QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Begin by answering this question in a single, memorable sentence: Why do you get up in the morning?”
― Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest
IDEA OF THE DAY
Last week, we introduced the first principle of building a healthier and happier life by incorporating natural movement into our daily routine. This week, we’re going to explore two areas of the second blue zone principle: right outlook. Right outlook is comprised of purpose and downshift.
Dan defines purpose best in his research:
The Okinawans call it “Ikigai” and the Nicoyans call it “plan de vida;” for both, it translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.
7 years!! WHOA!
Knowing your sense of purpose, or your big why is powerful as it connects you to an idea, dream or goal that is bigger than just you. Your sense of purpose can change over time and it’s natural to go through stages where you may struggle in knowing what your purpose is. If you’re currently exploring this or want to take a moment to check in with yourself, try this purpose checkup!
Your purpose can be grand, but it can also be something on a small-scale that is meaningful to you. Currently, my sense of purpose is about being as kind as I can to anyone I interact with, and to be aware of when I judge myself and others. If you asked me 5 years ago what my purpose was, I wanted to be the next Tony Robbins, helping people on a massive scale. Now, I realize how important it is to start with helping myself and those within my community, and that provides a deep sense of connection and joy to my day.
Back to Dan’s wisdom…
Downshift: Even people in blue zones areas experience stress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. What the world’s longest-lived people have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap and Sardinians enjoy happy hour with enriched Cannonau wine.
Downshifting is about creating a supportive routine to help unwind from stressful environments and to slow down for the evening in a way that is restoring and nourishing. One massive way we can downshift is how we prepare for sleep. What are the habits we have in place that are not ideal and how can we change them to be more supportive of a good night’s rest? Here’s a great checklist with ideas to get you started.
So for today, I will leave us with the thoughts on connection to a sense of purpose and exploring ways to downshift. As you move naturally through your day, mull over which ideas you found inspiring, and what you’d like to shift in your daily routine. I’m excited to hear what you come up with!
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Why do you get up in the morning?
(I love being able to walk my nephew and niece to school, and thinking about it makes me jump out of bed in the morning!)