You are perfectly familiar with the basics of a healthy lifestyle, but you harm yourself every day. How? By not observing psychological “hygiene”. You will notice the extra pounds at once, but your addictions and habits only when they lead to critical consequences. As a result, the psychological imbalance will pull your physical condition as well.
Exercises and diets are useless if there is no harmony in the soul. It’s not that difficult to achieve it: follow a few simple rules. They will help you put everything in its place.
Stamina and Self-control
The secret is in two parts: composure and self-control. Stamina works in the long run, charting an overall course. You can study algebra every night, gritting your teeth, to pass the entrance exam. You can endure hardship and trouble at work for a promotion. Or you can save money on lunches in the dining hall and go on a little trip at the end of the year. It’s all action for a future goal. Self-control, on the other hand, is responsible for realizing the short-term. It’s self-control that helps keep from violating one’s own plan in the here and now. Someone gives up a tasty burger for the sake of the figure, and someone saves up for a car, skipping another drink in the bar. That’s how stamina and self-control come together.
These qualities, like muscles, need to be trained. Experts believe that the development of self-control and self-control allows a person to better understand the nature of real things. For example, friendship and love cannot be obtained here and now, they can only be built. Stamina and self-control are useful in this.
A Healthy Laugh at Yourself
The desire to always win makes us serious. Think of bosses who pry into every process and give their employees no breathing space. Or yourself in a heated argument the moment you realized you were wrong, but decided not to apologize by all means. All of these flaws have one root – the inability to laugh at yourself. How do you learn to laugh at yourself? Think of your main fault. Cannot remember – ask those who do not like you, they are sure to think of something.
Belief in Oneself and One’s Strengths
Belief that we are unable to cope with work or difficulties is disturbing. The person who comes to a psychologist because of confidence problems is taught to believe in himself first and foremost. This is 50 percent of success. Say to yourself more often: “I can cope with whatever life throws at me”, “I know how to overcome difficulties.” Soon you’ll notice that you are.
Where does confidence in your own competence come from? From experience. Do a small task and then a more difficult one. Try new things, talk to people, travel. Take up not only what is familiar and understandable. In the process you’ll get bumps, but you’ll also gain invaluable experience. You will be rewarded with confidence in your own abilities.
Behavior That Doesn’t Depend on Mood
Often we do what we want to do, and when we want to do it. Don’t feel like going out? We stay on the couch. Do you feel like eating a chocolate bar? And now we’re chewing on a piece. Instead of reading a useful book, we’re drawn to the Internet or betting via a bookmaker? In a moment we greedily browse social networking sites. Our mood determines our behavior. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Psychologists emphasize: meaningful work on our moods is necessary. Behavior that is not affected by emotions is called “mood-independent. Learning to do things you don’t want to do isn’t difficult: take them and do them in spite of your mood and constantly listen to yourself. Especially if you liked something in the past, but for some reason you abandoned your favorite activity. Experts suggest knocking out the wedge with a wedge. For example, if you used to love to run, but stopped because of bouts of procrastination, get dressed immediately and go out for a run. A sense of satisfaction and a rush of vivacity will come while running. And if you don’t enjoy it, at least you’ll know you tried. You can fight fears in a similar way. Leave your comfort zone. Fears are overcome by facing them head-on.
Calmly Overcome Difficulties
The secret speaks to the ability to cope with difficulties and not get discouraged when things have gone wrong. Emotionally healthy people adapt to problems and draw conclusions. A person who fails an exam will be better prepared next time. You will definitely rearrange your route home if construction suddenly starts nearby. Flexibility applies not only to events, but also to emotions. Constant apathy does not mean that you are hopeless. It’s just time to change something.
Sometimes a person rolls to the other extreme – unhealthy coping. Sadness and negative feelings he tries to drown with alcohol, sugarcoat it, and swamp it with useless purchases. Psychologists call such behavior addictive, and such tools for coping with problems – useless.
Experts recommend letting go of emotions and feeling the problem first. You will experience real, complicated feelings. Deep emotions can be accessed through meditation and breathing techniques. The surging and subsiding of feelings will open the way to rational thinking. Ask for support from loved ones or indulge in a small dose of pleasure: mints or a couple of episodes of your favorite TV series. Once you’ve gained strength, get down to solving problems.
Everyone Deserves Respect
The best human nature is revealed in relationships with subordinates or people who have an unattractive social status. An emotionally healthy person doesn’t flirt with superiors, then snapping at subordinates. Every day we encounter dozens of people in the service industry: salespeople, bus drivers, janitors, pharmacists. Everyone deserves respect. Remember: money isn’t equivalent to respect. Just because they get paid for their work doesn’t mean anything. Do you want to be respected and valued? Start respecting and appreciating others.
