I have spent countless hours burying my nose into books, reading articles online and going down YouTube rabbit holes trying to figure out all what are the key things to really do to get your life in order. Through the countless fragments of key information, and all of the varied sources I have not been able to find a single definitive answer in a single place. Instead I bring to you a comprehensive and simple list actions which will put you on the right journey to making your life better:

1 . Eat a clean, varied, whole food diet.

We start out easy. Research has shown that a varied diet of 30 different plant based foods such as fruit, veg, and nuts provides you with a diverse nutritional profile. This matters in two aspects. The first is that you will have all the necessary micro and macro nutrients to fuel your body’s processes, and the second is that the varied diet allows for the diversification of your gut microbiome. This is important as nutritionally deficient diets or gut microbiomes missing key species has been linked to a whole manner of mental and physical health issues. In my own journey a varied diet has improved both my physical and mental health tremendously. In order to have your life in order you must be fueling yourself with the right types of foods which benefit your body and mind.

I have spoken previously in my blog about ultra processed foods. They do not provide the correct fuel for your body, and leaves you deficient in so many ways.

2. Engage in regular high intensity exercise a few times a week.

The rule is that the exercise must be of a sufficient intensity to get your heart beating from 75 – 100% of your maximum heart rate. You will know when you have engaged in it as your heart will be really pumping, your muscles will ache, you will be drenched in sweat. Why is exercise so important?

There is an overwhelming amount of evidence which points to how exercise improves your physical and mental health. Exercise has been proven to reduce, delay or even completely get rid of the likely hood of early death due to lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some types of cancer. But it seems that the mental benefits are just as powerful, with research linking exercise to lifting of depression. From my own experience when I push myself through a grueling weight lifting workout I find myself refreshed, full of energy, my mood uplifted, the inflammation in my body reduced and improves my cognition. I find it difficult to really explain in detail, but I just feel so much better mentally and physically when I regularly exercise and push myself. It doesn’t have to be weight lifting, but the exercise needs to be intense enough to push the body up to it’s current limits for a short duration.

3. Read

The gym is great for the physical aspect, and the mental gains are not to be scoffed at. But for a true brain workout you must turn to reading. Reading good books has been shown to actually strengthen your brain. Just as you would strengthen your muscles by lifting weights, swimming, going for a run, reading books has the same effect by engaging multiple parts of your brain which in turn increases the connectivity between different regions.

By reading you can increase your soft skills by increasing your repertoire, and enhancing your vocabulary. Reading is the key way to learn new phrases, words, and gain a better understanding of how to analyse and explain the world around you. Reading is key to understanding new topics, and how to apply them to your life. The knowledge and stories contained in books is so important for your development, which will make you think deeply about the subjects and how they can related to your life. To truly understand your life, and the best way to live it, reading books from experts around the world, and understanding their analysis of the world will help you learn new methods to improve your own life.

4. Spent time focusing on your mental health

When was the last time you spent time away from all sources of distractions and had some quiet time to yourself? You need to schedule some quiet, self-reflection time so that you can process your thoughts. In my own experience if you don’t have that time to reflect, the issues in your mind keep building up, and with no outlet they can really start to affect your mental health in the long run.

It is imperative you find time in your busy schedules to so some self reflection, such as journal ling, meditation, breath work, or just sitting quietly in a room without any stimuli so that you can let you mind work through whatever is currently at hand. Hell, when was the last time you sat down with a friend and had a real heart-to-heart conversation where you discussed the issues at hand. Our friends and family can be valuable in dealing with things on our mind.

5. Minimise screen time and digital technology use

In a world where technology has taken over most of our lives, and the constant stimulation can be found everywhere in overwhelming servings sometimes you need to disconnect. Yes, technology has made our lives better, but at the cost of our attention spans, along with our mental health. For years I thought I was genuinely getting dumber due to age, I had trouble remembering things, socialising was tricky, and I was always miserable. After figuring our my excessive unproductive technology use of 7+ a day was one of the root causes I did everything in my power to reduce my unproductive screen time down to 15 minutes a day. Technology has the ability to really streamline our lives, but I found myself doomscrolling endlessly almost everyday like a zombie.

The compulsion to keep swiping and scrolling was a bizzare feeling, and at times my brain and my body wanted two different things, I wanted to put the phone down, but my brain kept asking for one more video. It was not easy to break the habit. Now I don’t even have a web browser on my phone, as I organise my time better. As I reduced my unproductive technology use and fought the withdrawal symptoms, the old me returned who was sharper, more social, and much happier. Can you remember a time before smart phones?

6. Pursue things that give you a purpose and mean something to you.

To paraphrase Jordan Peterson; Pursue things that are meaningful, not expedient. What Jordan is saying is that you should focus on doing the things that have a meaning, a value to you rather than pursuing the status quo, or what others expect you do to. Instead of doing what everyone else does, as yourself what do you actually like doing? Forget what everyone else thinks about it, does it bring you joy? That is what matters. The whole world has certain expectations for you, but those expectations are based on their own lives. We are all different people.

I am passionate about gardening, the outdoors, and nature. Some of my friends scoff at the idea. But I don’t give a fuck about their opinions, it is their choice to sit in doors like a piece of fruit in a bowl. I get joy when I spend time in my garden watching nature in all it’s glory, pruning my plants, planting new vegetables, reaping the rewards of a good growing season. It is hard to explain why I like it, but I do and it gives me something to look forward to. Just like my friend who is an extremely talented musician since childhood. I can’t play an instrument to save my life, but he lives for music, and he enjoys every second of it.

7. Subject yourself to discomfort a few times a week

This of course goes hand in hand with high intensity exercises. Research has shown that by subjecting yourself to a certain level of discomfort has shown to improve dopamine responses in your brain, as the discomfort reduces the baseline. Not only that, by actively seeking discomfort weather it be a heavy weightlifting session, a difficult gym class, running in the pouring rain, ice baths, or anything else you definitely would not normally do, discomfort helps boost your motivation to do the difficult things in life, enhances your resilience against struggles, and helps you grow as a person to take on the strain of life.

8. Keep Going

By far the hardest thing to do is to start something new. The second hardest thing to do is to keep going. These changes are not easy, and you will not see results straight away. The road up the mountain of life is long and arduous, but with each right step it becomes easier and easier. No matter what you choose to do, you simply have aim at the target and keep on going. Like the myth of Sisyphus, you keep rolling that boulder up the mountain no matter what.

You will not see results in the beginning, and you will not miraculously change your life overnight. I have done this many times expecting unrealisitic, huge changes in a very small timescale which is not possible. With each step there will be a small change, when you look back a week, a month, a year from when you started you will see the changes. A cardinal rule is to make sure you are only keeping track of who you were yesterday. Do not compare yourself to other people as that is a recipe for disaster. So what if that dude at the gym deadlifted over 300kg, and you are struggling with 30kg? He has probably been consistently working on it for over a decade whilst you have been to the gym 6 times so far. We are all on different journeys, each taking their own path, at their own pace, pay attention to your journey.

Until next time

Faz