The Hindu Business Line : Don't sweat the small stuff

Be hardy. Don't allow adversities to steal the zeal from your spirit. Depression, lethargy, lack of hope, passive and resigned acceptance... all contribute to weakening our immunity system. Think and act hardy. It's not that the hardy never fall ill, but they optimally use healing resources such as emotional support, medicines, exercise and therapies to recover quicker. Hardy positivity stimulates and strengthens the immunity system. So, don't get stressed.

Look at a situation with wise and clear eyes, and say, "Hey, I'm not going to sweat on this small stuff." Resist being even slightly inactive or long-faced due to an illness. Say, "I'm darned if I let anything get me down!" I'm not talking of a sudden rush of adrenaline to the head, but of a steady flowing current of strength, determination and purpose from the heart.

Everybody can become hardy... or hardier. First of all, never believe that you are vulnerable and weak in the face of problems. Nobody is. You have human resilience, initiative, creativity, vigour, power and genius. As Rev Norman Vincent Peale wrote in his book, Staying Alive, "Remember, God experimented on mountains and oceans before he made you."

Second, commit yourself wholly to being fitter, healthier, happier, and yes, hardier. Commit yourself to not trouble your near and dear ones with your infirmities. Commit yourself to being there like a rock for your family, friends, colleagues and students. When you commit with such lucid clarity and responsibility, laying the foundation stone for a holistic life becomes your mission. The four foundation stones are:

Nourishing

* Eat a huge bowl of fresh fruit and salad, which includes whole grains and sprouted pulses, with lunch and dinner.

* Eat dinner by 8.30 p.m. for optimum digestion.

* Drink one-and-a-half litres of water.

* Take antioxidants like Vitamin E, C, beta-carotene from nuts, seeds and greens; calcium from milk products to prevent inner `scarring' by free radicals. Simultaneously, cut out fats.

* Nourish your mind by reading inspirational books, listening to beautiful music and interacting with positive, wise people.

Exercising

* Do cardio-workouts, light weight-training, and stretching exercises to strengthen your heart, lungs and bones, increase your stamina and flexibility, and prime up your brain's happy hormones.

* Do deep breathing, particularly exhalations to rid your body of toxins.

* Solve crossword puzzles, learn beautiful poems, paint pictures, write a diary, and sing. In sum, do any activity that focuses your brain and sharpens its alertness.

Resting

* Sleep by 9.30 p.m. and rise at 5 a.m. When you are in tune with nature's timings, not only are you healthier and happier, you have a clearer, wider perspective on life.

* Ensure you sleep well for six to eight hours every night.

* When awake, feel completely, profoundly at peace with yourself and your life. The other side, the rhythmic counterpart of the dynamic aspect of life, is rest. Rest renews, rejuvenates and re-empowers; it also rekindles hardiness.

Nurturing

* To enjoy what you do, do what you enjoy. Find your calling. When you're focused on and committed to a personal mission, no adversity can hold you back, and no illness can get its tentacles into you.

Being fit, toned, stimulated and rested configures hardiness in your being. Then, even an illness becomes a process of learning or a curious challenge to be studied, worked around and conquered. You tend to ask, "How did this happen?" You are ready to further fine-tune your lifestyle to make this affliction go away. This readiness is the best psychological position to be in. It's a readiness for not just getting better, but living better than before you fell ill.

Hardiness is further fostered by taking care of three fronts:

* Learning how to handle anger. The secret is neither to get too volatile nor to suppress your anger. Rather, sit down and write out your feelings. Spend time re-wording, editing and checking out spellings. This — steering your anger — is part of hardiness.

* Making a passionate commitment to taking time to live and drinking in the happiness that life's smallest, simplest situations offer. Say, you're strolling on the beach one evening. The sky turns a beautiful orange. A flock of birds sweep with breathtaking precision across the horizon. Caught in the beauty of the moment, you pause. Skin tingling, mind aglow, you want to forever stand and savour this soul-stirring scenario... Breathing in the fullness of life's offerings is breathing healthfulness into the body.

* Focussing on your strengths. When life feels shakily out of control, regain your balance by taking on tasks you excel at — teaching English, managing somebody's investment portfolio, etc. Make every setback a beautiful comeback.

The writer is co-author of the book `Fitness for Life'.

Picture by K.K. Mustafah

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