7 good effects of going to the gym:
1. It's great for your brain
2. You feel happier
3. It retards the aging process
4. Your skin looks better
5. Helps you recover from illness, even a major one
6. Makes the fat cells shrink
7. All-round good results whether you engage in a micro or regular fitness program
(I got this from the Time - http://time.com/4474874/exercise-fitness-workouts/?xid=newsletter-brief)
Good relationships keep us healthier and happier
1. Social connections are good for us and those who are connected to family friends and community are happier, physically healthier and live longer.
Loneliness kills. It is toxic. People who are more isolated are less happy, their health declines, and their brain functioning also declines.
2. The quality of your close relationships matter. Living in the middle of conflict is really bad for health. Living in good warm relationships is protective. Good close relationships seem to buffer us from the slings and arrows of getting old.
3. Good relationships protect our brains. Being in a securely attached relationship in your 80s is protective. These are relationships where each one can count on the other in times of need. These people's memories stay sharper longer too.
4. Good relationships do not have to be smooth all the time. Some octogenarians bicker a great deal, but as long as they know they can count on the other when the going got tough, those arguments didn't take a toll on their memories.
5. Lean into your relationship. This involves people time (spending time with each other), doing something together, reaching out to the family member you haven't spoken to in years... There is a terrible toll emotionally and psychologically on people who hold grudges.
Mark Twain: “There isn't time, so brief is life, for bickerings, apologies, heartburnings, callings to account. There is only time for loving, and but an instant, so to speak, for that.”
(I got this from a TED talk - What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness - https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness?language=en)
My plants.....my friends.....my refuge....
Looking after plants is therapeautic. Maybe you don't have place for a garden. Maybe it's just a balcony where you can make a little space. Maybe you just have a large-ish kind of window ledge...Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter if you can't have a lawn. Make space for just one flowerpot. But, keep a plant...make a small garden...
There is unrivalled benefit in seeing a new leaf sprout....it is a feeling like nothing you have ever experienced...the joy of it...the way the tiny little thing that has all the makings of a big leaf - a perfect miniature, actually - suddenly, one morning, makes its presence felt...
Tending for your plant:
See to it that it has enough space around it - yes, even plants need their own personal, private space. It should get enough sunlight and fresh air.
Watering your plant is tricky, so you have to be careful. Too much water and not enough water are both bad for the plant. In fact, a little on the dry side may be better because it makes the roots stronger as they push downwards and outwards in search of water.
They need nourshing. Fertilizers, tea leaves, coffee dregs, egg shells....as you see your plant grow, you will find yourself scouring the local nursery or crawling the Net to see what you can give your plant to make it grow big and strong.
They need human companionship. You have to talk with them, touch them and run your fingers through the leaves. You have to bring your face close to them.
They need music. Music helps plants grow like nothing else. And they have choices too! So pay attention to that!!
They need to be weeded. Weeds threaten them. They are bad for the plants' growth and so have to be removed.
The soil needs to be turned over periodically. This has to be done carefully so as not to damage the roots, and yet allow fresh air to circulate.
Pruning is another thing that has to be done regularly. It's really a painful task because you have to snip off perfect branches so that more branches can grow. You will also have to cut off the dead leaves and flowers...
Sometimes you have to change their place so that they get a round of rain and sun. Then they need extra care because you have changed their place and the surroundings are new.
The absolutely saddest time is when a plant cannot survive and you have to remove it. That is the worst thing of all to go through. I've learnt that turning over the pot and mixing fresh soil with the old one (maybe even replace all the soil), and letting it all air out a bit and stand for a while before planting a new plant helps. Don't give up.
I live in a place where the water is so full of iron that it has taken me more than 3 years to get a sort of garden going....but plants, I've realized are as important to me as the air I breathe. I love to sip my morning cup of coffee with them. It always soothes me and sets the tone for the day. When things go wrong now and again, sitting for a few moments with my plants brings back the balance. Most of my plants are on the balcony. I love to have my meals there, and every evening I light my lamp there before I go to sleep. I keep some plants downstairs in a small area near the car park, and spend some time with them every evening, as well as when I come back from the gym or my morning walk. If I go out anywhere, when I get back, the first stop is to say hello to them, then go upstairs. I also have a few plants outside my front door. It's a lovely feeling when I open the door every morning and see them! Or the way they greet me when I come up the steps....
Keep a plant or plant a garden...It helps a lot and you will feel the happiness the plants send out to you...as they do to me....It's unconditional love at its best......grab it and revel in it...
(This is from me...)