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"Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to someone else is today."
--Dr Jordan B Peterson
We live in an age of technologically-driven narcissism. The staring in the mirror of the screen while our cameras are on, snapping what we see, sharing it to the world, and then comparing our product (or worse, ourselves) to the best-foot-forward postings of others.
It is, at least to me, self-evident that this is a contributor to the psychological distress that many, and especially young women, are experiencing more now than ever in the past.
But comparing ourselves to others is a pattern that is not helpful. For one thing, we cannot know the reality of most of the lives we think we're comparing ourselves to. And, for another, we're putting our focus on others, rather than taking ourselves seriously in a clear-eyed manner.
We talk about aiming, about becoming better.
But it's not better than our neighbor.
It's not better than the 1,500 people on your friends list who you wouldn't recognize in the mall if you passed each other.
It's better than we were yesterday, last week, last month, last year.
This is why we talk about making a 1-degree change.
We can't eat the whole elephant in one sitting.
But, one bite at a time, we work to become the ideal we hold.
Get your systems in order.
Get your house in order.
And, in doing that, you change the world.
One Degree!
I'm on a weekend night call schedule this weekend, which always leaves me feeling under-rested and generally icky.
But I wanted to remind you that outdoor exercise without screens is really good for your mental health.
Go outdoors, preferably into the woods.
Get in tune with those surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the movement of air and the varying temperatures as you walk.
We were made to be outdoors.
We were definitely not made to work in cubicles.
One Degree!
What you want from your body will dictate what you need to set as goals, and the goals will determine what you'll end up having to change to attain them.
I've spoken many times about systems being better than goals, and my position has not changed.
But goals are easier to discuss and to understand, so for this week, we'll be very specific about goals.
Do you want more muscle mass?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to run faster?
Do you want to gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to improve general fitness?
Do you want longevity?
Do you want strong bones?
Do you want to earn a Black Belt?
Understanding the benefits and costs of each particular goal may help you decide what you want.
For example, if you want to compete in body-building competitions, you'll not be doing the same thing as if you were focused on longevity. Same with strength competitions.
But general fitness and longevity go fairly well together.
Running is great but will increase the likelihood of needing knee or hip ...
I'll make this one short and to the point.
Spring time change is hard on all of us. Having to get up an hour early doesn't make going to bed an hour earlier much easier.
Yes, it's nice to have more productive time in the evening.
But it's at the cost of forcing us out of be an hour earlier, as we all know.
Our challenge is to adjust our circadian rhythm to match the world's expectations around us.
My main strategy is supplementing with a dose of melatonin about a half hour before I need to be asleep. It helps most people fall asleep more readily.
If you need a nap during your day, take it between mid-morning and early afternoon. Limit it to 20 minutes.
Taking a longer or later nap may make it even harder to get off to sleep in time.
All of the other normal advice applies even moreso:
- Take a 20-minute walk after supper.
- No screen time for the last hour before bed.
- Listen to calm music after supper.
- Don't eat for 2 hours before bed.
- Don't have conflict-laden conversations ...
