Written By Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
If you were to describe this world in one word, what would it be? Probably “crazy,” right? More than half the stuff you see and read about in the news is enough to have you just shake your head. We live in a crazy world that seems to get even more looney by the day (which is actually hard to believe).
So, how do we navigate through this crazy world and come out the other side in one piece, along with some sanity?
Well, I’m not saying we have all the answers to solve the world’s problems, but we came up with a list of seven tips that you can use to help alleviate some of the stress and frustration that can come about from this crazy world.
Let’s dive in!
1. Watch less television
Want to set yourself up for failure and unrealistic expectations? Sit in front of the television all night. Not to knock shows like “The Bachelorette” and the similar, but you’re putting yourself into la-la land by thinking the things you watch are reality. I had dinner with a contestant on “The Biggest Loser,” and the things she told me about the show were horrifying and nothing like what takes place in the real world. It’s no wonder she gained every pound back after the show and then some.
What you see on television is not reality — not even close. Stop sitting in front of the idiot box for hours each night and start being more active both physically and mentally. Go for a walk, play a game, hit the gym, read a book (or listen to an audiobook), meditate, focus on your breathing for 15 minutes, etc. The last thing you want to do is park your butt on the couch all night eating junk.
Not only that but stay away from the news. It’s nothing but doom and gloom. As they say, “If it doesn’t bleed, it doesn’t lead.” Rather than express the good happening in this crazy world, all they seem to report on is the bad.
Get away from this crazy world by slowing things down, turning off the television, and focusing on yourself and your goals.
2. Learn new skills
If you want to become better at any aspect of life, you’re going to need to put in the work. That means honing in on your skills and learning new ones. Between books, YouTube, and Google, you can find out just about anything these days. While you may not become an “expert” overnight or even at all, you can improve your skills little by little, which can lead you down a better career path and potentially open up new doors.
If you want to navigate through this crazy world, you need to focus on getting better daily and becoming a better version of yourself, even if it’s 1% better every day. Never stop learning.
3. Put the phone down and be in the moment
The next time you’re out in public, look around you. What do you see? Probably faces buried in their phones, right? Whether it’s in a restaurant, walking down the street, or just about anywhere you go, people are on their phones. What type of crazy world do we live in that our phone has become the most important thing in our lives?
People go on lavish vacations and take all these amazing pictures but never “see” anything. The only images they viewed were those taken by their phone. Had they shifted their attention from their phone to what was actually in front of them, their experience would have been entirely different.
Enjoy the moment. Enjoy your surroundings. Stop viewing the world through your phone and watching your life pass by without capturing it all. We may live in a crazy world, but life is meant to be lived. Not viewed through your smartphone.
4. Listen more and talk less
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized one thing about people and relationships when trying to navigate this crazy world. You can better understand a person and a situation when you shut your mouth and listen. Many problems in the crazy world around you can be solved by listening more, processing what was said, asking the right questions, and then finding a solution.
How often are you thinking more about what you’re going to say in a rebuttal to someone rather than actually listening to what they are saying? You may have missed key information while you were thinking in your head about what you were going to say as soon as they stopped talking. Or worse, you interject without ever allowing them to have the floor to speak and get the information across.
It’s very simple. If you want to more easily navigate through this crazy world, listen more and talk less.
5. Stop worrying about the things you can’t control
If you’re someone who worries about everything, you’re not alone. The stress we put on ourselves can be a bit too much to bear some days. Many times, we’re too hard on ourselves by putting this crazy world and everything that happens in it on our shoulders. We can’t solve everything. And that’s something you need to come to understand.
Be the best you can be. Think of it as a “you versus you” mentality. The things you can control, grab ahold of. The things that are outside of your realm or world, let them go. Why bring added stress to your life and worry about things you can’t change?
I urge you to take a deep dive into the stress you’re carrying throughout the day and understand what’s truly a problem you are faced with and can solve. If it’s something out of your control in this crazy world, let it go and free yourself from it.
6. Focus more on your health
Making it in this crazy world can feel like a rat race. What complicates things further is when you aren’t healthy. Whether you’re constantly getting sick, living in pain, or have a chronic condition, life is going to be a challenge. You need to focus on your health and make it a priority starting today. Don’t push it off.
When you lose your health, there’s no amount of money that can fix every health issue under the sun. Focus on cleaning up your nutrition. Ensure you’re getting 150 minutes of exercise each week. Make your weight a priority and get it down into a normal range to help reduce the risk of illness and disease. Health is truly wealth, and it’s the last thing you want to lose as you navigate this crazy world.
7. Make sleep a priority
To piggyback off of focusing on your health is sleep. Sleep plays a crucial role in hormone balance, stress levels, energy, and overall recovery (both mental and physical). You should strive for a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night — quality sleep, not just lying in bed scrolling through your social media feed until 2am and having your alarm go off at 6am.
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to wake up fully energized and ready to tackle the day and tasks ahead. You’ll recover faster from workouts, be more productive throughout the day, and help improve your overall health.
If you are having trouble sleeping or calming down at night due to everything happening in this crazy world, consider trying a sleep aid. MuscleSport Coma is a sleep and recovery activator that helps you feel more relaxed before bed, promotes better sleep quality, optimizes hormones, and supports proper recovery. One scoop before bed is all that’s needed to help promote deep REM sleep and allow you the ability to wake up feeling energized and refreshed.