Members get a daily Covid-19 topic focused on Covid in Tennessee.
Supporters are part of a self-improvement sub-group where value is dispensed daily on personal growth in all aspects of life, informed by many sources. New members welcome!
New York thinks it's over the peak of the omicron surge. I hope they're right.
I heard a great point today. The commenter observed that an awfully large proportion of the population appear to have "binary derangement syndrome." In the discussion of logical fallacies, this is related the the "False Dichotomy," and describes black and white thinking.
We are presented with many false dichotomies in life, where reality has far more than two possibilities. Sometime we're forced into a two-option mess (think American political parties), but in recent memory, think of pro-vax vs anti-vax, pro-mask vs anti-mask, pro-IVM vs anti-IVM, pro-lockdown vs anti-lockdown, good people vs bad people.
In reality, a nuanced approach is more useful in such situations. Most people are both good and bad. Almost none are all good or all bad. Even so, there are people I won't allow around my children.
I'm pro-vaccine if you have not acquired immunity from infection. I'm pro-booster if you're immune-compromised or high risk for severe disease.
I'm pro-mask indoors in small rooms around other people. I'm anti-mask in my car alone or outdoors. And I'm strongly against mandates about masks.
I'm pro-freedom and pro-science, while recognizing the limitations and negatives of both.
I hope you are, too.
Black and white thinking is for children.
Adults should be able to handle more complexity.
One of the heaviest lessons for me from the pandemic is that people are not usually convinced by evidence. People are generally convinced by the position of their tribe, and then look for evidence to back the position they have been assigned.
Stay healthy!
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 ...
