Since about 2019, I’ve become obsessed with experimenting the best personal development habits for the purpose of improving my mental and physical health. Let me start with this… I know it’s overwhelming when you look on YouTube and start with “best habits for…”, because there are so many people that have their opinions on what has worked and what hasn’t. But experiences are completely subjective. The people who knock powerful habits are typically the ones who don’t have the discipline to see it through. These people then try to push their negative narrative onto others and convince people that their experience is the final truth. I think it’s important to do your research on what you’re attempting to try out so that you have a general idea as to what the possible side effects – both positive and negative – are; but I encourage you to follow up with action. You won’t know anything unless you’ve truly put in the time and effort to implement these steps into your daily life.
What I am mentioning has been tried and tested at least once in my life for at least 30 days or more. This timeframe is important because data on habit formation and effectiveness shows that 30 days is how long it takes for one to really stick; for a habit to become second nature, and to be able to experience the impact of it on your mind and body. By no means were the majority of the following easy to see through every day, but that is why discipline is so important. Especially in today’s modern landscape.
Here are my top 5 habits for a healthy mind:
- Exercising. At this point, working out at the gym has become a non-negotiable part of my daily routine. If I skip a day, it disrupts my focus and makes me more susceptible to negative emotion; and arguably the most important is that it has massively boosted my confidence. Any activity that increases testosterone is likely to have this effect. These reasons are partly why I force myself to go. Another is because this lifestyle – which is what it really is – has taught me discipline like nothing else. Doing something physically demanding, regardless of whether or not you wanted to do it in the first place, callouses your mind and prepares you for the discipline needed in other areas of your life. Notice that I have only mentioned the mental benefits. This is really why I go; the physical benefits are just a by-product of my intended purpose.
- Meditation. I was introduced to this practice years ago by my grandfather, and I’m glad it has stuck with me since. If you want to talk about how to cultivate discipline, forcing yourself to sit in silence, while keeping your awareness solely on your breath in an attempt to quiet your mind of its thoughts, is an effective way of doing that. Once repeated over a number of days, ideally 30, I’ve found that it helps me feel more present in the moments of the day; allows me to reason with my thoughts by accepting what serves me and dismissing what doesn’t; allows me to be more aware of my surroundings during periods that require this, like driving; helps me reduce negative emotional states; and has increased my focus levels in my personal life and at work. I suggest trying it for yourself. There are plenty of people that see meditation as pointless and weird, but don’t let all these opinionated comments deter you. Remember, these types of people are usually the ones that lack the discipline to follow through with something. Meditation is indisputably one of the best habits for a healthy mind.
- Cooking and eating a large, balanced breakfast. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. I used to skip this meal often, and as a result I wouldn’t process information as quickly or be able to focus. So I did some research and found that not only is breakfast vital for nutrient intake before engaging in tasks during the early hours of the day, but it also can reduce anxiety and depression levels. It’s true, it worked wonders. We also need a meal like this to be packed with the right amounts of protein and carbs to maintain a healthy body mass. Even though part of the intention is to cook a large meal for this purpose, I don’t sacrifice my health in the process. Incorporating fruit on the side, diced onions or tomatoes with my eggs, has had a major impact on my clarity of mind. On top of this, the sheer act of cooking brings me satisfaction as I know exactly what I’m going to be eating. And knowing that I took the time to do this for myself brings, in itself, a satisfactory feeling. Both the act and the benefits felt from it constitute one of the simplest habits for a healthy mind.
My usual recipes are:
- Breakfast wrap: 3-4 eggs, either fried or scrambled; 2-3 pieces of bacon; diced onions and/or tomatoes (both sautéed); all put into a whole wheat tortilla wrap
- On the side of this, I toast 2 pieces of bread and top it with peanut butter, sliced bananas and sprinkled cinnamon
- Always like to throw in an apple as well
- Oatmeal: eyeball about one cup of large flake oats or small grain oats; 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter; about a tablespoon of cinnamon; topped off with bananas and/or blueberries, as well as almond, oat or cashew milk
- Journalling. From time to time, I like to write down my goals, what I’m up to in my personal and professional life, or sometimes my thoughts on our world. But what has had the most profound effect on my clarity of mind, is writing out my personal issues. Don’t get me wrong: talking to someone you trust, or a professional, is unparalleled for the sake of lifting some excess stress off your shoulders. Human dialogue works wonders, but writing out your own personal thoughts about your problems serves a similar purpose. I’ve found that, when speaking to someone, in the moments I don’t mention everything necessary, I feel a sense of regret because I wasn’t able to voice all of my concerns – and in turn, can’t receive helpful feedback for all my issues from the person I’m speaking with. When I write, everything seems to spill out of my mind onto paper or my laptop. Then, I can review the problems afterward and understand why I felt a certain way, about a certain thing.
- Retaining your Seed. This right here is arguably the most important of all habits mentioned. Guys, think of your seed as your life-force; it is what makes a man, a man. With that in mind, do you really think you’re living an optimal life if you’re constantly spilling your seed every day? Not to mention that you’re essentially placing the act of getting off by yourself, over seeking out sex from women. That’s weak. Once this notion was ingrained into my head, I was doing it less and less. It is no easy journey to start, but believe me when I say that once you can master your sexual energy, you can master anything else you set your mind toward. That said, the confidence I feel from retention is based around the inner power I have accumulated from disciplining my mind and body. There is also a feeling of motivation to get more done throughout my day; because when you harness this energy, it must then be transferred into some sort of outlet. Could be anything, but it’s important to note that it has to be something; or else you’re defeating the purpose of this way of life entirely. Finally, retention has created a sense of mind clarity and has reduced my experiences with negative emotion. Of all of my recommended habits for a healthy mind, this one is by far the most impactful.