A Happy and Healthy Brain

 

Since I left my full-time job at the end of 2018, I've been kind of running an experiment: Creating a life for myself that maximizes happiness and minimizes stress.  

I'd already been subscribed to many publications about happiness, and the more I read and learned, the more I realized how much our brain is involved!

Our thoughts determine our happiness much more than what's actually happening to us.  I've talked about this in a couple of my other recent posts, but one of the biggest examples for me has to do with why I stopped full-time work to begin with: Fears about my back.

In 2018, I had a lot of back pain.  I have severe scoliosis and osteoporosis, both degenerative conditions that can lead to fractured vertebrae. The first specialist I saw was the worst doctor I've ever had. She really scared me into thinking that my back was a ticking time bomb, that spinal collapse was inevitable and that I needed to prepare myself for a life of pain because there was nothing I'd be able to do about it.  I decided to stop working and travel while I was still able to, relatively pain-free.

I was so scared that I had a serious discussion with my children warning them that I might be debilitated and my daughter strongly suggested getting a second opinion.  The second doctor was much more optimistic and said it was very possible, I could live a long pain-free life. I was ecstatic with relief.

The doctors saw the same X-rays and read the same reports, yet came to two different conclusions...  one very pessimistic and one very optimistic. The bottom line is they didn't really know.

However, my state of mind when I was scared affected my overall health! I couldn't sleeep, I was distracted, and every twinge of pain in my back made me think that maybe this was the beginning of the end.

Since I left my job and have really been focusing on my health and happiness, I've been sleeping better, having less stress, exercising regularly, and feeling more healthy than ever! My back hardly ever hurts at all!

I know this could all change in an instant.  I am a lot more careful about the activities I do and I know when I need to rest, but rather than living in fear, I'm living in gratitude.  I'm learning that even pain can be lessened by our thoughts.  (That being said, I'm gonna get pretty frustrated if I fracture a vertebra and someone tells me all I have to do is use my brain to "think away the pain.")

I know pain, both physical and mental, cannot simply and easily be erased.  But I'm continually learning that our thoughts and our brain are instrumental to our overall health and wellness.

I've been reading a lot about how we keep our brains healthy as we age and according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Book, Keep Sharp, there are 5 keys:

1. Sleep
2. Exercise
3. Nutrition
4. Social Connection
5. Learning / New Experiences

It's interesting (but not surprising) that all five of these are also listed as important keys to happiness.  Basically, if we take care of our brains, we will be happier and healthier.

Even though I hate how scared I felt when that doctor was so dismal about my future, I do feel glad that it forced me to reprioritize what I was doing in my life.  Sometimes I miss my work (and my income) but I know that I'm healthier and happier now with less stress.  (Actually, Gupta's book recommends NOT retiring because work helps us with item #5 on that list..  keeping our mind active and learning. But I love having more time to learn what I want instead of only learning what's necessary for a job.)

I guess some fear can spur us to action, but it can also hurt us. If we let our minds be overwhelmed with fear, we might spiral downward into depression and have a hard time digging our way out.

The key is to fear is to realize that this is not something that has happened and it might not happen.  If we hope for the best and plan for the worst, we can let our minds relax into enjoying our present lives instead of fearing our future.

Learning to be mindful, practicing gratitude and compassion (as the video says), and taking control of our happiness can help us create a happy and healthy brain and life.