The Routines Challenge

 

Challenge 5: The Routines Challenge

27 June 2021 , Sunday - 26 August 2021, Thursday

Half a year has gone by in 2021. I looked back at how I spent my time, and I did not like what I found. I caught myself engaging in many unhealthy habits. I cut down on my sleep in order to continue any unfinished task I had on my hands. I was stuck in the pleasure trap for a long time, where I could not free myself out of the cycle of getting pleasure from doing something, craving for more of that pleasure, and continuing whatever I did to satisfy my cravings. 

I was sure that these actions were undesirable for my health. I felt that I squandered much of the precious time I have to prepare for higher education, careers and all the things adults do, spending the time instead on fruitless endeavours that only made me feel good for a moment. To get out of this predicament, I needed some form of push to get myself on what I believed to be the right track. As for what the right track means, I define it as a state of life where there is moderation, balance and happiness in everything that I do. And that push is a Life Challenge.

Here I am, declaring the steps that I will take to remedy the ills I had been doing to myself. I hope that anyone who is reading this will be able to support the change I am trying to make, and not denounce my efforts too early on because of the widely held belief that changing one’s behaviour is hard. Changing a person’s behaviour is not entirely impossible. Our brains have a certain level of plasticity which enables it to have the potential to change itself.

I intend to maximise the chances of succeeding in this challenge by gamifying the tasks involved in this challenge. This will entail the setting of clear goals, the tracking of progress, and providing myself with rewards and penalties to help me stay committed to the challenge. I look forward to inspiring people who intend to change their life by sharing my gamification approach and the systems I used to help me with forming new habits and changing old behaviours.

If you are still doubtful, continue to watch this space for the subsequent posts documenting my progress I make with this challenge. Some goals may even overlap with what you are trying to work on, making the systems and games I make adaptable for your personal use. 

The game is on. Challengers, ready your move!

Here comes the all-important rulebook, which also contains links to the supporting documents: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQidqH1KYebjyJcRFHsRaL2tYXjtjG0c3m7YRml1UThOnTt9GMq83EZFZVf6gKJEjSstARdtCjZcctK/pub

The Query #1

ISSUE NO. 1 - 3 searches made

  

What is "The Query"?

It is a new series of posts about the Google searches I make in my every day life to help me make better decisions and to overcome difficulties. There are many tips to be gained from just a search. I will collect the results of these searches so that it will be convenient to access them in future when I (or any of the readers) am met with a similar problem.

DISCLAIMER: There is no warranty about the completeness, accuracy and reliability for the information provided, since they are results yielded from Google searches. Any action you take upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, and no liability will be accepted for any losses and damages in connection with the use of this website.

① SEARCHED: How to enjoy doing things I dislike?


Lifehack: How to Enjoy What You Are Doing No Matter What
The ability to do well on things you don’t like is essential for success. It makes you perform consistently well no matter what. Such consistent performance will make you stand out among your peers. Here are some tips to do that:

1. Look at the long-term benefit
2. Find what you can learn from it. If you really can’t find any, at least the experience teaches you to be persistent in any situation. That’s a valuable lesson in itself.
3. Think of doing it for someone you love
4. Enjoy the interaction with the people
5. Think and say something positive
6. Gather with passionate people. Their passion would be contagious. They will give you the energy to stay positive and even enjoy what you are doing.

Medium: How to Enjoy what you Hate to do
Change your have-to-s to get-to-s by:

1. Framing the situation differently (see it as a game, a way of improving yourself, etc.)
2. Project forward and think of the reason for doing this
3. Relate to other realities. Someone out there may be having it worse than you, so do not complain

Additional points from WikiHow: How to Do Something You Don't Like

• Don't be too harsh on yourself. Of course, try to see where you can improve, but excessively high standards are just counterproductive. 
• Reward yourself
• Let it all out - release your stress and emotions
• Finding enjoyment - can play music and move according to the beat.

② SEARCHED: How to adjust to new environments?

Huffington Post: 10 Tips for Adjusting to New Surroundings

1. Research on the environment - the place, the people, its values, etc.
2. Personal branding. Decide what three qualities you want to be known for.
3. Be polite to everyone. The courtesy you show will pay you back with rich rewards.
4. Ask for tips if no one is going to bring you around the place. Others may be uncertain about you or have forgotten what it felt like to be new in the place. A little reminder you do not know the way around can elicit warmth and support.
5. Listen for opportunities to connect and share the relevant information about yourself to build rapport with others.
6. Do not take anything personally for the first few weeks. People do not know you well enough to dislike you, so give them the benefit of the doubt.
7. If someone said something that is too insensitive to ignore, speak up to show your concern. But it is wise to keep cool and give others the benefit of the doubt, since you might have made the same mistake.
8. Try to speak at the same volume as those in your new environment. Studies show that people respond best to others who speak at the same volume as themselves.
9. Get out and explore the place. Once you know the environment better, you will be more comfortable with it.
10. Adjusting to a new environment can be stressful, so take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest, eat well and exercise. 

Youth Time: Adapting to New Surroundings: Psychologist Tips and Stories of Three Students

1. Stay positive. A new environment can give expose you to new cultures, which help you to be more flexible.
2. Prepare yourself and be a ready for a shock, since the new environment can be drastically different from what you are comfortable with.
3. Change some of your habits, and try to see it as an interesting experience.
4. Do not expect too much.
5. Do not be in a hurry, as adjustment takes some time.
6. Follow your individual way of adjustment. Try to do again what helped you to adapt to a new situation more easily.
7. Have someone next to you and surround yourself with new people. You will be able to learn more about the new environment and get used to it more quickly. 
8. Do not think about your home and compare between that and your new environment. That is not going to help you with your adjustment.
9. Be yourself, then you can venture out of your comfort zone and not be afraid of new things.

③ SEARCHED: Tips to speed up recovery from sores and injuries.

Mueller Sports Medicine: 10 Useful Techniques to Heal Your Sports Injury Faster

1. Get more sleep
2. Eat more protein
3. Green tea ointment
4. Hydration
5. Staged injury protection and braces
6. Do moderate amount of light cardio throughout the week. Simply getting your blood pumping with the intensity-equivalent of a brisk walk can boost your immune system and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
7. Maintain skin moisture
8. Temperature - If your injury is swelling, make sure to treat it with ice or cold packs for 10-30 minutes about every two hours combined with compression and elevation. This will reduce swelling and pain at the same time. Once the swelling stops, treat with heat. This will promote blood flow, faster healing, and help the internal tissue to relax during the healing process.
9. Do everything you can to stay loose and properly stretched while you heal.
10. Leave it alone

Active: 17 Proven Ways to Speed Muscle Recovery (points that overlap with the above will be omitted)

• Listen to relaxing tunes can aid in exercise recovery. Slow-tempo songs can lower blood pressure and heart rate more quickly after exercise.
• Drink chocolate milk for the protein and carbohydrates
• Try tart cherry juice. 
• Cut back on the alcohol
• Foam-rolling to prevent knots and muscle imbalance
• Get a massage to remove scar tissue and reduce stiffness associated with muscle repair
• Try compression garments
• Take a cold bath, as it could significantly reduce soreness and inflammation for up to 24 hours after exercise.
• Try anti-inflammatories unless you want to build muscle

Additional reading

The above tips are different kind of techniques for muscle recovery. To understand the theory behind these tips and how to use them well, visit: https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/post-workout-muscle-recovery-how-why-let-your-muscles-heal/#whatsbestforyou