Sunday, August 1

Things to do that feel good.

  • Eat 3-4 small meals daily, lots of green leafy veggies, some lean meat or beans.
  • Ease up on the simple sugars and other carbohydrates.
  • Drink lots of water. Take a quality multivitamin and fish oil supplement daily.
  • Get exercise every day if possible, but at least every other day - 30 minutes minimum.
  • Learn to meditate for relaxation and stress reduction. Actually do it.
  • Do less in your life, but do what you do excellently. Don't do 'just enough.'
  • Follow up on promises, meet deadlines, arrive on time for appointments.
  • Keep a clean, organized living space. It can still look cozy and not sterile - be creative.
  • Read books - it keeps the mind active. Take a local class for fun. Garden.
  • Try new things that scare you a bit - kayaking, caving, surfing, diving.
  • Climb a mountain of any size and eat lunch at the peak, drinking in the scenery.
  • Learn more about endangered animal species, and help in any way you can.
  • Donate 5% of your income to a charity of your choice. Visit folks in convalescent homes.
  • Get some sun, but not too much. Lift weights if you want to feel toned and tough.
  • Play games! Not necessarily computer games, but board games or outdoor games.
  • Own cats or dogs, or other non-exotic pets. Don't put birds in cages, though.
  • Practice Tai Chi Chuan, Aikido, Karate, Kung Fu, or any other martial art.
  • Learn to dance, play chess, or something that gets you to mingle away from home.
  • Have dinner parties! Cook for a few friends, and socialize afterward.
  • Don't drink, do illegal drugs, or smoke. Keep vices to bits of dessert or caffeine.
  • Take in a daytime baseball game at least once each summer. Bring your glove!
  • Consider being a docent (volunteer) at a zoo, museum, or anywhere that interests you.
  • Make sure you're registered to vote and that your organs will be donated if you die.
  • Keep your car well cared for - change the oil and fluids on schedule, and keep it clean.
  • Install a nice stereo system in your car. Your commute will become fun suddenly!
  • Try lots of music and keep an open mind. Watch foreign and independent films.
  • Learn a foreign language. Get a pen-pal. Visit another country. Read about their history.
  • Write letters by hand occasionally to surprise people. Postcards can be fun, too.
  • Sell things you don't need on eBay and use the money to pay down your debts.
  • Pay for things with money you actually have in the bank, even if you use a credit card.
  • Keep an up-to-date contacts file and emergency numbers. Keep a simple, handy calendar.
  • Get involved in an inexpensive hobby. Get a rock hammer or a metal detector.
  • Never stop learning.
Can you add to these? Ideas encouraged!

I definitely don't do most of these things, but I know I should do more of them, and that they make me feel good when I do.

    7 comments:

    Unknown said...

    I think you have most areas pretty much covered.

    How about: Let the people you love know that you love them, and just becasue you say it once, doesn't mean you can't repeat it, often.

    I'd also change your carbohydrate bit - avoid them after lunch. I try to just have proteins and lots of veg for dinner - get your energy in the morning/early afternoon when you need it, not before going to bed.

    Hmm, did you have cut down on dairy products? Cutting them out completely made me feel very good. Though I missed cheese dreadfully.

    I rarely give money to charity, though I consider my cats my own personal charity scheme.

    I think "Never stop learning" is one of the best on the list. I hope I never do.

    Oh, and there are no baseball games here, or cricket. I'm trying to think of a suitable Spanish altrnative, but am failing miserably.

    Unknown said...

    Also: Go for a walk. Preferably somewhere rural with few, if any, people around. If the weather's good, take a book, a picnic and a blanket.

    Create something that's purely your own - with a camera, a pen, a brush, in the kitchen, with whatever you have to hand that takes your fancy.

    Metamatician said...

    Thank you for the feedback. Some excellent suggestions.

    I'll give dairy reduction a real try. What kinds of vegetables compensate best for the lack of the A & D vitamins, the calcium, and so on? I know broccoli is excellent; what are some others that taste good and are dense in essentials normally found in dairy?

    Pity about baseball and cricket in Asturias. Any outdoor sporting events, fairs, festivals, concerts, or produce or flea markets nearby? Something to lose yourself in on a bright, sunny day? Any 10k races open to all, or that kind of thing? Lakes to paddle around in, ducks to feed, water warm enough to swim?

    I love walks too. When my knees where healthier, I walked a lot more. I want to get back to doing it most definitely.

    Creating things that express your own unique being is always wonderful!

    Unknown said...

    I'm not too sure about what fruit/veg contain which vitamins. I just try and make sure that I get a good mix - leafy greens and red/orange ones in particular. There's a good chart here if you're interested: http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/vitamins-nutrition-chart.html

    As for outdoor sporting events, hmm, apart form football, not much. There is a one-of-a-kind beach tennis tournament that takes place about an hour away from here, for a week once a year. It attracts a fwew of the better male Spanish players, that could be a good substitute. I should look into it for next year.

    Hans said...

    You could add, play by yourself if no one else is available - you can run around, ambush little foam balls, pretend someone is chasing you, hide behind the curtain, swat the dog and see what she does....and mainly be CURIOUS - be curious about everything and you'll learn a great deal.

    the kid

    Hans said...

    My mom thinks your feel goods are great. One thing she would add is to start conversations with older people, help people by opening doors when it's obvious that they could use help, pick up things that people drop if they are old or need help, so mainly be helpful to strangers who obviously need a helping hand.

    Metamatician said...

    Thanks for the suggestions, Hans. I play by myself too, but usually game on the computer or thinking up questions and then finding out the answers, or maybe just relaxing and reading or watching a documentary. I wish I had the compact size and energy to chase foam balls around, but I just don't any more.

    I agree with your mom, too. A nice thing to do that makes other people feel good is to help them as much as you can without expecting anything in return. The ironic thing is you DO get something in return, which is a warm feeling for doing good! So everybody wins. But mostly, it's just nice.

    I hope when I'm old, younger people will help me out and make my life a little easier. Life can be so hard.

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