Confession time from me. I know quite a bit about communication, particularly in dealing with difficult people and situations, and I know a lot about practical ways to mitigate the accumulation of negative pressure (stress). However, there are quite a lot of things that I don't know about in relation to wellbeing.
Here are some things that I wish I knew more about because I believe that knowing more about them would help us to overcome the negative impact of pressure from our daily work;
Diet - There are so many foods that we should avoid when we are under pressure and so many others that we could eat to help us deal better with pressure. I have read a lot about diets and dieting. What I do know is that dieting may not be all that good for you, the rebound phenomenon when we finish our diet is likely to see us gain more weight. I know that you should eat protein with every meal and eat slow release carbs to keep your energy levels up.
If I was to sum up what I have learned about diet, avoid as much sugar and processed foods as possible.
Supplements - Research suggests that Vitamin B and D, magnesium, chromium and selenium can help your mood increase in a positive way. The problem is to know how much to take, when to take them, what else to eat when taking them, and what happens if we take too much.
In summary, you need to see an expert on supplements but research suggests that it is well worth doing so if you want to lift your mood.
Detox - Over time toxins build up inside our bodies, I get that. But which detox programme should I use out of the many different detox programmes available is beyond me. Research tells us that we can speed up the recovery from certain forms of low mood (and possibly depression) if we quickly rid ourselves of toxins so it is worthwhile going on a detox programme.
As with supplements, you need to speak to an expert (not Dr Google, a reputable expert) on the best detox programme that is right for you.
Alcohol - Some would say that I should know a lot about this, I have been drinking alcohol since I was 15 years old. What I do know about alcohol is that it makes me feel good, at least for the first drink or two. I also know that it helps me to relax in the evening and also to get to sleep (but not stay asleep). I drink red wine because I enjoy the taste and research tells us that there are genuine benefits in consuming small quantities of red wine. I also know that if I don't supplement one glass of water for every glass of red wine I drink then I will quickly become dehydrated.
In summary, alcohol is bad for us. Research indicates that the limited benefits we get from drinking alcohol does not outweigh the detrimental impact on our health and wellbeing. Bottom line, the more alcohol that you drink the worse it is for your health.
Sorry to end the week on a negative note, next week I will look at some happier topics.