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!
I'm not sure what's going on at the TN Department of Health, but the website with Covid-19 numbers has not been updated as of 8PM Eastern. Their Twitter account is similarly lacking in current info.
I was thinking on a macro level about Covid-19 in the US. I've talked in the past about the positives of the pandemic. I remember the lockdown early on. We had free time at home. We got more family time. I remember playing piano for 45 minutes to an hour each night. It was peaceful. We had time to think.
In acknowledging this, I do not deny the many tragedies associated with it.
People who had problematic home situations fared more poorly. People in marginally abusive relationships saw that abuse magnified. People who were hanging on to their sanity by a thread sometimes found that thread breaking.
I remain steadfast in my prediction that we will need more mental health services over the coming years. For those who are looking for a career opportunity and are inclined in the direction of listening to people talk about their problems and helping them find solutions, consider a mental health field. Sadly it won't make you rich in the current market, but you'll be needed. If you're business minded, you might find that you can run your own cash business in the mental health/counseling arena.
In recent decades, we've seen pharmaceuticals used more and more in place of individual and group talk therapy. I tend to think that this is not the best path. "Normal" mental health problems, like depression and anxiety, benefit from various forms of talk therapy, as well as exercise and time in the out-of-doors. More challenging disorders will need more intensive interventions.
In a tangential thread, research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs continues. We've already seen more widespread acceptance of ketamine as a therapeutic for depression and drug dependency, as well as for chronic pain. Research into MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, and other more traditional psychedelics may reveal even more efficacy than ketamine.
While ketamine is known for its hallucinogenic side-effects, its mechanism of action is different from classical psychedelics. That's why I'm quite curious about what research will reveal. If you want to hear some interesting commentary about psychedelics, look for videos of Jordan Peterson talking about them.
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 ...
