There's a vital difference between food rules and healthy eating habits: <ul><li>Food rules are rigid: you have strict parameters around how you should eat and feel guilty or worried when you don't eat according to that plan.</li><li>Healthy eating habits are flexible: you prioritise nutritious ingredients but don’t agonise over what to eat.</li></ul> Following food rules can be physically, mentally, and socially exhausting, impacting your overall quality of life.

Food rules impact your well-being

If we think of food in terms of good and bad, and that eating is a bad behaviour, it is easy to believe you are a bad person for eating. Then food becomes a source of stress and shame instead of nourishment and pleasure. Rather than feeling you're a terrible person without self-control because you ate some ice cream, acknowledge that you just ate something delicious because you wanted it. Thinking this way makes it easier to let go and move on.

There are no bad foods

There’s no evidence that a low-carb diet is any healthier than one that includes a balance of all macronutrients. The same for low-fat diets. A 2020 review of 121 previous trials found that none of the diets limiting certain macronutrients is more effective at improving health than a regular, varied diet.

Don't demonize macronutrients

We eat food for more than just to gain energy. We connect with our culture through food, we connect with others over a meal, and we eat for pleasure and nostalgia. Trying to compensate with exercise when you feel you’ve eaten too much can have a significant negative impact on your quality of life. It could also set in a cycle of overeating, compensating, and overeating again. Instead, just let your body do its thing. Most importantly, don't be rigid or punish yourself for eating too much.

You don't need to burn anything off

If you're working toward a healthier relationship with food, a good first step is to identify your own food rules and then challenge them

food

Food

health

Health

habits

Habits

There Are No Rules for Healthy Eating

Which are you? IQ tests only measure two of the eight intelligences. Howard Gardner explains.What does it mean when someone calls you smart? According to developmental psychologist Dr. Howard Gardner, it could mean one of eight things. Of the eight intelligences, only two are measured by IQ tests or other standardized tests. As Gardner states, “if you do well in those tests as long as you stay in school, you think you’re smart. But if you ever walk out into Broadway or the highway or into the woods or into a farm, you then find out that other intelligences are at least this important.”

Eight Classes of Intelligence

In this video interview, Dr. Gardner addresses his eight classifications for intelligence: linguistic, logical mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist.Currently, I think there are eight intelligences that I'm very confident about, and a few more that I've been thinking about. And I'll share that with our audience. The first two intelligences are the ones which IQ tests and other kinds of standardized tests valorize. And as long as we know there are only two out of eight, it's perfectly fine to look at them.

A Video Interview

Linguistic intelligence is how well you're able to use language. It's a kind of skill that poets have, other kinds of writers. Journalists tend to have linguistic intelligence, orators. The second intelligence is logical mathematical intelligence. As the name implies, logicians, mathematicians, scientists have that kind of intelligence. They're able to do mathematical proofs. They're able to do scientific reasoning and experimentation. And it's great to have language and logical intelligence because most tests really focus on that.

Linguistic and Logical Intelligence

And if you do well in those tests, as long as you stay in school, you think you're smart. But if you ever walk out into Broadway or a highway or into the woods or into a farm, you then find out that other intelligences are at least as important. The third intelligence is musical intelligence. And that's the capacity to appreciate different kinds of musics, to produce the music by voice or by an instrument, or to conduct music. And people are going to say, well, music's a talent. It's not an intelligence.

Musical Intelligence

And I say, well, why, if you're good with words, is that an intelligence, but if you're good with tones and rhythms and tambours ... and nobody's ever good me good answer. Which is why it makes sense to talk about musical intelligence. And in certain cultures over history, musical intelligence has been very important.A fourth intelligence is spatial intelligence. That's the intelligence which allows us to handle and work in space that's close by. A chess player would have spatial intelligence.

Spatial Intelligence

A surgeon would have spatial intelligence. But there's another variety of spatial intelligence, which we use for a much broader navigation. That's what an airplane pilot or a sea captain would have. How do you find your way around large territory and large space.Similarly, with the fifth intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, it comes into flavors. One flavor is the ability to use your whole body to solve problems or to make things. And athletes and dancers would have that kind of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

But another variety is being able to use your hands or other parts of your body to solve problems or make things. A craft person would have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, even if they weren't particularly a good athlete or dancer. The sixth intelligence and seventh intelligence have to do with human beings. Interpersonal intelligence is how you understand other people. How you motivate them, how you lead them, how you work with them, how you cooperate with them. Anybody in any workplace with other people needs interpersonal intelligence.

Human Beings Intelligence

Leaders hopefully have a lot of interpersonal intelligence. But any intelligence can be used in a pernicious way. So we got the sales that sells you something you don't want for a price you don't want to pay. He or she has got personal intelligence, it's just not being used in a way that we might prefer.A seventh kind of intelligence is difficult to assess, but it's very important. It's intrapersonal intelligence. It's understanding yourself.

Intrapersonal Intelligence

Back way in history and pre-history, knowledge of yourself probably wasn't that important because people did what their parents and grandparents did, whether they were hunters or fishermen or crafts people. But nowadays, especially in a developed society, people lead their own lives. We follow our own careers. We often switch careers. We don't necessarily live at home as we get older. And if you don't have a good understanding of yourself, you are in big trouble. So that's intrapersonal intelligence.The eighth intelligence, which I added some years ago, is the naturalist intelligence.

Understanding Yourself

And that's the capacity to make important relevant discriminations in the world of nature. Between one plant and another, between one animal and another. It's the intelligence of the naturalist, the intelligence of Charles Darwin. I missed it the first go around when I wrote about it, but tried to atone by adding it to my list.And by the way, you might say, well nature isn't so important anymore. But in fact, everything we do in the commercial world uses our naturalist intelligence. Why do I buy this jacket rather than another one? This sweater rather another one?

The Intelligence of Charles Darwin

One hairstyle rather than another? Those all make use of the naturalist intelligence, because the brain's very adaptive, and when an old use of a brain center no longer is relevant, it gets hijacked for something new. So we're all using our naturalist intelligence, even if we never walk out into the woods or into the savanna of East Asia.There are two other intelligences which I'm interested in. One of them is called the teaching or pedagogical intelligence, the intelligence which allows us to be able to teach successfully to other people.

Pedagogical Intelligence

Now, you could have two people who have exactly the same expertise and knowledge in the field, but one is a very good teacher and the other isn't. That probably doesn't surprise individuals so much, but what got me fascinated was as young as two or three, kids already know how to teach.Now, what does that mean? You show a child how to do something, let's say a three or four year old, and then you ask the child to explain it to an older person or to a younger person.

Field Knowledge

And even the three or four year old will explain it very differently to a young person, will go through details and point things and speak slowly. And with an older person, they'll be much more elliptical and say, well, you do this and that and then you can figure it out. So that shows as young as three, let's say, we already have a teaching intelligence.The other one is one which I think is going to be difficult to prove to a skeptic, but I call it existential intelligence. And the existential intelligence is the intelligence of big questions, philosophical questions, artistic questions.

Existential Intelligence

What does it mean to love? Why do we die? What's going to be in the future? My pet bird might have more musical intelligence. The rats that are scurrying around the floor might have more spatial intelligence, but no other animals have existential intelligence. Part of the human condition is to think about questions of existence.And I like to say every five year old has existential intelligence because five year olds are always asking, why this, why that? But the difference between a five year old and a philosopher, is the five year old doesn't pay too much attention to the answer.

Questions of Existence

Whereas philosophers and other people who develop existential intelligence are really very interested in how we attack questions like that.So again, whether there's eight intelligences or 10 or 12 is less important to me than having broken the monopoly of a single intelligence, which labels you for all time. I think if we lived forever, we could probably develop each intelligence to a very high degree. But life's very short. And if you devote too much attention to one intelligence, you're not going to have much time to work on other kinds of intelligences.

Kinds of Intelligences

And so the big question is, should you play to strength, or should you bolster weakness? And that's a value judgment. Scientist cannot give you an answer to that.If, for example, you want to be a Jack-of-all-trades and be very well rounded, then probably you're going to want to nurture the intelligences which aren't that strong. If on the other hand, you're dead set on really coming to the top of some particular heap, then you're probably going to find the intelligences that you're strongest at and really push those.

Jack-of-all-trades 

And if the parent came to me and said, well, should we supplement or should we accentuate? I would say, well, tell me what you'd like your child to do. Or better, let the child tell you what he or she wants to do rather than saying, well, science says you should do one or the other. I think it's a question of values, not of science.Some people think there's such a thing as humor intelligence, but in fact, I don't. I think humor intelligence is simply the operation of the logical intelligence in some realm like human nature or physical nature or the workplace.

Humor Intelligence

And what happens is in humor, there's a certain expectation and you flip that expectation. So it's logic, but it's logic that's played out in different kinds of ways. People have mentioned there's such a thing as a cooking intelligence, a humor intelligence, and a sexual intelligence. And I quipped, well, they can't be intelligences, because I don't have any of them. -----Howard Gardner is a developmental psychologist and the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.

Howard Gardner

IQ tests only measure two of the eight intelligences. Howard Gardner explains them all.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

problemsolving

Problem Solving

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

There are 8 classes of intelligence. Which are you?

We frequently prefer to suffer in silence or try to do everything alone rather than ask for help since it is so uncomfortable.Many people thought that asking for help even for a small task would reveal their weakness, but the thoughts are not always accurate. So keep in mind the following points while you are asking for HELP..

How to ask for help..

It can provide you with much-needed practical and emotional support while also protecting you from burnout.

1.Asking for help can be uncomfortable, but it’s a Vital skill

Self-criticism, fears about how others will see you, and other ideas and thoughts might deter people from seeking treatment, although they aren't always reasonable or truthful.

2.Check your assumptions about asking for help.

There are advantages and disadvantages to asking for help, but the long-term rewards frequently surpass any short-term expenses. Bh

3.Make a decision to ask for help.

Consider who has the skills, abilities, or information to effectively assist you – and who is likely to respond positively to the request.

4.Choose whom to ask.

Give someone time to consider your request for assistance if at all possible, and avoid asking when they are agitated or upset.

5.Consider the best time to ask.

As you ask for help, pay attention to any feelings of fear, anxiety, or humiliation that occur. Make a list of your feelings, muster your bravery, and ask anyhow.

6.Ask in the face of discomfort.

Be open, direct and respectful: eg, ‘I’ve been struggling with ____. Would you be willing to ____?’.

7.Use assertive communication skills.

Make your request as simple and specific as possible. If you're not sure what kind of assistance you require, see if you can discuss it together.

8.Be as clear as possible about what you need.

Don't assume the worst when it comes to why someone has turned you down. Obtaining assistance frequently necessitates contacting a number of people.

9.If the request is denied, consider other options.

It’s not always easy to ask for help but, fortunately, it is a skill that can be improved.

You’re not weak or lazy – everyone needs support. Follow these steps to learn when to reach out, who to go to and what to say

communication

Communication

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

How to ask for help | Psyche Guides

<h3>Noom is a buzzy weight loss app targeted at young people.</h3> Noom helps you learn how to get in touch with your body and teach yourself not to crave foods that don’t nourish you. Noom's key differentiator is applying psychology to achieve long-term weight loss. But critics say Noom is a deceptive gateway to disordered eating at worst.

Noom - a diet app

The fight between Noom and its critics is part of a larger cultural war of the last decade over how we should think about food, weight, bodies, and health. On one side is the traditional diet culture which holds that weight is a crucial indicator of health. The idea is that if you simply wield a little willpower and use more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. On the other side are the rising anti-diet movements. They hold that the correlation between weight and health is not straightforward and that most diets don't last and damage your metabolism in the long run.

The diet culture war

Noom celebrates No Diet Day on Instagram but in practice, it works like a classic low-calorie diet. After registering, users are asked to set a goal weight and decide how quickly they want to lose weight. Noom will generate a daily calorie budget that users are expected to follow, and it instructs users to log their food. Noom philosophy stated that no foods are off-limits, but it does give users a way to classify their foods. Green foods in large quantities, yellow foods in moderation, and red foods such as desserts and chips are limited.

Critics insist that Noom is just another diet app

At the centre of the anti-diet movement are two scientific claims. <ol><li>The relationship between weight and overall health is unclear. It’s possible to be a healthy fat person and an unhealthy thin person.</li><li>Dieters end up gaining back all the weight they lost.</li></ol> The data on the first claim shows it to be mostly true. A 2014 meta-analysis showed that 6 % - 75 % of those classified as obese were “metabolically healthy.” Studies on the second claim show that it is very rare for dieters to lose weight and maintain that weight loss.

The anti-diet movement has been around since the 1960’s

Anti-dieters argue that dieting can damage the very bodies it promises to heal. <ul><li>Dieting slows the metabolism.</li><li>Frequent dieting is associated with higher mortality rates and increase the risk of death by heart disease in people with coronary artery disease.</li><li>It can damage the mind. Frequent dieting is associated with high rates of depression.</li><li>Dieters can become overwhelmingly fixated on food.</li><li>The boundaries between dieting and eating disorders can become interchanged.</li></ul>

The downsides of diets

<ul><li>Mindful eating is paying close attention to the food you eat and your body’s response to it.</li><li>Intuitive eating is the practice of rejecting all food rules and allowing your body to guide your eating. </li><li>Health at Every Size is the movement that argues that it’s possible to live a healthy life no matter what your weight is.</li></ul>

New ways of thinking about food

Noom is a diet app in an anti-diet moment.

The Noom paradox

Cooking oil is a kitchen staple, whether you use it for deep frying, sautéing, roasting, or salad dressings. The war in Ukraine has caused a knock-on effect that could see UK businesses run out of sunflower oil.  Given current constraints caused by world events and environmental concerns, we may have to reconsider the cooking oils we use.

Cooking oil choices

Oils broadly fall into two categories: refined and unrefined. <ul><li>If oil is ‘virgin’, ‘extra-virgin’ or ‘cold-pressed’, it is probably unrefined and retained most of its nutrients.</li><li>Refined oils have been processed and treated with chemicals to extend their shelf life and removed unwanted flavours and odours. While they may have lost some healthy compounds, they are better to heat up than unrefined oils.</li></ul>

Refined and unrefined oils

Deep frying, shallow frying, sautéing, or roasting changes the molecular structure of the oil as it breaks down through oxidation.   Fat molecules react with oxygen in the air to form lipid oxidation products (LOPs) including aldehydes. The higher the cooking temperature or the more frequently it is reheated, the more of these potentially toxic products are produced in the oil, especially if it is close to 'smoke point'.

What happens when heating oils

<ul><li>Sunflower and seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats and degrade the easiest.</li><li>Olive oil and rapeseed oil are high in monounsaturated fats and are better for heating as they produce fewer aldehydes. The highly processed ones have a higher smoke point and are safer to cook with than unrefined ones.</li></ul> To reap health benefits, use extra virgin olive oil cold in things like salad dressings or mayonnaise.

The best oil for cooking

Rapeseed oil is extracted from the black seeds of the yellow-flowering rape plant. Rapeseed oil is unsaturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, making it a healthier type of oil. It is rich in Vitamin E and Omega 3,6, and 9 fats. It is available as refined and unrefined. In the UK, oil labelled 'vegetable oil' is usually refined rapeseed oil. Unrefined rapeseed oils are labelled 'cold-pressed', 'premium', 'virgin' or extra virgin' and have a delicate nutty flavour. Rapeseed oil is great for frying, but it is important to use as little oil as possible and cook at lower temperatures.

Rapeseed oil

Saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature, for example, red palm oil, lard or beef dripping. They generate fewer aldehydes when heated but might carry other risks. Coconut oil is extremely high in saturated fat. The refined version is the best of all to cook with.

Saturated fats

An oil's sustainability depends on the way it is produced. Sunflower and rapeseed oils made outside Europe and the UK are sprayed with neonicotinoids and insecticides implicated in killing bees, butterflies, moths and other insects. As a result, they are now banned in Europe and the UK.  Oils made from crops known to cause environmental damage, such as avocado and soy (deforestation), and almonds (water requirements, insecticide use), might not be a green choice either.

Environmental concerns

World events including the Ukraine War and leaving the European Union, together with the environment could mean we have to reconsider the cooking oils we use. So, what are the best alternatives to problematic oils? And are you really using the right oil for the job?

What’s the best oil to use for cooking?

Modern life is designed around three meals a day. We are told breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we're given lunch breaks at work , then our social and family lives is centred around evening meals. Before we decide when we should eat, we should also consider when we shouldn't eat.

Three meals a day 

Our bodies are more in line with intermittent fasting. Giving our bodies at least 12 hours a day without food allows our digestive system to rest. <ul><li>Fasting puts the body in a different state where it's more able to repair, look for damage, and clear misfolded proteins. Misfolded proteins are associated with several diseases.</li><li>Fasting gives the body a break, so it's able to store food and trigger the mechanism to release energy from our body stores.</li><li>Fasting could also improve our glycaemic response -  when our blood glucose rises after eating.</li></ul>

Intermittent fasting

Having an early dinner and increasing the time of your fasting window can have positive effects on your body, such as better glycaemic control. Some experts argue one meal a day is the best. Throughout history, we consumed one meal a day. But others disagree. Since one meal can increase the level of glucose in our blood when we're not eating, over a long period, it can be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Instead, two to three meals a day is best, with a long fasting window overnight, and consuming most calories earlier in the day.

When to eat

Hunger is often a psychological sensation. You might be conditioned to eat breakfast in the morning. This is not necessary. Data shows if you skip breakfast, you will eat fewer calories overall that day.

Feeling hungry

Eating too early in the morning should be avoided. It doesn't give you sufficient time to fast. Eating too soon after waking up also works against your circadian rhythm, which dictates how the body will process food throughout the day. Melatonin in the night helps us sleep, but it also pauses the creation of insulin, which stores glucose in the body. So if you eat when your melatonin is high, you get very high glucose levels. Over long periods, high glucose levels can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Don't eat to early in the day

The idea that we should eat three meals a day is surprisingly modern. How many meals a day is best for our health?

Should we be eating three meals a day?

An alarming trend that continues to rise is workplace burnout. Organisations should understand this phenomenon, evaluate the risks and be intentional about lowering and controlling them to protect their employees and businesses. Burnout is a form of job-related stress that has not been successfully managed. It consists of five stages that individuals and organizations must assess and then take action to reduce the symptoms.

Workplace burnout 

Stress comes with the newness of a big challenge or career advancement. Most people adjust with minor bouts of stress.
Company leaders must provide clear expectations, upskilling opportunities, support resources, and a commensurate level of autonomy to help employees manage burnout risks.

Stage 1: The honeymoon phase

Stress onset can show up as nervous anxiety, irritability, fatigue, or disorganization. Employees must prioritize their work and deal with it appropriately. Meditative box breathing and other simple techniques can help to reduce stress. Company leaders can assess employee stress through regular 1:1 meetings, daily huddles, and pusle surveys. Leaders can eliminate work bottlenecks, improve clarity on strategy, reduce emails, and invest in wellness workshops.

Phase 2: Onset of stress

When stress levels rise faster, and more frequently, employees could reach a dangerous tipping point. Stress causes cognitive overload and can reduce the focus needed to make sound business decisions or perform tasks. Employees should make use of medical benefits, employee assistance plans, or local counseling. Companies can invest in automation. Digital platforms can connect your teams, automate workflows and communications, and integrate safety and incident management.

Phase 3: Chronic stress

If employees reach the point of burnout, they can experience critical symptoms like cynicism and pessimism about their work, feelings of incompetence, unwarranted fears, strong desires to escape or self-isolate and other serious physical conditions. This can cause workplace accidents, injuries, disputes, violence, poor decision-making, decision avoidance and impulsive behaviours. Employees experiencing true burnout should ask if this is really the job for them. Companies can prevent burnout with better strategic planning and health resources.

Phase 4: True burnout

In this stage, one’s harmful physical and emotional symptoms impact their quality of life. For example, chronic sadness or depression, mental exhaustion, low self-efficacy, and suicidal ideation. Employees: National resources at <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline">Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration</a> (SAMHSA) and the <a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/">National Suicide Prevention Lifeline</a> can lend support. Companies must create safe, diverse, inclusive workspaces led by well-trained, empathetic leaders. High rates of habitual burnout warrant an evaluation of key leadership, budgets, workflows, technologies, and more.

Phase 5: Habitual burnout

Princess Castleberry maintains it’s possible for a person to experience burnout in a job they like and want to keep and leaders are encouraged to watch for all the signs.


mentalhealth

Mental Health

How to manage each of the 5 stages of burnout

The Mediterranean diet is abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and olive oil. It also contains moderate amounts of fish and poultry as lean protein sources. Red wine is consumed regularly but in moderate amounts. Research suggests many health benefits following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, such as improved weight loss, better blood-sugar levels and reduced risk of depression. Other benefits include reduced inflammation levels  - a risk factor for heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

The Mediterranean Diet Overview

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. It improves HDL cholesterol, the "good" type of cholesterol. A 2017 study showed that HDL cholesterol moves "bad" LDL particles out of arteries. Use olive oil in homemade salad dressings. Drizzle it on finished dishes like fish or chicken. Substitute butter with olive oil in mashed potatoes or pasta.

Cook with Olive Oil

Fish is the go-to protein in the Mediterranean diet. Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel are rich in heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Even leaner fish like cod or tilapia are worth it, as they provide a good source of protein. If you don't eat a lot of fish, an easy entry point is to designate one day each week as fish night.

Eat More Fish

A good way to fit in more veggies is to eat one serving at snack time, such as bell pepper strips or a spinach smoothie, and one at dinner, such as a side dish. Aim for at least two servings per day.

Eat Veggies All Day Long

Grains should be in their "whole" form and not be refined. <ul><li>Experiment with quinoa as a side dish for weeknight meals.</li><li>Barley is full of fibre and filling. Add mushrooms for a satisfying soup.</li><li>Oatmeal is perfect for breakfast.</li><li>Even popcorn is a whole grain. Keep it healthy by eating air-popped corn and drizzling olive oil on instead of butter.</li><li>Supplement with whole-grain products like whole-wheat bread and pasta. The term "whole grain" should be the first ingredient on the food package.</li><li>If you find the switch too difficult, mix whole-grain with refined half-and-half.</li></ul>

Help Yourself to Whole Grains

Nuts are a Mediterranea diet staple. Nuts contain more fibre and minerals, such as potassium, than processed snack foods. A satisfying, on-the-go snack is some almonds, cashews or pistachios.

Snack on Nuts

Fresh fruit is a healthy way to curb your sweet tooth. Fruit is a good source of fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants. Keep fresh fruit visible at home and take a piece or two to work for a healthful snack.

Enjoy Fruit for Dessert

Dietitians recommend that women stick to a 3-ounce serving and men to a 5-ounce serving per day. Try to sip with a meal. It is even better when that meal is shared with loved ones.

Sip (a Little) Wine

Instead of eating your meal in front of the TV, slow down. Sit at the table with your family and friends to savour what you're eating. You will enjoy your company and eat slower, which allows you to tune in to your body's hunger and fullness signals.

Savour Every Bite

What is the Mediterranean diet and how can you start eating one of the healthiest diets in the world? Here are 8 easy ideas to get more Mediterranean diet foods into your life.

8 Ways to Follow the Mediterranean Diet for Better Health

Meditation is your birthright. It's your natural state. It requires no one, needs no thing, and has no technique.If something requires a guru, a mantra, or a teaching, it isn't universal, and it won't free you.

We say that we want peace of mind but what we really want is peace from mind.

“No technique of the mind will free you from the mind.”

All chases, whether flow, drugs, beauty, thrills, orgasm, or devotion, are attempts to escape from the mind. Meditation is the direct path.

In an age of mental gluttony, meditation is fasting for the mind. Before paying a therapist to listen to you, listen to yourself. Before clearing your inbox, clear your mind.

Just as the sky rains when the clouds are heavy, and the body sleeps when the limbs are tired, meditation arrives when the mind is calm.

Prepare for meditation by sitting quietly in the morning, with eyes closed and back upright, in any comfortable position that will minimize movement.

Sixty minutes are easier than thirty, as it takes time for the mind to settle down. Sixty consecutive days are needed, just as it takes time for the body to go from unfit to fit.

Realize that at this moment, you are the only person in the world and there is no one to instruct you, praise you, or judge you.

Make no effort for or against anything. Whatever happens, happens. Surrender to yourself in the moment. Resist nothing and reject nothing, including the urge to resist and reject.

Meditation is not going through thoughts but rather letting thoughts go through you. The thought “I am meditating” is also a thought.

Meditation isn’t holy or spiritual or magical. It’s literally nothing.

No focus, no mantra, no dharma, no chakras, no Buddhas, no gurus, no gratitude, no scripture, no temple, no music, no gadgets, no apps are required. Some may be helpful, but eventually all will have to be left behind. Start simply, because that's where this all ends.

There are many meditation methods, but "no effort" is the universal method. Every creature at all times can choose to do nothing.

There's no need to get up to record a thought. If the idea was good, it’ll come back. If it doesn’t come back, it wasn’t that good.

Meditation is a single player game. There is no point in comparing to other meditators or to even your own previous meditations.

If meditation was easy, you’d do nothing else.

The point of meditation is not to become "a meditator" - in reality, there's no such thing. If it doesn’t bring lasting and effortless change, drop it, before it becomes another struggle and another chase.

There is nothing to say and nothing on offer. No one is taking you anywhere, selling you anything, or making you promises. Reading or talking about meditation will do nothing for you.

Ignore all advice on meditation, including this thread. “Meditation is good for nothing. That's why you do it.” - @amirmotlagh

The closer you get to the truth, the more silent you become inside.

The ability to be content and at peace, by yourself, is freedom.

I like naval's approach to meditation a lot, its very practical.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

philosophy

Philosophy

meditation

Meditation

Meditation - The Art of Doing Nothing: Naval Ravikant

Research shows that you can increase your own happiness.On average 50% of a person's general level of happiness is determined by genetics.40% is under your own control.The remaining 10% depends on circumstances.Describing yourself as a happy person in effect results in fewer health problems, lower risk of depression and longer living.What if you aren't naturally a happy and cheerful person? Is it possible to make oneself happy?

Happy-go-lucky ☺ 

Even if you don't consider yourself happy, there is a good chance you have some power to change it.

Ofcourse it's a challenge for even a happy-go-lucky person to remain upbeat. Like any aspect of wellness, happiness is a constant work in progress.No matter your current state of happiness, there are ways to boost your outlook and give your mental health a life. See below...

Work On Happiness

Useful tips on how to achieve happiness and joy in life 🙌

Happy people tend to have fewer health problems and longer lives. Research suggests that, on average, 50% of people&rsquo;s general level of happiness is determined by genetics, with the rest dependent on the individual&rsquo;s perception and specific circumstances.

Health and happiness go hand in hand | Harvard Health

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