Step Away From The Microscope.

Are you the kind of person that focuses on the tiniest little details? Do you look at things and assume that others see the same? Chances are, if it's something so small that even you have to seek it out to focus on it, no one else in the world is even noticing it, much less judging it. I have the unpleasant gift of extreme observation. This means that I notice every single little thing about everyone. I'm terrible about judging others silently (and sometimes not so silently) about the details of their appearance. Because I do this myself, in the back of my mind, I feel that others are doing the same to me. This in turn causes me to focus too much on my own flaws. I'm terrible about micro-focusing on myself. When I sit back and think about it, the chances of others noticing these things are pretty slim. It's all in my mind and it's something that I wish I could change about myself. Since losing weight, it has become less of an issue because I feel that there is less that I'm unhappy with, but I still focus on little things that I'm not yet completely happy with. 

This can often spill into other aspects of your life. If you're the kind of person who focuses too closely on the little things, you probably over analyze and fret over mundane things that are actually unimportant. All too often you get so involved in things that you look at the entirety of your life through a microscope. Amplifying manifold, an invisible speck becomes an insurmountable mountain. Take a step back, breathe, and walk away from the microscope. Put the magnifying glass back on the table and imagine yourself a year from now looking back on that "problem": does this really matter? Truly think about it. Is this going to affect me in such a way that would call for such panic? You have to learn to choose your battles and decide what truly calls for such focus. Make a list of things you need to do and put it away. The next day, reread the list and decide which of these things actually requires your time and effort. The list just got shorter, didn't it? 

Look at your life as a big picture. When you're visualizing your future, think about the things that will be required of you to obtain this picture. Don't focus on these little details that will not benefit or will be detrimental to your life. You can plan, plan, plan, but you can't plan for everything. You cannot let unexpected events or developments bring you down. When something bad happens to you, absorb the blow and do what you can to work it into the plan. You can't panic and freak out because this unexpected event occurred. Let yourself enjoy your life and deal with things sanely and rationally. Take it from a former freak out master: crying and hyperventilating is not going to accomplish anything. Once you learn to let things roll off of your back, you're going to feel much less stress build up in your life. This doesn't mean not dealing with reality, this simply means you must to deal with it like an adult. 

On the other hand, you also have to accept the good things that come your way. You cannot ignore happiness! Why would you want to?! It is wonderful to be focused and set on accomplishment, but if you never take the time to have fun and be free, you're going to let your responsibilities weigh you down. You can't let them sit in the back of your mind permanently, but there is no reason that you can't put them back there temporarily while you live your life. When you have a chance to enjoy life, go out and do just that. Come back to your responsibilities when it's time, but live in the moment more often. That was my New Year's Resolution this year and I am so proud to say that I've really held to that. I think the most obvious example of this would be my decision to move to California, but I've adopted this way of life in so many other ways as well. Don't get so caught up in life that you forget to live. 

"Be in love with your life. Every minute of it." -Jack Kerouac

Absolutely. Even in the instances that you're doing something only because you're required to, remember that it's only for a moment. You're allowed to have fun, even in rough times, even in stressful times. Sometimes getting away, even if only for a minute or two, just sitting in a room by yourself, having a meal with a friend, this can be the best antidote for life. Let things go. That's the best advice I can give anyone who would like to live a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle doesn't just entail eating habits and fitness, it has so much to do with mental and emotional state. If your mind isn't happy, your body can't be happy. If your body isn't happy, your mind can't be happy. I've said it time and time again, everything is connected. Stress is terrible for your skin, it can make you physically ill, it affects your diet, it brings you down. Be happy, be healthy. Be healthy, be happy. So simple.