In the 21st Century we have every convenience that you can think of. We can look forward to living well into our eighties, for the most part in good health, yet one in four of us will suffer from mental illness at some point. It is predicted that depression could be the scourge of our mental health in the 21st century. It is the elderly who are proportionately hit hardest by this, through either mental decline or loneliness. I would add a third aspect this, that of nutrition and exercise.
Good Nutrition
If you are not eating a good diet, supplying all of the nutrients your body needs, eventually your body will start to malfunction. The so called “balanced” diet which is derived from your food, is anything but nutritious. It has been known for decades that our food is nowhere near as wholesome as it was in our great grandparent’s day. Intensive farming all around the world has left many foods short of the vitamins, minerals and trace elements necessary for a long and healthy life. That being the case, a good knowledge of nutrition would seem to be the obvious antidote, along with taking added nutrients to help remove and deficiencies.
The Right Exercise
Exercise makes you feel good, releasing all of those anti stress hormones and increasing your circulation. Walking is good for burning off excess calories and helping you put the world into perspective. But the exercise of choice, for really quieting your mind and making you feel good, is Tai Chi. Masses of research support the assertion that Tai Chi is good for your mind and wellbeing. In a recent study researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, carried out a study to see if Tai Chi could help improve results while taking anti depressive drugs. Up until now two thirds of seniors did not achieve any form of remission with drugs only.
112 patients, over 60 years of age with major depression, were treated with drugs on their own, or drugs and Tai Chi, taking classes twice a week for ten weeks.
The Tai Chi group showed a greater reduction in symptoms, higher scores in cognitive tests and improved physical functioning. As a supportive therapy Tai Chi has a compelling part to play in supporting people with depression.
Go Out There and Do Something
It does not matter if you have been shy all of your life, go out there and join in all the activities that make you feel good. People do not like a long grouchy face, so put on that smile and make others happy. Making other people happy makes you feel good too and, as an added bonus, if you can screw up people still like you, so long as you smile. I love to walk into a store and smile and joke with all of the workers to make them feel good. This has two benefits; they give you great service and you make them feel good too. The next time you go into the store they will remember you, and that fact that you made them feel good, and look forward to serving you. Try it, it works. In stores I am really popular and you can be everywhere you go.
Have a great week, go out and enjoy yourself and make someone happy too.
Kind Regards,
John Hine
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