NAVIGATION
TOWARDS A
HEALTHIER YOU!

• I'm sure you've come across an article, news story, or just have heard the importance of taking a mental health day. The problem is, who has time? Or at least that is what so many of us tell ourselves. The majority of us are bad with sick days (not too many of us take one unless we have to) and are worse when it comes to a mental health day. We have this mentality ingrained that we need to just keep pushing forward because it is what everyone does. However, just like a sick day (getting physically sick is often our body's way of saying I need to recover) is critical to recovery, so is a mental health day. Start thinking of mental health days as a regular tune-up, just like sleep, or rest between workouts. A mental health day does not necessarily mean you have to do nothing and completely unplug from the world and responsibilities (although these "Gold Medal" days can provide benefits), they just simply need to be a break from what currently has you stressed or anxious (ie, if work is stressing you, instead of worrying about and dwelling on it, maybe you take a day to work on your at-home to-do list or a "Bronze Medal" day). You can still be productive on a mental health day, the goal is to switch your focus and energy away from what is causing the need to take the mental health day. Doing so also helps to alleviate the feeling of selfishness (another mentally ingrained feeling) because we are doing something for ourselves. If you feel guilty taking time for yourself, start with a "Bronze" day where you're still productive, just in a different area, and work your way to a "Gold" day. Just remember "Gold" days are special days, if you do them all the time, then they are no longer special (plus you'll have a backlog of tasks if you aren't doing anything). If you want to be the best version of yourself, you need to take care of yourself. You are worth it.Anger overshadows everything and one of the best analogies is the Anger Iceberg, where the anger emotion is the visible tip above the water, covering up and hiding the harder to express and accept emotions such as sadness, fear, and resentment. Anger, hence, is only part of the story. We all get angry, some faster than others, some more intense than others. Regardless of the how and why the underlying reason is a perceived threat. This threat, which is usually viewed as unjust or unfair, triggers the fight-or-flight response, and subconsciously, anger seems to be the safe response to the situation. Depending on the situation anger can also feel empowering (which feels good). For instance, "oh yeah, well I'll show you..." That sense could be for a group of people being mistreated or just about you. Either way, someone’s getting screwed and you are not going to take it. That empowerment feels good, but the trick is turning the reaction of, “I’ll show you,” to the intent of, “Here’s how I’m going to show you.” Unfortunately, getting angry rarely makes anything better. When you become angry, the first thing you should do is validate that “Getting angry is as normal as getting happy.” This helps to alleviate any undue stress that you should be reacting in a particular way. After that, which will actually calm you a little, check-in with the actual situation. While the "threat" may feel real, is the threat your emotional response perceives equal to the actual threat? Jeremy Frank, a clinical psychologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, recommends asking: What are you thinking? Why are you feeling emotionally? What are you feeling physically? Follow that with deep breathing for 10-30 or however long you need, and re-ask the questions. Chances are your awareness has expanded and empathy can creep in, allowing you to realize, “Someone was having a bad day,” or it might be nothing more than, “that guy was simply a jerk but he’s probably always that way and has nothing to do with me.” Handling anger is more than being kind to others it's about being kind to yourself as well. Anger puts a drain on you and a drain on others. Just like all other areas of life, however, controlling one's anger takes practice. While eventually, you may want to dig deep into the reasons for the anger for better understanding, just acknowledging it and accepting it can make a huge difference in controlling it. After all, no one wants to be around someone who is grumpy or confrontational all the time.

Being Too Busy Is Bad for Your Health

Unlike robots, human beings were not built to produce perfect work day in, day out for eight hours straight. In fact, Dr Price explains, most of us are only capable of about three hours of decent work a day, far less than the standard working day in the majority of the world. We need breaks to maintain quality work and for our bodies and minds to function properly. MR. PORTER

How Long Does It Take to Put on Muscle?

Some gym rat guy told us a long time ago that “it takes a few weeks for you to notice the change and a few months for others to notice the change in your muscles.” We’ve basically been treating that as gospel for years. Until now. Thanks to the Art of Manliness for getting to the bottom of this. ART OF MANLINESS

A 4-Minute Stretch Routine You Should Do Every Morning

Rise and shine and stretch! Consider this a warm-up for your entire day. SELF

Does Exercise Reduce Inflammation? Here’s What a Preventive Medicine Doc Says

While it’s true that what you eat plays a major role in combatting the effects of inflammation, according to preventive medicine doctor Kenneth Cooper, MD, MPH, food is only part of the solution. WELL+GOOD

38 High-Protein Dinners That Taste Great and Keep You Full

End your day on a delicious high-protein note. SELF