The Best Way to Enhance Your Luck

Someone once asked online: How can I change my luck?

The highly upvoted answer was: Luck isn't random; it's hidden within a person's mindset and lifestyle. To change luck, you must first change your way of life.

Indeed, that's the case. Good fortune doesn't just happen; everything around us is attracted by our own energy and qualities.

Everyone hopes for good luck and meeting influential people, but they overlook the fact that good luck is often self-sought:

Being passive and idle will only let opportunities slip by, while being proactive will lead to a better life.

In 2025, it might be beneficial to adopt these five lifestyle habits to boost your energy, upgrade your thinking, and truly "enhance" yourself.

01 Rise Early, Recharge Your Energy

Have you ever experienced this:

Staying up late at night to meet deadlines, only to feel lethargic and drowsy the next day; or hitting the snooze button for an extra 10 minutes of sleep, only to rush and feel anxious afterwards?

But when you occasionally wake up early, calmly go through your morning routine, and head out, you feel energized for the entire day.

As the saying goes, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

Waking up early allows us to have more time to organize work and life, leading to a better state of being.

People who habitually wake up early often have better health and a better state of mind.

Waking up early acts like the butterfly effect, gradually improving your life.

If you also want to develop the habit of waking up early:

a.Take gradual steps

Every week, set your wake-up time 10 minutes earlier until you find a schedule that suits you.

b.Practice the "3-second rule"

When you hear the alarm, imagine a rocket launch, count down three seconds, and immediately get up. Repeat until it becomes reflexive.

c.Make mornings enjoyable

If you prefer to be alone, use this undisturbed time to read or meditate; if you're active, take a walk or exercise in the morning light.

When you can gracefully handle each morning, you can handle life's challenges with ease.

02 Exercise, Energize Your Body

Many youths are sharing their experiences on social platforms: "Stretching and twisted my neck," "Went to the bathroom, then couldn't stand up," etc.

These bizarre injury experiences are both amusing and concerning.

In reality, how many people around us are becoming increasingly fragile due to prolonged lack of exercise and overexertion.

"In the short term, life depends on intelligence, in the medium term, on willpower, and in the long term, on physical strength."

To confront life's challenges, it's essential to exercise and keep our bodies healthy.

If you want to develop good exercise habits:

a.Establish the right "exercise perspective"

Exercise is not just for weight loss but for a healthy body. When you prioritize your health, you'll make time to exercise.

b.Commit to exercising for at least 20 minutes each time

This significantly increases dopamine and serotonin levels, making you enjoy exercise while maintaining a cheerful mood.

c.Find an exercise you enjoy

Skipping, running, frisbee... Whatever form of exercise, as long as you persevere, it will bring positive changes to your body.

By sticking to exercise, you'll discover that you're stronger than you ever imagined.

03 Reading, Nourish Your Emotions

There's a saying: "Reading can't solve all problems, but it can help you see problems more comprehensively."

Books nourish our spirits, making us resilient and enriched.

When you've experienced countless lives through books, setbacks won't seem like dead ends.

After my friend gave birth, she went through a difficult time.

During that period, her child woke up frequently at night and cried incessantly, leaving her feeling helpless. She always felt she wasn't a good mother.

When her child was three months old, she developed mastitis, adding to her physical and mental stress, almost leading to depression.

To ease her mood, she began studying psychology books. In these books, she realized that her low spirits were influenced by postpartum hormones and were only temporary.

She tried using the methods from the books to guide herself and gradually emerged from her depression.

Often, we are swayed by emotions because we only look at problems from one perspective. Books, however, can help us break free from this confinement and find different answers.

In today's fast-paced and stressful world, if you want to have good emotional health, try these two things:

a.Read more history books

When you see the hardships and dilemmas of generations in history, you'll understand life's impermanence. You'll realize that the ups and downs of life are just experiences and practices.

b.Read more classic books

Classics that transcend time often contain the thoughts and wisdom of the past. They will offer you unique perspectives and help you break out of mental constraints.

04 Meditation, Lighten Your Mind's Burden

There's a story:

One Christmas Eve, Andy and his friends left a party. Suddenly, a car out of control came towards them.

Andy watched in horror as his friend was hit by the car and thrown away. This accident left him sleepless and plunged him into depression.

Every night, lying in bed, scenes of the past would constantly flash through his mind, causing him unbearable pain.

It wasn't until later when he discovered meditation that he realized:

Much of our suffering doesn't come from past experiences but from our brains. Those fears and anxieties are actually created by the brain.

To rid oneself of this suffering, one must train the brain through meditation to live in the present moment.

So, he persisted in meditation for 10 years, completely changing his life.

Each of us may experience the darkest moments in life. If we keep worrying about the past and fearing the future, we'll only find ourselves trapped in an emotional whirlpool, sinking deeper and deeper.

By mastering our consciousness, living mindfully, and with a positive attitude, we can achieve true mental and physical freedom.

If you want to try meditation:

a.Practice "stability."

Close your eyes, stabilize your emotions, focus on your breath, feel the rise and fall of your body, and live in the moment.

b.Practice "tranquility."

Listen to the sounds around you, observe your thoughts, but don't let them affect your mood. Be an observer, letting thoughts come and go.

When you learn to live in the present moment without judgment, you'll have a healthier and more relaxed state of mind.

05 Writing, Upgrade Your Thinking

Have you ever felt this:

You've read many books, but in the blink of an eye, you've forgotten everything, not remembering what you read;

You've consumed a lot of practical knowledge, but you've only learned surface-level concepts, without any substantial improvement...

This is because no matter how many books you read or notes you take, you're just accumulating other people's viewpoints.

Only when you learn to express what you've learned in your own words can you gain true knowledge. And the best way to do that is through writing.

Writing forces us to think, organize, and summarize what we've learned, making our thinking clearer.

To enhance your thinking through writing, you can try these:

a.Record constantly

When you encounter a new idea in life, don't just stop at reading it. Try to write it down in your own words and interpret it.

b.Write 

Find interesting points, interpret them from different perspectives, and add your own thoughts.

Organize them into a complete article and gradually build your own knowledge system.

By learning to use writing to improve yourself, continuously upgrading your cognition and thinking, you'll be better equipped to handle the unpredictable future.

There are three ways for a person to obtain good luck:

Firstly, leave it to fate and wait for good luck to come unexpectedly;

Secondly, continuously accumulate and upgrade your thinking to discover opportunities that others can't see;

Thirdly, improve your own strength, allowing opportunities to find you automatically and making good luck inevitable.

To obtain good luck, it's better to learn to improve yourself from the inside out:

Stick to exercise to have a healthy body; stick to meditation to have good emotions; stick to reading to have a broad vision.

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"Laziness is your body's best signal."

In life, I've found that many people who aren't doing well often encounter this dilemma: they have many ideas, but their motivation always lags behind. They often have many things they want to do, always ambitious and making many plans, but in the end, they fail to complete them for various reasons. Over time, people become frustrated and lack confidence. Some even feel like they're just lazy, destined to waste their lives. In fact, motivation is the key factor that sets people apart. On a smaller scale, it affects the achievement of one or two things; on a larger scale, if motivation cannot keep up in the long run, people will develop self-doubt and become more self-conscious and withdrawn in the face of repeated setbacks. We usually think that the strength of motivation depends on willpower and perseverance, and those without motivation are simply lazy.

But in psychology, the key to improving motivation lies in building good relationships, which involves two aspects:

1. Relationship with tasks;

2. Relationship with oneself. A person who always lacks motivation may not necessarily have a problem with themselves but because they haven't built good relationships.

1.Relationship with tasks: Why do you want to change?

"Building good relationships" may sound abstract at first, but it's actually closely related to our lives. I once had an interesting job: providing psychological support for people trying to lose weight. In my daily work, I needed to understand their emotional state, progress in weight loss, and effectiveness, etc. After a while, I found that I had inadvertently acquired a skill: predicting whether someone would succeed in losing weight (with an accuracy rate of about 80%). I didn't need to know their physical indicators but to understand their motivations for losing weight. I would ask everyone the same question: what happened that made you decide to lose weight? Different answers reflect different understandings of weight loss. The first two types of people have the shallowest understanding of weight loss and are just making impulsive decisions. This means that there is only a weak connection between them and the goal of "losing weight," and the motivation they can stimulate is also very limited. So, it's easy to become enthusiastic for a short time, but once the initial excitement wears off, it becomes difficult to have motivation again. The third situation is slightly better. Some older friends who are in poor health often suffer from illness and hope to lose weight to become healthy and reduce pain. This means that their connection with "losing weight" will be deeper, and they will have more motivation to keep going. Therefore, even though their metabolism is lower and losing weight is more difficult, because their motivation is stronger, their motivation is also stronger, and they are more likely to succeed. Of course, this motivation is still not the highest, after all, they are urged to lose weight by a doctor. However, it's easy to see that the degree of motivation shown by different degrees of connection with the goal will be completely different.

2.The strongest motivation comes from the deepest relationships

In fact, weight loss is like a metaphor for many things in life. We often make many plans, such as reading, taking exams, going to bed and getting up early, eating a balanced diet, learning new skills, etc. Everyone knows that these things are "good" and worth doing, but when it comes to action, they find themselves with more will than strength. That's because the understanding of "good" at this time only stays at the level of the mind and lacks experience. Conversely, when a person has a deep understanding and experience of what they are doing, they can generate tremendous motivation.

Once, I met a lady named Lee, who showed amazing execution in losing weight. In her past life, she had always been chubby and had never seriously tried to lose weight. But after starting a strict exercise and diet plan, she hardly ever missed a day and rarely complained. I was curious why she was so good at it, so Lee shared her experience with me. All along, her attitude towards life had been perfunctory; she just got by at work, wasn't invested in relationships, and handled conflicts with her boyfriend coldly. She never thought there would be any problem with this. Until last year, she was suddenly fired from her job and broke up. The two blows struck her suddenly like lightning, and she realized the problem and felt unprecedented pain. Lee wanted to change, but she felt powerless and felt a huge sense of powerlessness and loss of control. Just when she was feeling hopeless, she accidentally ran into a high school friend she hadn't seen in years. In her memory, her friend was just like her, chubby, timid, and lacking in confidence. But now, her friend had almost completely changed. Not only had she become thinner, but she also seemed confident in her speech and demeanor, appearing poised and confident in everything she did. Lee deeply admired her friend's state, and her friend shared how she had changed little by little. Lee listened intently and also had a thought in her heart: maybe I can change myself and take control of my life. Not long after, Lee celebrated her 30th birthday and made a wish: to change herself and take back control of her life. One of the first things she did was to take control of her weight. For Lee, losing weight was not just about becoming beautiful and healthy, but also about helping herself overcome the anxiety of losing control and regain confidence. Therefore, she had an extremely deep connection with the goal of losing weight, which naturally kept her motivated. Lee’s state has since improved, making others envious. So, is it certain that as long as you establish a deep relationship with what you are doing, you can persist? Not necessarily.

Because there is another influencing factor: the relationship with oneself.

3.Relationship with oneself: Is change motivated by "self-love" or "self-hatred"?

Observing those around you, you will find that many people are indeed determined to do something but still procrastinate or even give up halfway. The reason is that they often do things in a state of "self-hatred." You may feel puzzled: isn't growth and change about making oneself better, isn't it "self-love"? Not necessarily! Sharing a personal experience: At the end of last year, I resumed my habit of running, but before that, I had procrastinated on running for almost half a year. I often encountered situations where I would set my alarm clock the night before to remind myself to get up early to run, but the next day, I often woke up but didn't want to get out of bed. Or, I would finally go out, but after running for less than 10 minutes, I wanted to give up. Why would this happen? Later, I realized that it was because I would set a series of invisible high goals for myself, such as: I must start running at 6:30; I must run more than 3 kilometers continuously; I can't run too slowly... These goals may seem ordinary, but for someone like me who was used to sleeping late and hadn't exercised for a long time, they were actually quite difficult. Why would I set such high goals? Later, I realized a deeper truth: because I didn't like myself. During that time, I was very dissatisfied with myself, thinking that I was performing poorly in all aspects of work and life. Therefore, I hated to see this annoying self and wanted to change immediately. Therefore, when setting goals, I wasn't considering whether the goal could be achieved but was immersed in a state of self-disgust, setting unrealistic goals. Deep down, I would think: only by reaching such high standards can I prove that I'm not bad, and only then can I be satisfied with myself. However, unrealistic goals only bring continuous setbacks. I would become irritated by small things. For example, if I woke up late or ran slowly, I would judge and deny myself: "Why am I so bad!" And the subconscious mind tends to seek benefit and avoid harm. When running each time meant enduring the pain of criticism, unconsciously, I would become procrastinated. After all, as long as I didn't do it, I wouldn't have to face the bloody setbacks. Therefore, in an atmosphere of self-disgust, people are destined to become exhausted when doing things, and naturally, motivation will decrease.

4.When motivation is lacking, it is even more important to love oneself

Indeed, when changing, people often have both feelings of "self-love" and "self-hatred," but be careful not to let the latter dominate. Careful observation will reveal that many people seemingly set positive and upward growth goals, but many of them are venting their dissatisfaction with themselves by setting high goals. For example, some people change their profile pictures to "won't change until I lose ten pounds," or make a New Year's resolution to "read a book a week"... These goals not only are difficult to achieve, leading to self-doubt, but they also disrupt the rhythm of action. And many people are addicted to self-blame because of the influence of wrong ideas, thinking that the more cruel and demanding they are to themselves, the better they will become. But that's not true. While self-blame can sometimes generate short-term motivation, fundamentally, it's a state of being hostile to oneself, which only consumes energy in self-struggle. Therefore, to obtain sustainable motivation, we need to change our relationship with ourselves. Later, through continuous awareness and adjustment, I redeveloped the habit of running and summarized three steps. If you encounter similar difficulties, you may want to try it.

a.See the real self

Bad relationships often stick to "as I wish," while good relationships accept things "as they are." The former disregards the actual situation and focuses solely on that ideal goal, while the latter sees and accepts the true self. I remind myself: although life may not be going well right now, and I haven't exercised in a long time, planning to start moving now is already good. It's inevitable that I can't run or run slowly at this time. When I think like this, my self-blame decreases, and I can see a few things about myself that are worthy of praise. In fact, everyone is like this. Behind the dissatisfaction with oneself also means that we are in a trough, and the difficulty of change is the greatest at this time. But we are still determined to salvage ourselves, and this intention alone is worthy of affirmation and recognition. When we can realize this, self-acceptance will increase, and the insistence on high goals will decrease.

Lower the goal and rebuild the "relationship" I remind myself: now, my main task is to reduce psychological burden and find a way to make running a less stressful activity for me. So, I readjusted the goal of running, focusing not on how fast or how far to run but setting a minimum standard: to go out. As long as I run, I achieve my goal, and that is a victory. Therefore, my stress was minimized, and I successfully turned running into a habit. Actually, when you find it difficult to act, you might as well lower the standard, get yourself moving, and continue before there's a chance for progress.

b.The worse the performance, the more support you need for yourself

Later, when my running state recovered, I could run more than 8 kilometers each time, and my requirements for myself also unknowingly increased. But once, perhaps because my condition was really bad, it took me 30 minutes to "run" just 3 kilometers. This is a very slow pace, and at first, I felt embarrassed and didn't want to post on social media. But then I realized: am I running to prove it to others? Of course not, I'm doing it for myself. At the same time, even if I perform poorly, I accept this imperfect self. When I think like this, I don't feel defeated but feel a kind of power connected to myself. I am no longer an enemy with myself but a friend fighting side by side.

In conclusion

Actually, when you find yourself always having the will but lacking the strength, don't rush to doubt or deny yourself. Those things that have shallow connections with yourself don't have to be forced, try doing goals that you are more willing to do first. And on the road to growth, everyone will have moments of poor performance. The more difficult the time, the more we need to avoid adding insult to injury to ourselves, support and understand ourselves more. Only then can we rebuild our relationship and truly improve our motivation.

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Life experiences

1. Pay attention to those who are very good in dealing with others.

People who are good in dealing with others are all savvy individuals; they have high emotional intelligence, articulate well, and make you feel comfortable in their presence. But that doesn't necessarily mean they are good people.

When judging someone, don't just listen to what they say; observe their actions. Pay attention to details, feel with your heart, not just with your ears.

2. Make money as much as possible, save money diligently, money is very important.

No matter what your financial situation is, save money whenever possible. In this society, money is the most important shield for you and your family.

Nowadays, it feels like the weekend hasn't been spent if they haven't gone shopping, and it feels like they haven't gone shopping if they haven't bought anything. They feel wronged if they go shopping without having a cup of milk tea or a meal.

Save money in life, and there's no need to spend $6 on milk tea when $1 bottled water can do the job. Your savings are your lifeline.

3. Don't deliberately flatter others.

Those whom you flatter and fawn over, what real help can they offer you? Even if they do help you, sooner or later you'll have to repay them twofold. Moreover, why should they help you? The more you flatter others, the more others will flatter them, and the more incapable you'll appear.

Instead of trying to flatter others, spend that energy thinking about how to improve yourself.

4. Don't try to take shortcuts in anything.

For example, don't cheat on homework normally, don't think about cheating on exams, don't lie to deceive people; you are deceiving yourself.

Do you think you're deceiving the teacher by copying homework?

5. Things that make you suffer actually bring you happiness, and things that make you happy are often not real happiness.

Playing games and browsing on your phone are very comfortable, but that kind of short-term happiness often brings permanent pain.

Studying is painful, especially in the early stages. Stretching and running are painful. But these brief pains often bring long-term happiness.

6. It's never too late to start working hard.

It's never too late to start learning anything.

Many skills are usually acquired with just a few years of hard work. As long as you persist, regardless of what it is, you will gradually reap rewards.

7. Be calm and not judge others based on yourself.

Everyone's experiences are different, and their attitudes toward things are also different. You can disagree with someone's opinion, but don't question or oppose it. Don't try to impose your thoughts on others; it will only make you look foolish.

8. Don't prioritize interpersonal relationships.

Interpersonal relationships are built on the circle you're in and are more determined by your abilities. If you have achieved nothing and have no value to offer, why should others help you? Only when you have the ability do you have the right to talk about interpersonal relationships.

9. Learning is a lifelong process, and reading is the lowest-cost, fastest way to grow.

Don't stop learning just because you're working. Many things can only be truly understood through practice. By learning while working, you will grow rapidly.

10. Stay away from trashy people.

If a dog bites you, would you bite the dog back?

If you encounter trashy people in life, endure a little grievance and leave as soon as possible. It's better to have one less thing to worry about.

11. Don't deliberately please others, and don't force yourself into circles you don't belong to.

Whether in school or after work, if you can't get along with classmates or colleagues, keep your distance. Focus on learning seriously and working diligently to enrich your life. You live for yourself, not to please others.

12. The more you talk, the less weight your words carry.

In daily life, except with friends, don't become a chatterbox when interacting with others. In this day and age, besides family and friends, no one has so much free time to listen to your nonsense.

13. Time will reveal true intentions.

People's hearts are unpredictable, and seeing someone's true intentions over time may not always be accurate. Communicate more, and you'll eventually see people's true intentions.

14.  Face is earned, not given by others.

When you feel that others don't respect you, don't get angry.

Others are not obliged to respect you. Whether or not you can earn others' respect depends on your abilities and character.

As the saying goes, face is earned, not given by others.

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The grievances of adults, who understands?

I heard a particularly heart-wrenching statement: "We dare not fall ill, dare not slack off, and even dare not show emotions. We don't know at what point we started only dealing with problems. Coffee and alcohol have become our lifelines, while emotional outbursts have become luxuries."

Adults encounter many problems and challenges every day, and even if their bodies and minds ache, they push through the pain with time constraints.

A father, while unloading goods, accidentally fell from a truck over a meter high, got up and continued unloading. When he got home, he discovered a large bruise on his back but didn't mention it to his family;

A single mother, alone at home with her child, reheated the prepared meal multiple times, ate two meals, and stayed up all night when her child had a fever, afraid to sleep during the day for fear her child might wake up unattended;

A delivery driver, falsely reported by a customer, rushed to visit his sick mother after work and then had to pick up his daughter from school. To save time, he chose to drive against traffic. When stopped by traffic police, he broke down in tears.

The breakdown of adults is the accumulation of tiny despair, suppressed for a long time and suddenly erupting. The final trigger for the eruption is often something insignificant.

These trivial matters often seem exaggerated and melodramatic to others, and all grievances are reduced to a dismissive "Is it really that bad?"

On the road of life, everyone is a lonely traveler. There are countless scenes in the world, ups and downs of suffering, happiness, joy, and sorrow. Except for saving oneself, it is difficult for others to truly help.

Many times we need a brief pause button, give the pain some time, give ourselves a chance to breathe. In the quiet of the night, open up your heart and mend it yourself.

That's life, others only see the results, while you alone endure the process. Faced with life, we have no choice but to be strong and continue. The road can be looked back upon, but it cannot be walked back.

If you are experiencing grievances, I hope: you can persevere and bravely move forward. Those who are immune to all poisons have been covered in scars; those who can laugh at storms have been riddled with wounds. In the world of adults, while one side collapses, the other side heals.

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Thriving Through Minimalism: 8 Essential Habits

"People often say that encountering a benefactor can save you from wandering for years in life's twists and turns. In reality, rather than waiting for a benefactor to appear, it's better to become one yourself. Our habits hide our luck and destiny. By adhering to the following 8 minimalist habits, nurturing yourself, you will quietly transform into a formidable person."

1. Simplify Your Sleep Schedule

"People who can't even control their bedtime, how can they control their lives? Early to bed, early to rise; don't let your emotions collapse at night, and you've already won half the battle. Only by resting well at night can you invest more energy into learning, working, and living during the day. Sleeping at 10 PM and waking up at 6 AM, consistently for years, if you don't succeed, who will?"

2. Simplify Your Diet

"Everyone loves junk food and fried foods. But remember, you become what you eat. Replace takeout with home-cooked meals, switch bubble tea with fruits, and indulge yourself one day a week while maintaining a healthy diet the rest of the time. You'll radiate with vitality, even saving money on skincare products."

3. Simplify Your Information Intake

"Quality information intake is vital for a healthy brain. Constantly scrolling short videos, indulging in gossip, and consuming low-quality information limits your thinking and perspective, making you susceptible to others' viewpoints. Delete unnecessary apps, mute irrelevant group chats, and turn off app notifications. Spend more time reading books, watching documentaries or movies, and joining high-quality communities to absorb first-hand, quality information. Your mindset will naturally change, and your actions will follow suit, making excellence inevitable."

4. Simplify Your Hobbies

"Everyone experiences fleeting interests, which is fine as long as it's shallow and brief. However, cultivate one or two hobbies deeply to have a mental sanctuary. Immersing yourself in these hobbies can recharge you when life throws challenges your way. Whether it's running, swimming, reading, or walking, hobbies act as mechanisms to enter a state of flow, allowing you to reset and sail again."

5. Simplify Your Social Interactions

"Suggest both introverts and extroverts refuse ineffective social interactions. If a social gathering doesn't provide emotional or beneficial value, politely decline. Reduce contact with people who look down on you, have ulterior motives, especially unfamiliar, annoying relatives, or past relationships. As the saying goes, 'the ability to block' is a person's top skill. Anyone or anything that drains you is not worth your time."

6. Simplify Your Possessions

 

'Any conscious materialist knows that when you possess an object, the object possesses you.' We don't need as much as we think. If your room is filled with rarely used items, there's no space for what you truly need. I regretted not getting rid of a bulky coffee table in the living room sooner. The space suddenly became spacious, allowing me to lay down a carpet, relax, read, binge-watch, and play with family. By letting go of that item, I gained more happiness."

7. Simplify Your Spending

"Spending money brings short-term happiness, while saving money brings long-term joy. When you see something you like, refrain from buying it immediately. Add it to your cart, wait a few days; if you still want it after a while, then go ahead and buy it! Trust me, through a three-tier filtering process, the items you end up purchasing will truly be ones you need and won't regret. By avoiding consumer traps, as your savings grow, you'll have the confidence to try more valuable and meaningful things."

8. Simplify Your Mindset

 When facing complex relationships, encountering bizarre people and situations, be vigilant against emotional drain and avoid being consumed. Stay relaxed, don't rush, and don't be greedy. We can't have everything, but don't worry; we won't have nothing either. As the saying goes, 'You can have a bad experience, but don't indulge in a bad life. Destiny is responsible for shuffling the cards; it's always us who play the hand.' Good luck and benefactors won't magically appear. Regardless of the hand we're dealt, as long as we don't give up, we can play a winning hand. We need to polish ourselves day by day, cultivate good habits, and let these habits guide us through life's blind spots. Let's hold onto the vitality that life bestows upon us and live a flourishing life."

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Depression Detox: Combat with These 3 Actions

I don't know when it started, but feeling exhausted has become the norm in people's lives. After a busy day, they don't feel like doing anything and just want to lie quietly;

When they go out to eat with their loved ones, they sit there silently, each staring at their phones; When they finally have some free time, their minds are still racing, afraid of missing out on something.

"Everyone is caught in a huge machine, striving to turn time into money, forced to live faster and more efficiently, even surpassing physical limits." Over time, the body naturally starts to malfunction, falling into depression without even realizing it.

Frequently doing these three small things might help you stay away from depression:

1. Regularly disconnecting from the internet and spending time with yourself.

Have you ever had the experience of intending to rest well at night, but as soon as you open your phone, you can't stop?

D shared her story of disconnecting from the internet.

For a period of time, she was constantly attracted by her phone, unconsciously browsing through various information, swiping her fingers across the screen. But these pieces of information were of no help to her work; instead, they distracted her attention and caused her to stumble in her creative process.

Realizing the pain, she decided to reduce her dependence on her phone. So, she set a rule for herself to put down her phone at a fixed time every day, while also logging out of common social media apps.

This ensured that she could focus on her work without external distractions.

Sometimes, she would habitually pick up her phone. But as soon as she saw the login page and realized she had to re-enter her password or verification code, alarm bells would go off in her mind, and she would give up.

This method may seem a bit troublesome, but it is very effective.

Of course, we don't have to disconnect from the internet every day. We can also follow what writer Scott Young wrote: "Give yourself 90 minutes of independent thinking time every seven days, without music, without playing with your phone, just you alone."

When you first try this, you are likely to feel anxious and uneasy, even unable to resist reopening your phone. But once you get used to spending time with yourself, you will feel true peace and relaxation.

Many people mistakenly believe that scrolling through their phones is relaxing, but true relaxation is when the brain stops receiving information.

Information overload can stimulate us, making it difficult for us to sleep or eat well, leading to deeper fatigue and emptiness, which can give rise to feelings of depression. Moreover, most of the information online has nothing to do with our lives; it just adds to our troubles.

Why not return to real-life scenarios through disconnection from the internet, to contemplate, meditate, and feel our own breath?

When you learn to shift your focus back to yourself, to notice the small joys around you, your mental core will become more stable, and your life will improve.

2. Refusing to overwork and not self-exploiting

In the book "Life's Troubles Consultation Room," it is written: "The more serious a person is, the easier it is for them to become depressed."

Being serious is worthy of praising, but too much of anything is not good.

For individuals, learning to take breaks actively is even more important than being immersed in work.

Life is like a rubber band, always stretched tight, and it may break at any moment.

Occasionally slowing down, recharging yourself, and then moving forward can actually be more efficient.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself, and don't always confront life. In your leisure time, why not listen to music, tend to plants, make yourself a cup of tea, and sit on the balcony soaking up the sun?

These seemingly insignificant things can help us break away from the fatigue of the moment, feel the pleasant side of life, and become less susceptible to depression.

3. Relaxing your mind and practicing a change of mindset.

I was deeply moved by the author Byron Katie's experience.

In her thirties, she suffered from severe depression for ten years, always in a state of mental low. At its worst, she stayed at home and only contacted the outside world by phone. Even when her children passed by her room, they had to tiptoe to avoid being unjustly scolded by her.

But one morning, a revolutionary idea came to her mind: "When I don't believe my thoughts, I am not in pain." She realized that what was making her depressed was not the people or things around her, but her perception of the world.

From then on, whenever she felt sad and conflicted, she would do a "change of mindset" exercise, asking herself: Is that true? Can you be 100% sure that it's true? How do you react when you hold that thought? How would you act if you didn't have that thought?

With each question and answer, many problems were resolved, and life became brighter.Many people have benefited greatly from trying this method.

Every minute, our minds are filled with countless thoughts.

Positive thoughts can calm us down and make us feel abundant and joyful;

Negative thoughts, on the other hand, can bring endless torment, making us feel gloomy and despondent.

One thought can lead to heaven, another to hell. The so-called change of mindset is to replace old thoughts with new ones.

"People can change their lives by changing their mindset, which is the greatest discovery of our generation."

Instead of indulging in the past and being led by negative thoughts, why not carefully examine the reasons behind our unhappiness through questioning?

Finding out where the problem lies is a good start.

Never think that a thought is insignificant; they take root in our minds and subtly influence every action we take.

In today's fast-paced world, almost everyone's life has become tense and busy.

We rush to one goal after another, feeling like life is an endless race.

But if happiness is squeezed out to the point of scarcity, life itself loses its meaning.

There are always times when things don't go well or when we feel tired. In those times, I see it as a vacation given to us by the gods; there's no need to force ourselves to sprint, no need to be nervous, no need to try hard; everything should just go with the flow.

Whether it's regularly putting down our phones, balancing work and leisure, or making a change of mindset a part of our lives, they are all moments of respite for ourselves, not being depleted by stress.

Doing these small things often may not directly bring fame and fortune, but they can help us detach from the weariness of the moment, feel the comfortable side of life, and become less prone to depression.

I hope we can live the life we want and have a vibrant life.

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Midlife Minimalism: 18 Tips for Simplifying Your Life

 "Life is a process of constant choice and continuous abandonment. By letting go, we can unleash the greatest energy from our limited lives."

As we reach middle age, we have experienced the ups and downs of life and witnessed its myriad facets. Upon careful consideration, we finally understand that the highest level of happiness in life can be summed up in just 1 word - simplicity.

Simplifying life is not only about subtracting from it but also about adding to our physical and mental well-being.

So, how can we achieve a minimalist lifestyle and lead a high-quality life?

Today, I will share with you 18 suggestions for a minimalist lifestyle to help you shed burdens and move lightly.

Minimalize Your Energy

As we age, we increasingly realize that "human spirit is limited, and if overused, it will exhaust."

Putting energy into everything will inevitably leave us physically and mentally exhausted.

The way you allocate your energy determines the depth of your life.

1. Avoid Energy Overuse, Focus on 1%

Human energy is easily distracted by trivial matters. However, for the present moment, there is often only one thing that is most important and urgent. To achieve the best results, focus on that 1%.

Only then can you maintain an excellent attitude and face all challenges with ease.

2. Stay Away from Dopamine, Embrace Endorphins

In today's fast-paced life, our time is often stolen by short-term pleasures.

Spending hours on short videos or games can leave us feeling exhausted without accomplishing anything. Instead of indulging in instant dopamine-driven pleasures, try seeking long-term happiness from endorphins.

For example, reading a good book, learning a new skill, or engaging in physical exercise.

Only then can you avoid becoming a prisoner of shallow pleasures and enrich your spiritual world for long-term benefits.

3. Reduce Procrastination, Take More Action

The ancients said: "Think thrice before acting." Thinking three times is to ensure thoroughness in actions, not to create barriers for oneself. Starting to act only at the last moment always leaves us feeling inadequate and unsatisfied with the results.

 

Procrastination-induced contemplation does not help us; it only ties us down. Only by immediately engaging in action can we avoid meaningless procrastination.

Minimalize Your Emotions

"No one can make you unhappy; it is you who chooses to make yourself unhappy."

As we reach middle age, our hearts become more sensitive, often getting upset over trivial matters. Our time and energy are wasted every day in emotional turmoil, unable to break free. Only by simplifying our emotions can we avoid being overwhelmed by negativity.

4. Avoid Easily Labeling Things with Emotions

Many things in life, like a coin, have two sides, with no absolute good or bad. However, we often become anxious early on over something that hasn't been decided yet.

But good things may hide crises, and bad things may contain opportunities. Maintain such a mindset, control emotions, and let things happen naturally.

5. Shift Your Focus Away from Negative Emotions

In life, there are inevitably things, big and small, that upset us. However, some people quickly move on from the same emotions, while others are deeply trapped and unable to escape.

Learning to shift your attention promptly is a good way to overcome negative emotions. Clean your room to dispel emotional clouds; watch a movie to free yourself from emotional control. By breaking free from the emotional quagmire, you will discover more beauty in life when you dare to look up.

6. Dance with Life's Uncertainty

Have you heard this saying: "The greatest certainty in life is its uncertainty"?

Life is unpredictable, and anything can happen.

Therefore, there is no need to worry about the past or be anxious about the future. Face life's ups and downs with a calm mind and embrace its uncertainties with equanimity.

Minimalize Your Material Possessions

Nowadays, living conditions are getting better and better.

We continue to accelerate, but the burden on our shoulders also grows.

Only when we learn to simplify and declutter our material lives can we achieve the most comfortable state of being.

7. Examine Your Needs, Choose Carefully

The value of an item is truly reflected in the person who needs it most. However, faced with a plethora of goods, we are often attracted and distracted. We overlook whether we really need the item. Only when we realize our true needs can we achieve material minimalism at its root.

8.Control Quantity, Ensure Quality

Having the same purchasing power, buying more does not necessarily mean the best deal. Inexpensive items often have short lifespans and low usage frequencies. Within our means, purchase the most desirable, suitable, and high-quality item.

Remember two shopping rules: quality over style, and quality over quantity.

9. Cut Off Attachments, Regularly Declutter

Only when we embark on a major cleaning spree do we realize how much we have "collected." The space occupied by these items also encroaches on our mental space.

The more we are occupied by material possessions, the stronger our sense of lack. Learn to choose and let go of attachments to material items.

Regularly declutter unnecessary items and clear blocked spaces, which is also a way to declutter our inner selves.

Minimalize Your Relationships

In the past, we always hoped to have many people around us, thinking that knowing many people was a sign of social integration.

However, as we have to maintain and manage more and more interpersonal relationships, we realize that overly complicated socializing is not luck but a burden.

Good relationships nurture us, but bad ones burden us.

10. Maintain Boundaries, Stay Within Limits

The so-called sense of boundaries ultimately boils down to moderation. Without a sense of boundaries, social life loses its principles. However, the best relationships are not about boundaries between you and me, but about staying within limits.

When interacting with others, give yourself and others appropriate space, which is a kind of cultivation and wisdom.

11. Regularly Clean Up Your Social Circle

Friends are not about quantity but quality. While we care about the size of our circle, we also need to pay attention to the quality of our circle at all times. If a relationship often makes you uncomfortable, it is necessary to remove unsuitable people from your life.

Those who do not regularly clean up their social circles will waste their entire lives because of the appearance of a speck of dust.

12. Learn to Enjoy Solitude, Cultivate Yourself

We often say: "Your relationship with yourself is your relationship with the world."

 

The reason why we need solitude is to integrate internally, let go of pleasing others, and learn to treat ourselves well. When alone, enjoy the process of returning to life and keep moving forward.

Minimalize Your Diet

Eating is essential for maintaining health.

Many people pursue a lifestyle of "milk tea and cakes during the day, beer and barbecue at night." However, excessive indulgence satisfies momentary desires but burdens the body.

Eating well and simplifying your diet is an attitude toward life and a fundamental act of self-love.

13. Reduce Takeout, Cook Your Own Meals

Pursuing the right lifestyle begins with making changes in your diet. When faced with indecision and hesitation while ordering food on your phone, you add a bit of anxiety to yourself.

By reasonably reducing takeout and trying to cook for yourself, you can enjoy convenient, nutritious meals while saving money and improving your quality of life.

14. Healthy Eating, Balanced Diet

As we reach middle age, our bodies are no longer as resilient as they were when we were young. Eating properly and supplementing our bodies with nutrition has become the hottest topic for middle-aged people.

The key is not to eat whatever you like but to eat a bit of everything.

Fish, meat, eggs, dairy, grains, fruits, and vegetables, combined with fish and shrimp, can provide balanced nutrition and improve bodily functions.

15. Control Desires, Moderate Eating

The most important aspect of a minimalist diet is to control desires.

Especially as we age, if we indulge ourselves in high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar foods, our bodies will soon raise red flags. Eating smaller, more frequent meals and keeping them light is the healthiest way of life.

Minimalize Your Work

As we enter middle age, our careers reach a critical juncture.

At this time, our physical fitness is not as good as that of young people, and family pressure far exceeds that of young people.

Learning to simplify work, maintaining a good attitude, avoiding self-consumption, and better dealing with middle-aged crises.

 

16. Set Priorities, Distinguish Tasks

Why does it always feel like there's so much work to do, and despite our best efforts, we can't seem to finish it?

That's because we haven't grasped the essence of the work and haven't been able to focus our energy on solving key problems.

Prioritize your work, solve key issues first, and the rest of the work will be easier to handle.

17. Plan Ahead Daily, Control Your Work Pace

Facing work always feels bewildering, not knowing where to start. This is because we lack foresight in our work. Planning and arranging in advance not only allows us to control the pace of our work but also makes the progress of our work orderly.

18. Leave Work Emotions at Work

As we age, we increasingly understand the distinction between work and life. Work-related emotions should be resolved at work, not brought back home to upset family members.

Adjust your emotions promptly, balance work and life.

Playing our roles well, adjusting and transitioning in a timely manner, can make both life and work smooth and fulfilling.

In fact, everyone's real needs are not too many. Ninety-nine percent of things in life often have nothing to do with us.

The essence of life is a process of simplifying and decluttering.

The simpler life is, the happier and more advanced it becomes.

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Revitalize: Embracing Exercise for Lifelong Well-being After Middle Age

Have you ever experienced this:

When work stress mounts and you feel restless, going for a run immediately lifts your mood significantly.

Feeling sad and down, struggling to get motivated, breaking into sweat quickly brings relief.

Exercise seems to have a magical effect, releasing stress, relieving boredom, and swiftly lifting you out of emotional turmoil.

Just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise can immediately improve depressive moods and restore a sense of pleasure.

"If you're feeling down, exercising will lift your mood, and that feeling of knowing you're about to get better will completely change your mindset."

As people enter middle age, work, life, and family matters pile up, bringing constant worries.

Instead of feeling lost in emotional turmoil, why not dissipate it through the joy of exercise?

Getting moving is actually the simplest way for us to relieve anxiety and stress.

Exercise is a quick-acting remedy for emotional healing.

Psychologists have found that exercise has "short-term emotional effects".

Specifically, after exercise, levels of negative emotions like anxiety and depression significantly decrease, while feelings of happiness significantly increase.

This phenomenon is determined by the unique structure of the human body:

When faced with difficulties, the amygdala in the brain continuously releases stress hormones, making us feel nervous and anxious.

Exercise allows the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in the body to inhibit the excessive reaction of the amygdala, thereby alleviating emotions.

As the saying goes, "Exercise is a quick-acting remedy for emotional healing."

I once came across a story shared by a netizen, which left a deep impression:

An elder, in his fifties, lost his son.

Unable to accept reality, he was melancholic all day long, shedding tears.

One fine day, the elder's office organized a running event.

His colleagues hoped to change his mood and took the initiative to sign him up and brought him to the event.

After persevering through it, this elder completed the entire run.

Unexpectedly, it was this exhilarating run that began to change his life:

Upon reaching the finish line, he listened to his own heartbeat and felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

And all the negative emotions seemed to be temporarily forgotten.

From then on, he started morning runs regularly.

Day after day, he gradually emerged from the pain of losing his son, no longer feeling angry or sad all day long, and even became more emotionally stable than before.

Exercise is an efficient "spiritual detox," evaporating negative emotions along with sweat, refreshing both body and mind.

So, when you're feeling down, why not exercise? Go for a run, punch a bag, kick a ball, swim...

With the rhythmic breathing and stretching of the body, the shackles of emotions will quietly loosen, and everything will return to peace without a fuss.

Finnish scientists have conducted specialized experiments on this:

They found 10 pairs of twins and had one exercise at least twice a week, while the other one did not exercise.

Three years later, it was found that those who exercised every week had clearer thinking, and were better able to cope with stress.

To gain continuous emotional control, one must maintain a long-term exercise habit.

In this way, emotional issues can be addressed from the root.

Middle age is a time when the waves of stress are constantly rising and falling:

The oppression of setbacks in the workplace, pessimism in marriage, and helplessness in life... The waves of emotions challenge our hearts time and time again.

And exercise is the simplest way to improve cognition and manage emotions.

By constantly elevating cognition through exercise, one can truly gain the power to resist the flood of emotions.

In this way, even with the twists and turns of life, we can still find a way out.

Exercise not only heals the present gloomy mood but also provides long-lasting spiritual nourishment.

To manage your emotions through exercise, you may consider the following suggestions:

Choose exercises based on emotions to quickly dispel negativity.

Feeling angry? Try boxing.

Overwhelmed with stress? Try yoga.

Feeling impulsive? Go hiking.

Feeling sad and upset? Dive into the pool.

Maintain a long-term exercise habit to hold the key to emotions.

In addition to short-term emotional relief, making exercise a habit to thoroughly improve cognition and enhance the ability to manage emotions.

Regarding the perseverance of long-term exercise, here are some suggestions:

Exercise at least 3 times a week, each time for about 45 minutes.

Focus on aerobic training, while also incorporating strength training, ensuring a significant increase in heart rate during exercise.

Maintain enthusiasm for exercise and avoid giving up halfway. Here are a few tips to use:

a. Set gradual goals

b. Diversify exercise choices

c. Join a sports groups

Middle age is an age when life is not easy, but we must persevere.

When you encounter setbacks and are filled with sadness, go exercise.

With your head held high, sweat pouring, the haze in your heart will eventually dissipate.

When you feel anxious and stuck in inner conflicts, also go exercise.

Stretch out your arms, keep moving, and all the suppression will vanish with the wind.

When you are self-sufficient and disciplined enough, you will find that there are no hurdles that cannot be overcome and no problems that cannot be solved.

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