One of the oldest myths in psychology is that our minds are separate from our bodies. Today, however, there is an overwhelming amount of research that shows how our mental health is directly influenced by our brains and biology.
A big part of this influence comes from what we inherit from our genes, which we don’t have much control over. However, diet and exercise also play an important role in maintaining a healthy body and healthy mind – and those are things that we do have the power to change.
What are intrusive thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are involuntary and unpleasant thoughts, images, or ideas that pop into our mind.
They are a common symptom in those with anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD; however, the truth is most people experience intrusive thoughts from time to time.
A lot of the clothes I still wear I’ve had for years. The video games I play today are all from previous generations. And I still use the same TV, laptop, and cellphone that I’ve had for a really long time.
It’s not that I’m against any of these things or that I’m against spending money. Instead I’ve been investing my money in different ways.
There’s always tomorrow – except when there’s not.
Why do we constantly put off things that we know we should do? What does it take to motivate ourselves to follow through on these activities?
One big part of the answer is identifying activities that we tend to procrastinate on.
It’s not hard to make a decision that impacts your life. Even small and simple changes can make a big difference if you make them where they really count.
Here is an experiment you can try in changing one small habit in your daily routine. The goal is to try it out successfully for one full week, then re-evaluate whether you would like to continue the habit change in the future.