Category: Random

Strategies to keep my health

~ Veselin ~ 3 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
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Here are my strategies for pushing back against the slippery slope of aging and bad habits:

  • I try to walk on average 10K steps per day on a weekly basis and count them weekly. My goal for 2025 is to do most of these steps by hiking over weekends, with a bit higher difficulty. This is my cardio fitness, gym, and meditation exercise, 3 in 1
  • I try to read at least 6 books per month every month, and this is a forced way to turn off my brain in the evening so I can sleep. Quality sleep is essential for feeling well
  • I try to go to bed before midnight and sleep at least 7h every day
  • I have strict rules for alcohol and coffee and I mostly avoid them but do not avoid Coca-Cola Zero. I probably should. I love it.

Apart from the abstinence from coffee and alcohol, all the other goals require somewhat good health and good spirit. The 10K steps goal is very challenging because you start from 0 every day, and even the relaxed goal (8k weekday, 15k weekend day) is still quite tough. Any discomfort can make achieving this impossible.

The habit of reading 6 books/month can be cheated in many ways, for example, by reading very short books. But the number is just a target, it’s not the point. Books get me off the screen and help me sleep. Computers are addictive.

Little Things

~ Veselin ~ 5 Comments

Yesterday, I saw the Jetpack app on my phone and it felt like I’ve not turned that on in awhile. It made me think about how easily we let things slip. We do something regularly, then skip it once, then a few more times… and eventually, we just stop. Even if we made a clear commitment to keep it up.

Other examples:

  • Use that frontendmasters subscription, because I made a commitment to learn SVG animations but never did
  • A 10-year-old dashboard, from a past role, visiting which used to be second nature for me
  • Vacuuming the car
  • Checking up on an old friend who’s always happy to chat but never calls
  • Watering the plant in the other room
  • Reading a few pages of that book that’s boring but useful and I want to finish

I was greatly embarrassed and checked all 10-year-old dashboards, the trash in the car (uh, forgot one thing that just stays in the trunk), messaged a few friends, and watered the plant.

The frontendmasters sub is gone, I have to admit I’m not learning SVG animations any time soon.