Personal Lessons and Experiences From The Past Week
Health
In today's fast-paced world, I am increasingly encountering instances where people neglect the need for rest. Often, it seems that individuals believe that they can only make progress in life, training, or work by continuously pushing themselves. However, the opposite is true. Without sufficient rest, the body and mind cannot recover and replenish themselves.
This week, I encountered two examples of this phenomenon. The first was a young lady who got eight hours of good quality sleep each night and exercised regularly but still felt tired throughout the day. The second was a retired gentleman who enjoyed cycling but still felt exhausted after each ride. In both cases, I questioned the amount of rest they were getting and the intensity of their training.
As it turned out, both individuals were training intensely each time they exercised. The young lady pushed herself with HITT-style weight workouts, while the retired gentleman tackled hilly rides that pushed him to his limit as he tried to conquer the hills as quickly as possible.
As a result, I advised them to watch out for signs of over-training, such as prolonged fatigue, increased tension, depression, anger, or confusion, inability to relax, poor-quality sleep, lack of energy, decreased motivation, moodiness and diminished enjoyment from activities they once found pleasurable.
If they experienced even one of these symptoms, it would indicate that they were either already over-training or on the path to developing this problem. Therefore, my recommendation to both individuals was to reduce the intensity of their training and to make sure they included at least one if not two, rest days per week to aid recovery. This approach would help them manage fatigue better throughout the week and enable them to train more consistently throughout the year without suffering from over-training and needing significant time off to recover.
To achieve this, I suggested that they should make sure that the majority of their weekly workouts (around 80%) were of low to moderate intensity, with the remainder (around 20%) being moderate to hard intensity. By adopting this strategy, they could focus on high-quality, hard workouts to maximize progress while still building up their aerobic base (strength endurance) with little or no additional cost to their fatigue levels throughout the week.
Wealth
I have been reflecting on the quote "Health is wealth." As someone who takes great pride in my health and spends a lot of money looking after it, I am amazed at how many people do not prioritize their health.
It is interesting to consider how much we invest in our bodies. For example, we may spend a significant amount of money on a nice car, home renovations, or furniture, but we might question spending extra money on our health. This could include a supplement to support our immune system or a more expensive gym membership to improve our physical and mental well-being.
Unfortunately, many companies view health benefits for employees as a luxury that can be cut when cost-saving strategies are implemented. However, research has shown that investing in employee well-being leads to a more productive and healthier workforce, which benefits the company's bottom line.
For every pound a company invests in an employee's well-being, research has shown a return of four pounds due to increased productivity, reduced sick leave, and longer employee retention.
It is worth considering how we can invest in our own well-being, such as receiving monthly massages or seeking private healthcare for back issues. By prioritizing our health, we can be more productive, earn more money, and lead a more fulfilling life.
Whether we are employed or self-employed, our health should be our number one priority. Taking care of ourselves will result in increased productivity, fewer sick days, and ultimately, a more successful and prosperous life.
I am interested to hear your thoughts on how much you invest in your health. Do you prioritize your health when it comes to spending habits? Let me know in the comments or send me a message.
Mindset
This week I returned to reading "Essentialism." I am still finishing the book, as it sometimes takes me a long time to read. Sometimes, I get through a book quickly, while at other times, with distractions, I may not get through it as quickly. To get to the point, there is an interesting section in the book that talks about managing time and stress.
I am passionate about managing my time, and the book highlights the impact of time management on stress. For example, there is an instance in the book where a lady was trying to get to work, but she was late and caught in traffic, which increased her stress. By the time she got to work, she had to spend the whole day catching up. In contrast, someone who leaves early can have an extra 50% of the initial time. Therefore, if you have a task that you think will take an hour, add 50% to that and allow an hour and a half instead of an hour.
For example, if it takes you 30 minutes to get to work, you should allow an extra 15 minutes on top of that, so 45 minutes to account for any traffic or accidents. This gives you a buffer of time, allowing you to relax and arrive at work without being late, even if you encounter unforeseen circumstances. By doing this, you can have a more relaxed mindset when organizing your time for meetings, after-school activities, or even going on holiday.
In addition, preparing yourself by packing your bag or planning your route the night before can save you time in the morning, making your life easier and freeing up mental clarity and space in your brain to focus on the task at hand. With this approach, you can enjoy the journey and any upcoming holidays without being overly stressed about being late or missing a flight.
"Essentialism" is a great book that I highly recommend. I will share any more highlights from the book that I come across in the coming weeks.
Lyric/ Quote I'm pondering
“Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.”
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