I've taken many psychology classes in my four years at college but never once have any of my classes made me want to change my life until now.
Like most college students, I get stressed out a lot. Whether is has to do with tests, family or whatever, stress takes a toll on me. Before taking health psychology, I would bottle things up or just vent my feelings every once in a while. Since taking the class, this has started to change. We took two days of class to practice yoga and meditation. Never once have I thought about doing meditation in my life and now I try to practice it once a week.
And I don't mean like sitting in a dark room with candles everywhere like you see on television. All you need is a quiet space and you can meditate. You can check out the website Calm.com if your interested in trying it out.
Not only does one get stressed all the time, but we also experience so many other emotions, sadness being one of them. When I get upset, I learned that the best thing that one can do is to just get up and get moving. Whether it be just walking around or going to the gym, it increases your endorphins and other chemicals in the brain that change your mood around.
How many of you think your eating a healthy diet? Well, sorry to break it to you, but most of your are probably not. According to The China Study (I highly recommend reading it), eating foods with cholesterol and fats is not good for you. It can lead to plaque build up, which then can heart disease.
What an individual should be consuming is a lot of veggies and fruits and minimal meats and dairy. If you do choose to eat a meat is should be a lighter meat such as chicken, fish or turkey. This meal below would be great.
For those of you who are nervous about how will you get your protein, I am not saying that you should cut out meat because I could never do that. But some days you can substitute a meat for beans or another food item that contains protein.
Another really important aspect that I and others have taken out of the class so far is to not sweat the little things. If your having a bad day, make yourself smile for 30 seconds and you will feel better. Seriously, it works.
And last but certainty not least, I learned we need to forgive. Forgive ourselves, forgive others, and to have forgiveness for things that you cannot change.
This was me seven months ago. I broke my collarbone and had to get a metal plate put into my body. I had to quit playing my favorite sport and my whole life changed, but there was nothing I could do about it. I had to have acceptance for everything that happened and forgive the situation. If I let myself stay in a slump, it would be unhealthy for me (facts).
So if you are in a bad situation forgive yourself. Forgive others. Your life will be so much better if you can do that. Seriously.
I hope some of you actually try out some things I talked about in the article. Not only do I feel happier because of them but I also a lot healthier. Little things can make a huge difference.