Tag: health

Tomorrow

What’s your #1 priority tomorrow?

I am waiting on a financial company to transfer a sum of money into my bank account. Their email states that it takes five business days to clear. My financial advisor texts me for an update on the transaction so he can proceed with the steps outlined in the statement of advice from the meeting last week. The window of opportunity is shrinking because: a) the advisor needs to get this through before he leaves for Japan in October, and b) my accountant needs all relevant documents for the end of financial year. This is aside from other pending tasks that are queuing up on a daily basis. Okay, it’s hardly Doctors Without Borders or the World Health Organisation but some things need prioritising.

No doubt this kind of scenario is replicated numerous times only the script is different. Life consists of daily challenges. We are inevitably subject to them. But maybe I can approach them differently. Shift my perception, as it were. If I prioritise on health and wellness – dare I say happiness, I can begin to change the way I see and feel, ever so slightly. A focus on mind & body seems to diminish the problems. Taking time out gives back a hundredfold.

Drifting off

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

The one thing I try to do each day is to experience an activity as if for the first time. For some reason this simple act seems to have a positive influence on me. Now, I know this may sound strange but it can be quite fulfilling if you think about it in different ways. While it is recognised as a form of mindfulness there are some instances that are open to interpretation. Perhaps a more straightforward example of mindfulness is to eat something sugary. You could think about the sensation of sweetness and aim to isolate the experience.

Another task could be the simple act of moving your fingers. Such action may seem trivial and simply time wasting (justifiably so given daily priorities and time constraints etc). But if you decide to partake it can be interesting. Remember, the ordinary and mundane were once extraordinary for the uninitiated child. Feel the sensation of grabbing a bowl or picking up an object. Try attempting to write for the first time. If this doesn’t grab you (no pun intended) try doing so with your non dominant hand. The unfamiliarity and lack of dexterity forces you to focus on the task at hand. The immediate feeling may be one of frustration but then again you may begin to experience a new sensation.

Try tasting chocolate with no expectation or as if for the first time. Now, this may be a tricky one because chocolate is known to trigger the release of feel good chemicals such as dopamine, theobromine and anandamide but hey, you didn’t know this as a kid (at least I didn’t). I challenge you to really taste it separating the cacao flavours from the sweetness component. Yummmm!

Another task is to follow your train of thought as you drift off to sleep. This is not the linear thought process of the conscious mind. The catch is sustaining some awareness without actually falling asleep:)

On the other hand you may find this so completely uninteresting that you are falling asleep anyway 💤

Just weird

How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?

There is a moment when you realise you have to unplug when you start exhibiting strange or unusual behaviours. It’s surely better to unplug well in advance but as is so often the case the ‘red flags’ are often ignored. Considering the rather strange and ever-changing world we inhabit I guess it’s to be expected.

Nevertheless some of these distraction strategies are a bit weird. Sucking ice cubes, counting Pi (π) decimal places, cold showers, water submersion, obsessive cleaning, cracking nuts, fidgeting and nail biting, peeling glue from your hands, popping bubble wrap, hoarding, smashing glass, ceramics throwing, folding hot towels, watching gross videos on YouTube, listening to foreign languages (without understanding them), reciting recipes and polishing silverware. 😮 Some of these activities seem normal enough but the weirder ones are concerning.

So how do you unplug and what’s the best way to do it? While I admit to fidgeting, watching YouTube (but not gross videos) and buying stuff that I don’t need, the best remedy for me is physical activity whether it be stretching, yoga or just stepping out and taking a walk. Nothing beats a good book for distraction. But a real one and not some generic digital text generated by ChatGPT.

Narcissist

Narcissist Personality Disorder

Immediate sign is that of someone who acts in a ‘superior’ fashion to others and this impression is manifested both publicly and privately. The slightest criticism of the narcissist is not tolerated by the individual, one of the protective mechanisms to sustain the persona.
Theirs is an idealized version of themselves or artifice. It’s a grandiose concept without normal checks and balances. This inflated idealised persona enables focus away from the insecurities lurking beneath. The difficult exterior is the manifestation of the effort needed to sustain the illusion.

The Narcissist cannot function without biased, interpersonal support from others. The narcissist supply supports the attention demanded at both public and private levels. Without the supply the persona is unable to mask the vulnerability beneath.

Does Narcissist tendency increase with social media use? There seems to be a complex relationship between the two. It appears that social media has substantial impact on users including younger users and that they can be adversely affected. But what is commonly defined as Narcissism on social media is not necessarily the same as is formally defined as Narcissism. Some of these social media accounts may display a genuine self like/respect that is not NPD. It appears that Narcissists prior to taking to social media will be more attracted to texting based media (known as textual) such as Twitter whereas those yet to exhibit Narcissistic traits will do so after using Facebook or other visually based media.
But so many conditions and variables exist and there is no conclusive evidence that social media actually creates Narcissists.
From psychologytoday.com and other sources.