When intelligent people read, they ask themselves a simple question: What do I plan to do with this information?

You cannot have your news instantly and have it done well. You cannot have your news reduced to 140 characters or less without losing large parts of it. You cannot manipulate the news but not expect it to be manipulated against you. We must remember: There is no easy way.

Traditional journalistic values like accuracy and impartiality have taken a backseat to generating traffic and revenue.Sensationalism and controversy are more likely to generate clicks than substantive news.

The Media Is Driven by Clicks and Pageviews

Online media operates on a 24-hour news cycle and is constantly looking for new content to publish.Blogs often lack the resources to fact-check stories thoroughly, making it easier to get false information into the news cycle.

Blogs and Online Media Are Especially Susceptible to Manipulation

Journalists are always looking for new sources to interview and quote in their articles.Media manipulators can offer up sources who are willing to give sensational quotes or spin stories in certain ways.

Media Manipulators Take Advantage of Journalists' Need for Sources

You cannot have your news for free; you can only obscure the costs. If as a culture we can learn this lesson, and if we can learn to love the hard work, we will save ourselves much trouble and collateral damage.

The media tends to follow the lead of other media outlets, and the first story on a particular topic often sets the agenda for how subsequent stories will be covered.Media manipulators can take advantage of this by planting a story in one outlet and then watching it spread to others.

 The First Story Sets the Agenda

Journalists often use anonymous sources to protect their identities or to get information that they wouldn't be able to get otherwise.Media manipulators can use this to their advantage by posing as anonymous sources and feeding false or misleading information to the media.

Anonymous Sources Are Often Used to Manipulate the News

The media tends to focus on the latest story or scandal and quickly moves on to the next one.Media manipulators can take advantage of this by creating distractions or diverting attention away from negative stories.

The Media Is Easily Distracted

Stories that generate fear or outrage are more likely to be shared and spread on social media.Media manipulators can create false or exaggerated stories that play on people's fears and biases.

Fear and Outrage Sell

The media ecosystem is set up in a way that rewards clicks and pageviews over accuracy and impartiality.Media manipulators are likely to continue exploiting the system as long as it remains profitable.

The Media Is Not Going to Change Anytime Soon

This book was first published in 2018 and is a memoir and exposé of sorts about Holiday's experiences as a media strategist, working to manipulate the news cycle and create publicity stunts for his clients. The book discusses how the media ecosystem works and how easy it can be for people with the right skills and tactics to manipulate it. It also raises some important ethical questions about the state of modern journalism and the role of media in society.

The cult classic that predicted the rise of fake news—revised and updated for the post-Trump, post-Gawker age.   Hailed as "astonishing and disturbing" by the Financial Times and "essential reading" by TechCrunch at its original publication, former American Apparel marketing director Ryan Holiday’s first book sounded a prescient alarm about the dangers of fake news. It's all the more relevant today.  Trust Me, I’m Lying was the first book to blow the lid off the speed and force at which rumors travel online—and get "traded up" the media ecosystem until they become real headlines and generate real responses in the real world. The culprit? Marketers and professional media manipulators, encouraged by the toxic economics of the news business.   Whenever you see a malicious online rumor costs a company millions, politically motivated fake news driving elections, a product or celebrity zooming from total obscurity to viral sensation, or anonymously sourced articles becoming national conversation, someone is behind it. Often someone like Ryan Holiday.   As he explains, “I wrote this book to explain how media manipulators work, how to spot their fingerprints, how to fight them, and how (if you must) to emulate their tactics. Why am I giving away these secrets? Because I’m tired of a world where trolls hijack debates, marketers help write the news, opinion masquerades as fact, algorithms drive everything to extremes, and no one is accountable for any of it. I’m pulling back the curtain because it’s time the public understands how things really work. What you choose to do with this information is up to you.”

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Marketing & Sales

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Technology & The Future

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Books

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Politics

Ryan Holiday is media strategist for notorious clients like Tucker Max and Dov Charney. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He is the Director of Marketing at American Apparel, where his work in advertising was internationally known. His strategies are used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google, and have been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker, and Fast Company. He is the author is *Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator*, which is due out in July. He currently lives in New Orleans, with his rebellious puppy, Hanno.

Ryan Holiday

Trust Me, I'm Lying

Historically, midterm elections have low turnouts. However, they are vital in determining which political party will control Congress and can have a major impact on the success of the president’s agenda. Midterm elections occur midway through a president's term. The results of the midterm elections in 2022 will help determine the country’s response to hot-button issues. This year's political campaigns are centered around some hot issues.

Midterm elections

Midterm elections are held to elect people to Congress, state and local offices. CongressCongress comprises two chambers:<ul><li>the House of Representatives and</li><li>the Senate</li></ul> During the midterms, all 435 House seats are up for grabs because representatives serve two-year terms. SenatorsSenators serve six-year terms. It means that during each midterm election, a third of Senate seats are up for a vote (34 this year).

Midterm elections and a  civic overview

Midterm elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  In the months leading up to the midterm elections, some states hold primaries to sift candidates so that there is just one person from each party running on election day. About 60 percent of the voting population vote in a presidential election and 40 percent do so in a midterm election.

The date of midterm elections

There are three branches of government.<ol><li>The executive branch (the president) relies on</li><li>the legislative branch (Congress) to pass legislation and confirm justices to</li><li>the judicial branch (Supreme Court).</li></ol> The midterm elections determine which political party controls each chamber of Congress, based on who wins more of the individual races.  Ultimately, the party that controls the House or the Senate can determine which issues Congress will consider and whether they will work with the White House on a legislative agenda.

The importance of midterm elections

Historically, midterm elections have low turnouts, but they may determine the fate of key issues this year. Here's what you need to know.

What Are Midterm Elections—and Why Are They So Important?

Dedicating every Sunday evening to the same old routine of preparing for the dreaded Monday by cleaning, grooming or working on your to-do list makes it seem like the weekend is rapidly disappearing from under you. But then again, lazing around in your pj’s has the same effect.

Monday Prepping On Sunday Night

<ul><li>Seek out new settings, and new activities.</li><li>When you go and experience something novel, it seems to have lasted longer because you're more focused on collecting the unfamiliar information into a memory</li><li>The same thing holds when you consider a much smaller stretch of time - meaning that if you really want to stretch every hour to its fullest potential, you are going to have to make some plans.</li></ul>

The Trick To Make The Weekend Feel Longer

Time really does seem to fly when you’re busy – but in hindsight, you remember it as passing more slowly when you break out of  your routines.

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Personal Development

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Motivation & Inspiration

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Time Management

How to Make the Weekend Feel Longer

<ul><li>Neurons activated in the gut are activated when sugar, fatty acids, and amino acids are present</li><li>Nerve cells in the gut are collecting information about what’s there and send that information up to the brain</li><li>Neuropod cells sense nutrients, particularly sugar, which activates areas of the brain that cause you to seek out more of that food</li><li>The selective preference for seeking out sweet foods occurs even if you can’t taste the food and it is injected straight into the gut</li><li>The gut can detect the difference between sweet things that contain calories and things that do not (artificial sweeteners)</li></ul>

Brain-Gut Connection & Its Role In Taste

<ul><li>Fluid balance: salt regulates how much fluid you desire and how much you excrete</li><li>Salt appetite: you crave salty things when salt stores are low and avoid salt when stores are high</li><li>Nutrient appetite: salt regulates appetite for sugar, carbohydrates, and other nutrients</li><li>Scientifically, table salt and sodium are not the same things – one gram of table salt contains 388 mg of sodium</li></ul>

General Functions Of Salt

The blood-brain barrier prevents substances from entering the brain unless those substances are very small or required for brain function – but there are special areas (organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis; OVLT) that monitor salt and osmolarity sense contents of blood and salt levelsOVLT detects changes to salt levels in bloodstream and sends signaling cascades accordingly – thirst, regulation of blood pressure, kidney function, secretion of salt

Functions Of Salt In The Brain

<ol><li>Osmotic thirst (concentration of salt in the bloodstream); </li><li>Hypovolemic thirst (thirst related to drop in blood pressure)</li></ol>The cascades are set off for concentrations of both high and low sodium in the blood.<ul><li>Osmotic and hypovolemic thirst are not just about seeking water – they’re also about seeking salt which can help retain water</li><li>Sodium engages the action potential, which is the firing of electrical signals by neurons</li><li>If you ingest too much water (this requires A LOT of water), you will actually kill yourself because you’ll disrupt the body’s ability to communicate, brain, and neurons</li></ul>

Types of thirst

<ul><li>The kidneys are responsible for retaining and releasing substances in the body such as glucose, amino acids, urea, uric acids, salt, potassium, etc.</li><li>Very general mechanism: blood enters the kidney and responds to hormonal signals to make mechanical or chemical changes to retain or release substances accordingly</li><li>Your urine is filtered blood!</li><li>Vasopressin: anti-diuretic which prevents urination by increasing permeability of distal tubes</li><li>Water follows salt: the kidney holds on to water in the body when it needs salt</li><li>When estrogen levels are high, there’s water retention</li></ul>

Kidneys: It’s a complicated, highly contextual balance between hormones, salt, and fluid

<ul><li>Blood pressure is in part regulated by sodium intake and sodium balance</li><li>An increase in sodium could help combat symptoms of low blood pressure</li><li>Historically, we’ve been taught that a high salt diet may be consequential for brain function</li><li>However, high salt diets are likely related to other unhealthy factors like processed foods, poor balance of carbohydrate and fat, etc.</li><li>A high salt diet can have detrimental health consequences – but – a very low salt diet can also have deleterious health events</li></ul>

Blood Pressure And Salt Intake

<ul><li>There’s a direct relationship between the stress system (glucocorticoid system) and the salt craving system</li><li>Bringing sodium in the body counteracts or resists stressors in our lives</li><li>If sodium is too low, our ability to combat stressors is impaired</li><li>If you’re feeling anxious, slightly increasing sodium intake can stabilize blood pressure and ability to lean into stressors and challenges</li><li>Additional sodium intake is naturally stimulated by stress</li></ul>

Mental & Physical Aspects Of Cravings For Sodium

Sodium and potassium work closely together in the body. Recommended ratios of sodium to potassium vary widely<ul><li>Diet is an important contextual element to your ideal sodium-potassium ratio</li><li>Low carb dieters excrete more water so lose sodium and potassium at a higher rate and may need to adjust dietary intake accordingly</li><li>If you are time-restricted eating or fasting you may want to consider increasing electrolytes if you ingest caffeine since caffeine is a diuretic</li><li>Rule of thumb: for every ounce of caffeine, drink 1.5x as much water with a touch of sodium</li></ul>

Other Related Minerals: Potassium

<ul><li>There’s some evidence that supplementing with magnesium malate can reduce muscle soreness</li><li>Mangesium threonate may promote transition into sleep and cognitive function</li><li>Magnesium bisglycinate is an alternative for magnesium threonate as far as the transition to sleep, but no studies have been done on cognitive function</li><li>Magnesium citrate is an effective laxative</li></ul>

Other Related Minerals: Magnesium

Conscious and unconscious salt intake and sensing modulate cravings for sugar, water, and other things have a direct relationship between the stress system (glucocorticoid system) and the salt craving system if you’re feeling anxious or stressed.

I discuss the role of salt (sodium) in the nervous system and the key role that it plays in mental performance, physical performance and health. I explain how the brain senses salt levels in our body and how that relates to our feelings of thirst. I cover the physiology of the renal system and the hormones that control sodium and water balance in our body. I also explore how salt interacts with stress and our immune systems and its crucial role in neuron function. Additionally, I examine research findings suggesting that some individuals might benefit from increased intake of sodium and other electrolytes (magnesium and potassium) to enhance mental performance, lessen anxiety, and offset dizziness. Yet, other people may need less sodium. I discuss how you can determine your optimal sodium intake and why sodium intake levels need to be uniquely tailored to an individual’s lifestyle. Finally, I explain how salt creates ‘hidden’ sugars in many processed foods and the problems that can create. Throughout the episode, I explain peer-reviewed findings outlining salt’s essential role in overall health and describe general recommendations and tools anyone can use to find their optimal salt balance and thereby enhance their brain and body’s performance. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman See Andrew Huberman Live: The Brain Body Contract Tuesday, May 17th: Seattle, WA Wednesday, May 18th: Portland, OR https://hubermanlab.com/tour Our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Thorne https://www.thorne.com/u/huberman For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Timestamps (00:00:00) Role of Salt  (00:02:18) The Brain-Body Contract  (00:02:57) Neuropod Cells, Artificial Sweeteners & ‘Hidden’ Cravings  (00:10:57) AG1 (Athletic Greens), LMNT, InsideTracker  (00:15:06) Salt Regulation  (00:17:13) How the Brain Senses Salt (00:24:15) Salt & Thirst  (00:29:27) Blood Pressure & Thirst  (00:33:47) Kidneys & Urine Regulation (00:39:08) Vasopressin: Roles in Libido & Urination  (00:45:46) How Much Salt Do You Need?  (00:56:45) Should You Increase Your Salt Intake?  (01:02:19) Tools: Determining Your Individual Salt Intake (01:14:02) Iodine, Sea Salt  (01:17:13) Salt: Roles in Stress & Anxiety  (01:24:20) Other Electrolytes: Magnesium & Potassium  (01:27:57) Tools: Effects of Low-carbohydrate Diets & Caffeine  (01:32:28) General Recommendations for Salt Intake  (01:36:34) Perception of Salt & Sugar Taste, Processed Foods  (01:47:13) Role of Sodium in Neuronal Function, Action Potentials  (01:53:13) Dehydration  (01:55:36) What Salt Intake is Best for You?  (02:00:58) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify, Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Patreon, Thorne, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter  Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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Food

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Health

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Podcasts

I discuss the role of salt (sodium) in the nervous system and the key role that it plays in mental performance, physical performance and health. I explain how the brain senses salt levels in our body and how that relates to our feelings of thirst. I cover the physiology of the renal system and the hormones that control sodium and water balance in our body. I also explore how salt interacts with stress and our immune systems and its crucial role in neuron function. Additionally, I examine research findings suggesting that some individuals might benefit from increased intake of sodium and other electrolytes (magnesium and potassium) to enhance mental performance, lessen anxiety, and offset dizziness. Yet, other people may need less sodium. I discuss how you can determine your optimal sodium intake and why sodium intake levels need to be uniquely tailored to an individual’s lifestyle. Finally, I explain how salt creates ‘hidden’ sugars in many processed foods and the problems that can create. Throughout the episode, I explain peer-reviewed findings outlining salt’s essential role in overall health and describe general recommendations and tools anyone can use to find their optimal salt balance and thereby enhance their brain and body’s performance. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Role of Salt  (00:02:57) Neuropod Cells, Artificial Sweeteners & ‘Hidden’ Cravings  (00:10:36) Sponsors: AG1, Thesis (00:15:06) Salt Regulation  (00:17:13) How the Brain Senses Salt (00:24:15) Salt & Thirst  (00:29:27) Blood Pressure & Thirst  (00:33:47) Kidneys & Urine Regulation (00:39:08) Vasopressin: Roles in Libido & Urination  (00:45:46) How Much Salt Do You Need?  (00:56:45) Should You Increase Your Salt Intake?  (01:02:19) Tools: Determining Your Individual Salt Intake (01:14:02) Iodine, Sea Salt  (01:17:13) Salt: Roles in Stress & Anxiety  (01:24:20) Other Electrolytes: Magnesium & Potassium  (01:27:57) Tools: Effects of Low-carbohydrate Diets & Caffeine  (01:32:28) General Recommendations for Salt Intake  (01:36:34) Perception of Salt & Sugar Taste, Processed Foods  (01:47:13) Role of Sodium in Neuronal Function, Action Potentials  (01:53:13) Dehydration  (01:55:36) What Salt Intake is Best for You?  (02:00:58) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify, Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter  Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

Huberman Lab discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.

Huberman Lab

Using Salt to Optimize Mental & Physical Performance

Using Salt to Optimize Mental & Physical Performance | Episode 63

If you want to reach your biggest goals in the coming year, start with a mental readjustment in four key areas: your relationships with other people, your relationship with your circumstances, your relationship with time, and your relationship with yourself. When people are blocked from reaching for their goals or even setting big goals in the first place, one or more of these relationships is almost always the reason.

Reach your biggest goals

Whatever you do, if someone in your life or work has a limiting view of you or your abilities, don't let that limiting view bleed into your own view of yourself.<ul><li>If a relationship with another person (your boss, a co-worker for example) is blocking you from reaching your goals, you can work on changing that person's perceptions, making sure they know just what you can do and how much your work can benefit them. That may help them rethink the relationship and see you in a new way.</li><li>If not, it may be time for you to rethink the relationship whether it's time to move on to another one. </li></ul>

Rethink your relationships with others

Sometimes your external circumstances may prevent you from going after your goals. For example, if for some reason, you really need to quit the job you have in order to go after the career you really want, and your circumstances are that you just can't afford to do that. Only you can determine whether you truly are bound by your circumstances. Ask yourself some what-if questions. What if this circumstance could be changed in this way? What if you could ask someone for help with part of it? What if there is a way to turn this circumstance to your advantage?

Rethink your relationship with your circumstances

People just use the excuse, 'I'm too busy. I don't have the time.' If you want something, you have to reprioritize what you're doing so you have time for it.We all have a limited amount of time on this planet, let alone in our workweek. So if you can't find the time for something that you truly care about, you should reexamine your priorities. Figure out if any of the things you spend time on could be reduced or eliminated. And make a date with yourself--write it in your calendar--to set aside time for whatever it is you want to make sure to do.

Rethink your relationship with time

Your own beliefs could be stopping you from reaching your biggest goals. A limiting view of your own capabilities could rob you of the success you deserve. If your beliefs are holding you back, how do you change that? Sometimes, you need outside help. Get yourself a counselor, a coach, a trainer, a mentor. Someone who can help you see what you cannot see yourself, someone you're willing to listen to."

Rethink your relationship with yourself

Most people face at least one of these obstacles. Here's how to clear them away.

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Career

This 4-Step Plan Will Help You Reach Your Most Ambitious Goals in 2022

The flexitarian diet is a plant-based diet that claims to reduce your carbon footprint & improve your health with an eating regimen that's mostly vegetarian but allows for the occassional meat dish.
This diet is the outcome of people who are adopting a more environmentally sustainable approach to their eating habits by reducing meat consumption in favor of alternative protein sources including nuts, beans, peas, and other legumes.

Flexitarian Diet

Switching to a flexitarian diet means that you're opting for quality lean meat - chicken, turkey - and lessen the intake of processed meat. 
There is not much drawbacks to this diet because each and every meal will include lots of plant-based meals, fruits, and vegetables.
Wholegrain foods provide fiber, iron-fortified meals come from dark green, leafy vegetables, and vitamin C absorption comes from juices or tomatoes.

The Nutrient Sufficiency of the Flexitarian Diet

Plant-based diets are increasingly popular, but what are the health benefits of being a flexitarian? We asked a dietitian to give her view…

What is a flexitarian diet?

The term "junk" refers to something that we wouldn't want or garbage. The point as to why junk food is called as such is because these junk foods are processed foods that offer little to no nutritional value.
The four reasons why people choose junk food over healthy foods are because of its:
<ul>
<li>Availability</li>
<li>Convenience</li>
<li>Cost</li>
<li>Flavor.</li>
</ul>

Junk Food over Healthy Food

We see junk food in every store and fast food places in almost every corner of the city. Regardless of the individual item, both junk food and fast food products are generally easy to grab and bring with you.
The ease of storage and the rapid production of junk foods are major reasons why so many people eat junk food. The combination of availability and convenience is dangerous.

The Convenience of Junk Food

Both junk food and fast food are much cheaper than healthy foods. In fact, it costs three times as much to have and maintain a healthful diet compared to a junk-filled diet.
It's not unreasonable why people would then choose to eat junk instead of healthy food because the cost is a massic component that most of us cannot afford to overlook.

Junk Food's Affordability

We cannot deny the fact that junk food is tasty. However, they are high in sodium and sugar, and that's really not good for you.
Junk food can cause digestive problems, skin and weight problems. In excess, it may cause obesity and other related diseases. If junk food is consumed only on occasion in an otherwise healthy diet, it's not likely to have much negative impact on your health.

Junk Food's Effect on Health

Eating junk food and fast food is common all around the world. People choose to eat junk food because it's cheap, flavorful and easy to obtain and consume.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

4 Reasons People Choose Junk Food Over Healthy Food | Livestrong.com

Allergies occur when the immune system reacts to environmental substances that are harmless to most people.
Common allergens are food, pollen, dust mites, animals, insect stings, or medicines.

Allergic reactions

Most allergic reactions are only mild to moderate and can effectively be treated with antihistamines. But other reactions can be life-threatening and require emergency medical treatment.
The most severe allergic reactions are known as anaphylaxis, and people who suffer from it should have an emergency management plan that includes an adrenaline auto-injector.

A range of allergic reactions

Allergies are becoming more frequent in the western world. One in twenty will develop a food allergy in their life, and one in 100 will have a life-threatening allergic reaction.
From 1994 to 2004, hospital admissions for anaphylaxis doubled. In children under five years old, it was five times higher over the same period, suggesting allergy in early life is increasing faster than in adults.

Allergies are increasing

Theories for why the number of allergies is rising:
<ul>
<li>Decreased exposure to infections or microbes in early life. This is known as the hygiene hypothesis.</li>
<li>Delayed introduction of allergenic foods until later in childhood, such as eggs and nuts.</li>
<li>Different methods of preparing foods. For example, roasting peanuts increases allergenicity while boiling reduces them.</li>
<li>Vit D deficiency increases the risk of developing allergies, according to several studies.</li>
<li>Allergies may develop after exposure to allergens.</li>
<li>Altered gut bacterial species due to low-fibre diets and antibiotic use.</li>
</ul>

Possible reasons for allergies

Allergies are reactions caused by the immune system as it responds to environmental substances that are usually harmless. But we don't yet have a cure or the ability to prevent them from developing.

What are allergies and why are we getting more of them?

<ul><li>Dealing with stress is imperative as it is unavoidable in modern life.</li><li>Our work, family and our finances create daily stress and other external factors (like politics and terrorism) contribute to our stress levels.</li><li>A little bit of stress is good for you, and even make you stronger, as long as you don't let it rule your life.</li><li>The power of belief is actively at work with stress, which can harm you if you believe that it can.</li></ul>

Understanding Stress in the Modern Context

Regular exposure to stress in small quantities can prepare us to handle a big stressful event in our lives. Prepare yourself for stress by self-education about the stressful event, by doing some physically stressful activities like completing a marathon, or something you dread, like giving a speech.Repeated exposure to mildly stressful conditions can alter your body’s biological response to stress, making you manage stress in a better way.

Exposure to Stress

Resilience is our ability to 'bounce back' from difficult experiences. There are several ways to practice it:<ul><li>Reframe a seemingly negative condition.</li><li>Focus on core belief or faith.</li><li>Find a role model who has come through adversity.</li><li>Face your fears and confront them rather than avoiding.</li><li>Take the support of religion or spirituality.</li><li>Reach out to friends and family.</li><li>Exercise.</li><li>Challenge yourself regularly in physical, mental and moral domains.</li><li>Find meaning and purpose in your life.</li></ul>

Boost Stress Resilience

Our mind may be the key tool in handling stress. And it needs rest to recover and handle the stressful situation in a better way.<ul><li>Meditation: Our mind is an emotional muscle, and meditation is the tool to make it rest and restore itself. Controlled breathing is one of the best ways one can improve concentration, vitality and boost one's immune system.</li><li>Journal writing: whether it is a daily journal, or a mission statement or even a priority list, it can help us reflect on our situation, change our perception, and identify obstacles that may be hindering our goal.</li></ul>

The Mind

Sudden and acute stress can shutdown our appetite temporarily as a stress-response mechanism, but chronic stress (anxiety, worry) can increase our appetite.Mindful eating, which involves eating slowly and relishing every bite, while being aware of the food that is going in us, is extremely important. Be present in the moment and savor the food you're eating.

Stress and Appetite

The support of family and friends is a vital element in handling stressful situations. <ul><li>Seeking, and giving support is a powerful way to manage the stress in your life and boost your resilience. This includes listening to and emphasizing with a friend, mentoring, and volunteer work.</li><li>Acts of physical touch can ease your stress, like hugging or holding hands.</li><li>Spending time with animals is known to reduce stress, and there is ample evidence that pets are a source of comfort and stress relief.</li></ul>

Friends And Family During Stress

While some stress is essential for human function, chronic stress creates a cascade of physical changes throughout your body: <ul><li>Heart problems: high risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. </li><li>A weak immune system, leaving you vulnerable in the face of illnesses. </li><li>Diabetes risk: Chronic stress can lead to extra blood sugar. </li><li>Stress can cause stomach and digestion problems and increase the intake of unhealthy foods and alcohol. </li><li>Sex and reproduction problems in both men and women.</li></ul>

Health Effects of High Stress

Stress is unavoidable in modern life, but it doesn't have to get you down. Here are ways to deal with stress, reduce its harm and even use your daily stress to make you stronger.

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Money & Investments

mentalhealth

Mental Health

How to Be Better at Stress

Prevention is the best medicine. It is really difficult to pull out of negative spirals once we've fallen into them.
<ul>
<li>It's hard to pull out of a major depressive episode once we're in the habit of beating ourselves up.</li>
<li>It's hard to stop worrying once we've started imagining all the worst possible outcomes.</li>
</ul>
Not that pulling out of these problems is impossible. It isn't. But it can be a struggle. Life can be much better if we can creatively avoid these negative cycles in the first place.

Staying mentally strong and healthy

Mindfulness is a great way to train and control your attention - what you choose to focus on. Mindfulness can help you stop worrying and instead focus on the positives in your life; it can help you stop criticizing yourself and prevent you from procrastinating.
Good ways to get started:
<ul>
<li>Formal mindfulness practice, where you practise in a structured way for a fixed time.</li>
<li>Ordinary mindfulness, where you apply the lessons learned in mindfulness practice to real-life situations.</li>
</ul>

Good ways to get started in mindfulness

This method is where you exercise very intensely for short amounts of time. For example, 3 - 4 intense 30-minute workouts per week.
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to stay mentally healthy. High-Intensity Interval Training is logistically convenient and has beneficial effects from sleep to depression.

High-Intensity Interval Training

Getting consistently good rest will benefit everything from your immune system to your emotions.
Do just these two things:
<ol>
<li>Be consistent with your evening routine each night. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This will train your mind to fall asleep and stay asleep.</li>
<li>Don't think or worry in bed. Your brain should associate bed with falling asleep. This means you should have a dedicated time and routine for problem-solving before bed.</li>
</ol>

Predictably and consistently good sleep

Intermittent Fasting means that you restrict your eating to a certain window of time. For example, start eating at noon and eat the last meal at 7:00.
Intermittent Fasting is the simplest framework for eating well. Cultivating an effective and reliable intermittent fasting system is very good to maintain our physical and mental health.

Intermittent fasting

We all have shortcomings and blindspots. Try to take active steps to counteract them by regularly asking for feedback from people you trust.
This is often uncomfortable but almost always productive as it forces us to stay self-aware and keep working on ourselves.

Getting comfortable with asking for feedback

The ability to directly and respectfully ask for what you want, and setting boundaries on what you don't want, is key to building self-confidence and living according to your values.
Being assertive is not being rude or demanding, but a way to respect ourselves enough to ask for what we want. In the long run, we're teaching our brain that our wants are worthy of being taken seriously.

Assertiveness

When you feel stressed or anxious, never worry in your head. 
If you must worry, write out how you think and feel rather than just letting it loop over in your head. Putting it on paper forces you to slow your thoughts down.

Never worry in your head

Staying organized and on track with all your responsibilities is a big part of not getting stressed out.
An effective technique for staying focused and productive is the 4:55 drill. At 4:55 ( or five minutes before you leave your office), jot down the three most important things you need to do the following day and leave that face-up on your desk.
<ul>
<li>It decreases your anxiety and stress about work during the evenings.</li>
<li>It clarifies what you need to do and reduces friction in the morning.</li>
</ul>

The 4:55 drill

<ul>
<li>Not all mental health habits and routines should apply to everyone, but most are universally applicable.</li>
<li>Not all mental health habits are mentioned, nor are they gospel.</li>
<li>Many of the mental health habits are not psychological in nature. Mental health is built on top of a foundation of physical health. If that foundation isn't strong, what sits on top will also not be strong.</li>
</ul>

Notes on mental health habits

8 habits & routines you can implement to improve your mental health, emotional strength, wellbeing, and decrease stress and anxiety.

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