul>

Add More Social Laughter

The enjoyment you get from eating something delicious can trigger the release of dopamine & endorphins. <ul><li>Sharing the meal with someone you love, and bonding over meal preparation, can boost oxytocin levels.</li></ul>Certain food can also have an impact on hormone levels :<ul><li>spicy foods may trigger endorphin release,</li><li>yogurt, beans, eggs, meats with low-fat content, and almonds are linked to dopamine release,</li><li>foods high in tryptophan have been linked to increased serotonin levels,</li><li>foods containing probiotics such as yogurt, kimchi & sauerkraut, can influence the release of happy hormones</li></ul>

Eat Your Way To Happiness 

<ul><li>Music can give more than one of your happy hormones a boost.</li><li>Listening to instrumental music, especially music that gives you chills, can <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1811878116">increase </a>dopamine production in your brain.</li><li>But if you enjoy music, simply listening to any music you enjoy may help put you in a good mood. This positive change in your mood can increase serotonin production.</li><li>You may also experience an endorphin release while performing music, especially in a large group. </li></ul>

Listen To, Or Perform Music

To get started with meditation:<ul><li>Choose a quiet, comfortable place to sit.</li><li>Get comfortable, whether that’s standing, sitting, or lying down.</li><li>Let all your thoughts — positive or negative — rise and pass you by.</li><li>As thoughts come up, try not to judge them, cling to them, or push them away. Simply acknowledge them.</li></ul>Start out by doing this for 5 minutes and work your way up to longer sessions over time.If you’re familiar with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation">meditation</a>, you might already know of its many wellness benefits — from improving sleep to reducing stress.

Meditate Your Way To Happiness 

<ul><li>Oxytocin’s reputation as the “love hormone” is well earned.</li><li>Simply being attracted to someone can lead to the production of oxytocin. But physical affection, including kissing, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hugging-benefits">cuddling </a>, or having sex, <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/oxytocin-the-love-hormone">also contributes </a>to increased oxytocin production.</li><li>Just spending time with someone you care about can also help boost oxytocin production. This can help increase closeness and positive relationship feelings, making you feel happy, blissful, or even euphoric.</li><li>If you really want to feel those happy hormones, note that dancing & sex lead to endorphin release, while orgasm triggers dopamine release<warningtag>.</warningtag></li></ul>

Boost Your Love Hormone! 

<ul><li>If you have a dog, giving your furry friend some affection is a great way to boost oxytocin levels for you and your dog. </li><li>Dog owners as well as their dogs see an increase in oxytocin when interacting.</li><li>Even if you don’t own a dog, you might also experience an oxytocin boost when you see a dog you know and like. If you’re a dog lover, this might happen when you get a chance to pet any dog at all.</li><li>So, find your favorite canine and give it a good ear scratch or lap cuddle.</li></ul>

Furry Friends Affection

<ul><li>Not getting enough <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important">quality sleep</a> can affect your health in multiple ways.</li><li>Setting aside <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-sleep-you-need">7 to 9 hours</a> each night for sleep can help restore the balance of hormones in your body, which will likely help you feel better.</li></ul>If you find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, try:<ul><li>going to bed and getting up around the same time every day, </li><li>creating a quiet, restful sleeping environment (try reducing light, noise, and screens), </li><li>decreasing <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-caffeine">caffeine</a> intake, especially in the afternoon and evening</li></ul>

Quality Sleep Is Important 

It’s normal to experience some <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/stress">stress </a>from time to time. <ul><li>But living with regular stress or dealing with highly stressful life events can cause drops in dopamine and serotonin production. </li><li>This can negatively affect your health and mood, making it harder to deal with stress.</li></ul>If you’re under a lot of stress, the <a href="https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/manage-stress">American Psychological Association </a>recommends:<ul><li>taking a brief break from the source of stress</li><li>laughter</li><li>taking 20 minutes for a walk, run, bike ride, or other <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/exercise-stress-relief">physical activity </a></li><li>meditation</li><li>social interaction</li></ul>

Reduce Stress

If you enjoy a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-massage">massage</a>, here’s one more reason to get one: <ul><li>massage can boost all four of your happy hormones.</li></ul>

Massage

<ul><li>When dopamine is released in large amounts, it creates feelings of pleasure and reward, which motivate you to repeat a specific behavior. </li><li>In contrast, low levels of dopamine are linked to reduced motivation and decreased enthusiasm for things that would excite most people. </li></ul>Hence, it benefits us productively too when our happy hormones are high.

Feelings of Pleasure and Reward Motivates Repetition 

Boosting our happy hormones keep us healthy and productive. ❤️

Certain hormones may help you feel happier. We'll break down what they are and how to increase them naturally.

Happy Hormones: What They Are and How to Boost Them

Whether you are craving salty chips, sweet gummies, or something else, your desire for that specific flavor or food is likely triggered by either a physical or an emotional factor. Knowing what is causing your craving can empower you to know what to do about them. Ahead, five types of food cravings and what exactly they may be telling you.

What Is Food Craving?

If your inner chocoholic is paying you a visit, your body could be in need of a mood boost.  Since chocolate consumption is linked to <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/pr900607v">improved feelings of calmness and contentment </a>, that chocolate craving can mean so much more than just needing something sweet.  If you are a female, craving chocolate may also be a sign that you are close to getting your period. Changes in hormones during the premenstrual phase can trigger <a href="https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/web.sas.upenn.edu/dist/7/206/files/2016/09/ChocCraveMenopause_App_2009-280jt6p.pdf">blood sugars to dip </a>, resulting in certain cravings. A chocolate craving can simply mean you are close to that time of the month.

Why Chocolate Craving?

While chocolate does offer some nutritional benefit — like being a natural source of magnesium — certain varieties can be loaded with sugar. When tackling the chocolate attack, choose a small serving of dark chocolate or add some natural cacao powder to your smoothie instead of downing a king-size candy bar.

Solution To Chocolate Craving

According to data published in the journal <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8697046/">Obesity Research </a>, larger amounts of carbohydrates consumed is linked to higher levels of serotonin (the happy, feel-good hormone). In other words, your body may need that serotonin boost and knows it will happen after you enjoy that extra-large soft pretzel, loaf of bread or an endless bowl of pasta.

Why Carbohydrate Craving?

If you find yourself craving carbs more often than normal, ask yourself how you are feeling emotionally. What you may actually be craving is a mood boost, which can be accomplished in a healthy way with a sweaty exercise sesh or a chat with a good friend.

Solution To Carbohydrate Craving?

If you have a “salt tooth” instead of a “sugar tooth,” you may be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3966472/">suffering from an iron deficiency </a>. Iron is an important mineral that plays a role in blood cell production and other important bodily functions. Having a deficiency means that you don’t have enough iron in your body, and you can feel tired and weak. Another cause of salt cravings is good old fashioned dehydration. When you crave salt, your body may be telling you that it needs to restore balance and replenish electrolytes.

Why Salt Craving?

The first step to learning whether you have an iron deficiency is to have your health care provider check your levels. Before you reach for the salt shaker, hydrate yourself first to see if that tames the craving.

Solution To Salt Craving

Sugar cravings are quite common and can strike at any time of the day. If you find yourself reaching for the candy drawer more frequently, it may mean that you are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24879886/">tired, stressed, or hungry </a>. Essentially, your body is craving sugar for the energy boost.

Why Sugar Craving?

Before you down that box of gummy snacks, recognize if you skipped breakfast this morning, didn’t sleep well, or are experiencing stress in your life. If you say yes to any of these questions, your sugar craving may be telling you that you need to tackle one (or more) of these factors. Go to bed a bit early, have a healthy snack, or incorporate some yoga into your daily life. Your body will thank you for it.

Solution To Sugar Craving

Whether it is melted on a slice of pizza or enjoyed on top of a cracker, cheese is a commonly craved food for many.   If you are craving that ooey goodness, your body may simply be craving some comfort. Since dishes like mac and cheese and grilled cheese are the ultimate comfort food, you may associate the “warm and fuzzies” with these goodies.

Why Cheese Craving?

Cheese and comfort go beyond nostalgic reasons. All varieties contain the amino acid tryptophan, which aids in the production of melatonin and serotonin to help us feel more relaxed or sleepy. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728667/">study </a>published in 2016 brought to the forefront that lower levels of tryptophan were linked to a depressed state. So, a boost of tryptophan may mean a more relaxed and better rested self!

Solution To Cheese Craving

Cravings can come out of left field. Some are completely random, and others can be a great indicator of bigger things going on in your body. Understanding why you are craving foods can help you navigate your health more mindfully.

Learn From Your Cravings To Improve Your Health

Food cravings can appear when you least expect them. But, the types of food cravings you may have may be telling you something.

food

Food

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

5 Types of Food Cravings Decoded By an RD

Most women first begin developing menopause symptoms about four years before their last period.Symptoms often continue until about four years after a woman’s last period.

Menopause Process

Menopause can negatively affect libido in several ways.During menopause, testosterone and estrogen levels both decrease, making it more difficult to get aroused.

Menopause and Libido

<ol><li>See your doctor</li><li>Treatment</li><li>Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)</li><li>Lubricant</li><li>Exercise - Exercise not only helps combat weight gain, but can also improve your mood. That’s because exercise releases endorphins, which can reduce stress and trigger positive emotions.</li><li>Communicate with your partner</li><li>Focus on intimacy</li><li>Therapy - Therapy, both alone and with your partner, can help you manage some of the mood symptoms of menopause and understand how to manage a decreased libido.</li><li>Outlook</li></ol>

Things every woman should know about menopause:

There are many moments in life when trying too hard is counterproductive. Aldous Huxley called this the law of reversed effort.Try as we might, it is nearly impossible to consciously will yourself to sleep. Sleep comes to those who let their mind wander and focus on anything other than sleep itself. Count sheep, control your breathing, listen to an audiobook, or whatever — so long as it turns your mind from wanting to sleep.

The harder you try, the harder you fall

“The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed.”

It’s the idea that the more we try to do something, the worse we become at it.Suppose, for instance, that you are learning how to ride a bike for the first time. You are told to hold the handlebars a certain way, to push off with this foot, to pedal at that speed, to sit in a specific position, to hold your balance here, and so on. There is a small book’s worth of micro-instructions when learning to ride a bike. When we ride a bike, we know all these things, but we do not try to do them. They just happen.In Huxley’s words, it’s “combining relaxation with activity.”

Combining relaxation with activity

But, there’s a spiritual or holistic way of viewing the “law of reversed effort” as well. It’s something that has a much longer history than Aldous Huxley — it’s the Daoist idea of “Wu Wei.”'The inaction'The word “surrender” comes laden with negative connotation. Surrender is cowardly or weak. To surrender to a greater power — or a nobler, righteous one — is not an act of cowardice.It is an act of profound wisdom. There is nothing praiseworthy about swimming in a storm or punching a bear in the face. There is wisdom in knowing our limits, in embracing humility, and even in being pushed around.

Wu Wei

There are many moments in life when trying harder makes things worse. When you have a mosquito bite, a broken bone, or a nosebleed, you leave it be. Picking, prodding, and probing only exacerbate the problem. So, too, with a lot of life’s major moments.Perhaps it is time to step away from what you are doing and enjoy Wu Wei or inaction. After all, if I tell you not to think of pink elephants, there’s only one way to do it.

You can’t force it

Being stuck in overthinking and feeling bad about it makes it a vicious cycle. Sitting back and relaxing makes it easy.

There are many things in life that cannot be improved with greater effort. Sometimes, life requires that you step back.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

creativity

Creativity

The law of reversed effort: The harder you try, the harder you fall

The end of <a href="https://www.eatthis.com/unhealthy-food-trends-2022-ranked/">2022 </a>is here, which means many of us are reflecting on the last year. Maybe this means journaling about your adventures, looking through photos on your phone, or setting intentions for the <a href="https://www.eatthis.com/new-cookbooks-2023/">year to come </a>. We've experienced a lot of shocking surprises throughout 2022, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a rapid uptick in inflation to the heated trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and Elton John's last live show. Heck, we even got an unexpected "Bennifer" reboot as Ben Affleck and JLo officially tied the knot.

In the realm of health and wellness, there was plenty of shocking news and surprising nutrition discoveries, too.In fact, 2022 was full of so many scientific discoveries directly impacting how we approach food and nutrition, that we thought we might help your retroactive trip down 2022's memory lane with a roundup of the findings we found most shocking. Read on to learn about five of the most significant nutrition discoveries for your health—then, be sure to also check out the <a href="https://www.eatthis.com/foods-better-health-2023/">6 Foods That Will Completely Turn Your Health Around in 2023 </a>.

6 Shocking Nutrition Discoveries Scientists Made This Past Year

This past year was full of shocking research findings. Here are some of the most shocking nutrition discoveries made by scientists in 2022.

6 Shocking Nutrition Discoveries Scientists Made This Year

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