"For most families in the past, life was simple but not easy. Today, for a nuclear family, life is easy but not simple" - I came across this statement in the book "Wisdom Bridge". It made such an impact on me. Why is life not so simple these days? Are we creating the complications deliberately or without our awareness?
Is our nature to gravitate towards extremities causing this complexity?
Sharing a few thoughts from the perspective of health.
We overindulge and then we go for extreme diets.
For eg, there wasn't any detox after festivities during our parents'/grandparents' times. They happily indulged in sweets and savories during Diwali and then got back to eating simple, regular home-cooked foods.
In the past few years, every health influencer has announced a detox program post-Diwali. If we say "detox", it implies that there are toxins that we have consumed which need to be eliminated. We are programming our minds that sweets/deep-fried foods are toxic, which makes us feel subconsciously guilty while eating them.
I remember savories like murukku and mixture used to be prepared at home ONLY twice a year - Janmashtami and Diwali. Thanks to the numerous outlets, these savories (and sweets) are available all year round.
There are simple practices that can be followed to maintain health and well-being:
- Eat fresh, home-cooked food.
- Spend time in nature.
- Stay physically active throughout the day.
- Practice simple yogasanas, do nadi shodhan pranayama everyday.
- Meditate for a few minutes, closing your eyes and observing your breath.
- Sleep on time. Follow circadian rhythm
But NO, these simple practices are boring.
We HAVE to eat quinoa/chia seeds/protein shakes/smoothies. Or else our macro counts will go haywire.
We HAVE to lift 50 kg weights three times a day and spend 2 hours in the gym. Only then we will lose weight.
We HAVE to run 10 km every day. Only then our metabolic rate will be high.
Beliefs like these are being propagated through social media and we succumb to them because they challenge us. Simple practices aren't appealing and don't seem challenging enough.
The more we embrace simplicity, the higher the probability our mental health will be in good shape. As we complicate our lives, mental health takes a beating. No wonder, many spiritual gurus are warning that a mental health pandemic is coming soon.
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