No.1176
I see focus on physical appearance and over all health which is important but I feel we should focus on improving every aspect of ourselves as possible. Without a healthy mind and a strong spirit what use is the vessel we call our body? I'd like to know more about the last two, I can improve my body easily but my mind and spirit feels it be more of a challenge. What should I start doing as basics, and what should I am for in the long run?
No.1180
>>1176Well for mind you should definitely start journalling.
Writing down my thoughts and feelings and analysing them helped me overcome quite a few hurdles. Not to mention helped me identify the source of my problems a few times.
I don't know, it feels good talking to yourself about yourself, I always felt much more ready to face any obstacles when I used to journal because I felt like my mind and spirit were on my side.. As the African proverb goes "If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm"
No.1209
>>1180>Having a JournalThat doesn't sound bad at all, that diffidently can help with motivation and my writing skills need to improve as well.
No.1216
I'm in the lower minority of people on this board who are trying to fix mind and spirit rather than lifting and exercising.
-First thing's first, condition yourself to think positively
Probably one of the harder things to do. Basically you have to monitor yourself and push out any negative thoughts that automatically cross your mind. Even if you have to convince yourself of something that can't be proven, always look at things in a good positive way. Be aware of all of the things you take for granted, and try to appreciate them more. Once you start thinking positively, you'll feel stronger in all kinds of ways, both mental and physical. Being happier about things will not only make your day better, but it will affect how you physically look - being vibrant is just good body language. Look into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and cognitive biases. Oh, and if you haven't done this already, stop browsing any kind of depressing online communities. Letting your brain marinade in fucking /r9k/ or wizchan will only set you back.
-Second, kick addictions to the curb
Addictions, in layman's terms, are basically things that are fucking with your reward circuitry. Your reward circuitry is very important, it's what makes you strive to achieve and enjoy things. Addictions aren't just limited to substances, like alcohol or caffeine. They can also be behavioral. One of the most prominent addictions we're all familiar with is masturbation. You need to kick masturbation the fuck out, because you're likely addicted to it. You also need to kick other addictions as well. Smoking, drinking, and even caffeine is not good for your psychological health. Having said all of that, my word of advice is kicking one addiction at a time. The multiple withdrawals that you'd go through if you kicked more than one at the same time might send you into a relapse.
-Meditation
An obvious one, thought I'd put it in. You can google and research the positive effects of meditation yourself; there are plenty.
I'll update more perhaps if I can think of anything else.
No.1217
>>1216This.
In regards to the first point, a good way of doing it is writing down 3 things you are grateful for every day for 30 days.
It doesn't matter how small and meaningless, you just have to every day pick out something and think about its positive effect and how you are happy to have it. For example, clean water, pillow etc. It's only 3 things a day so it doesn't take up much time, so if it doesn't work, you didn't spend too much time on it for it to be a waste, maximum 5 minutes a day to think of 3 things and appreciate them.
Apparently this conditions your mind to look towards the positive.
No.1225
The philosophy of Stoicism has helped me a lot. It appealed to me because it spoke of concepts that I already followed and thought were the ways to go.
A few of the most well-known books on the subject is "A Guide to the Good Life", Marcus Aurelius (one of the greatest Roman emperors) "Meditations", "The Art of Living" from Epictetus, and "Letters from a Stoic" from Seneca. From that selection I'd start with A Guide to the Good Life, it's an excellent introduction to the Stoic mindset. Meditations is great but I'd recommend only reading a few passages at a time, it's hard to really absorb everything when just read straight through.
As far as practical ways to really begin practicing Stoicism in your day to day life, there's a few ways. One of the biggest for me was working on my understanding that my mind is separate from the world. Whatever was going on outside, good or bad, it can only enter my mind if I let it. And more than that, your consciousness is also separate from your thoughts and emotions. Both are things in your mind but they aren't necessarily you. It's not always easy to remember this and put it into action, but it gets easier and more instinctual with practice. This is useful for keeping you mood independent of possibly negative circumstances or events.
Negative visualization is also good for coming to terms with bad situations. You could sum it up by saying "it could always be worse" but it goes much deeper than that. Even for seriously shitty situations like the death of a loved one, there are very many things to be grateful for. It could just as easily have been that you never knew them, or that you never had good memories with them, or that they didn't go in a worse way than they did. If nothing else, you can be glad that they died before you did so that they won't have to cope with your death, and that you have the opportunity to be strong so that they don't have to. This helps you appreciate the things you have instead of becoming complacent and taking them for granted, preventing you from ever really being satisfied because every time you get something that you want, you just want something else.
Acceptance is another good one. It's telling yourself and accepting that this is what happened, this is the way it is, and no amount of emotional turmoil will help or change anything. It's accepting the world for what it is and being grateful for the good in it. But it's also accepting the bad in it because it is. Realize and accept the futility and unnecessary struggle that is rejecting things that have already come to pass, or that are passing right now. This is not the same as resignation because there are a good many things you can affect, that you can change for the better. But at the same time you have to accept that there are many things outside your sphere of influence that it is senseless to be upset by.
No.1239
Read anti-utopian books.
That made me more conscious about world in general.
And then start reading what you like it's going to improve your mind that's for sure.
About the spirit I don't know, I still haven't really developed it.