Bloggers’ eyes are at strains as blogging requires tons of reading. Especially it is painful for part time bloggers as they do it at night when the light is less than optimal.
The result is pretty expected – at some point bloggers prescribed to wear eyeglasses.
That is exactly what happened to me a year ago at age of 36. While almost everyone tells me the glasses suit me I admit it is a pain – physical and logistical [and financial].
William H. Bates shares practical techniques to improve eyesight in his book The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses. I adopted 3 of them as they seemed to me something I can stick and practice for a long period of time.
In The Power of Full Engagement the authors state that in order to achieve sustained peak performance you need to be:
Physically energized.
Emotionally connected.
Mentally focused.
Spiritually aligned.
Physically energized
There are three ingredients to empower yourself physically:
Breathing right. Thinking and controlling breath seemed to me over-kill. I started to notice I sometime take really deep inhales, It helps me to focus, switch gears. It recharges me.
Sleeping right. The authors recommend 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep. Sleeping less is killing, more sleep kills too. I stopped staying awake until midnight and beyond. I wake up earlier and full of energy.
Emotionally connected
Emotional resilience – active engagement with others’ and personal emotions - is the other energy source for personal power.
I was totally drained emotionally lately. Both work and family are the sources of the drainage.
The authors recommend switching channels. So I did. I started focusing on positive emotions both at home and at work. I switched off all sources of negative emotions. I do not ignore it, I do handle the situations but I never get stuck on it. I move on to the positive emotions sources.
I feel much less drained and with much more motivation to cope with more challenges.
Mentally focused
Mental acuity – intellectual challenge. What do you feel right after you solved tricky problem? Empowered, satisfied, ready to another fight. Right? What do you feel doing tedious work? Boredom. Mental atrophy.
I am always looking for interesting jobs, challenges. When there is none, I make up them, solve it and publish on my technical, other blog. When I finally post and share the solution I feel empowered. Would you?
Spiritually aligned
Spiritual capacity - periodically revisiting deepest personal values. Few of my values are:
Honesty
Loyalty
Respect
Openness
Partnership
Calculated recklessness …
Got values? Stick to it and you will never feel spiritually down.
Flat-liner
The authors say without stretching you muscles - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual - your life becomes flat-liner. Flat-liner life is atrophy that kills. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, stretch your muscles, get fully engaged, feel the power. The Power of Full Engagement
How to maintain acceptable weight without limiting food assortment and amount? How to keep alert after lunch time? How to keep high energy throughout the day?
DISCLAIMER: below is my personal practice. I am not physician or diet specialist.
Morning meal is most important one. It should provide me the energy to survive high rhythm from 6:00 AM to 13:00, 6 to 7 hours of morning pressure - getting kids to school, getting through heavy traffic, planning the day, finishing unfinished work from yesterday, completing current work items. I consume carbohydrate rich food for breakfast - cereal, bread, chocolate, honey. Food that transformed directly into energy to start and keep my engines moving.
Morning anti-patterns
No breakfast.
Deep fried food.
Protein rich food (consumes more energy to process it).
Lunch time - supporting energy to move on
Short break to refuel. Feel hungry. I tend to eat either easy-to-burn sea food, which is protein rich or no protein rich ingredients at all - salad and potatoes, pasta, or rice. I am not vegetarian, love meat, but not for the lunch on work day. My body consumes more energy to burn meat than it generates to keep my engines moving. That is why I feel sleepy when I break this rule, when I eat meat for the lunch. In the case when I do eat red meat I mix it with vegetables only, lots of veggies.
Lunch time anti-patterns
Meat mixed with carbohydrate rich food like rice, potatoes, bread.
No vegetables.
Fast/Junk food.
Evening - low energy, recreation
Time for recreation, no energy needed, no carbohydrate rich food allowed. Meat and wine time, fruits and veggies too. Water, just water, lots of water.
Evening eating anti-patterns
Carbohydrate rich food.
Lot’s of any food.
Snacks.
Alcohol.
The result
I maintain acceptable weight, I did not change my jeans size for last 15 years. I feel good level of energy throughout the day. I breath with full chest. My mind is clear and not overwhelmed.
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food - Hippocrates
