Tweaking Routines
Routines allow us to look deeper into our behavior because of the behavioral repetition.
Vary Your Routines
As we get older there is a tendency to hold to established routines. After all, it took us years to discover them. Rather than creating new opportunities our attention is directed toward preserving the status quo. We want the heater to keep working as it has, the pipes to remain unclogged, the roof to continue to be without leaks, and so forth. Anything new is likely to be viewed with suspicion. However, I want to suggest something new here. There is special pleasure in refining routines, in trying small potential improvements just to see how they work. These small changes may not turn out well; then we have learned something new. Or they may upgrade our routines positively. In any case, they are better than the boring business of doing the same thing over and over for years. There is satisfaction in consistent security, but even more satisfaction in successful innovation. And it sharpens the mind.
When I do my weekly dusting I look for areas I missed before and vary the strokes of the duster. As I vacuum I vary the orderly patterns on the floor and attend to graceful cord placement.
Even if you are living in a nursing home or some other sort of sheltered facility there are minor possibilities for change possible. Vary which leg that first gets into the bed or wheelchair; reach for buttons with a different arm or finger; eat a meal in a different order; watch new television programs. Find out which alternative is preferable under which conditions. Sharpen your mind. Morita pointed out that we learn more by doing something than we learn by thinking about doing something.
Refine Your Routines
Check routines occasionally for possible improvements. Some routines are not realistic and constructive. They need to be changed. Once a routine is determined to be in need of change the first step is to substitute behavior at the beginning. Substitution is easier than simply deciding to stop the routine. What new action is preferable? What satisfactions in the old routine could be achieved with better behavior in a new routine? Cues that the old routine behavior is about to begin should be noted and the new routine behavior begun. With repetition the new routine will become automatic.
Redefining Routines
Picking up leaves and other debris in the yard becomes a game of finding hidden objects. In a past CL meeting we talked about listening to music and doing chores with friends to brighten up routines.
Changes in Routines
When a routine is interrupted know how to handle change, how to modify the routine, how to return to the routine, how to move to another routine, how to do what needs doing next.
Perspectives on Routines
Check out others' views of your routines. Inquire about similar and different routines that others may have. Adopt the routines that fit your situations. Adapt your existing routines to make them more realistic.
Advice for Aging Well--Constructive Living for Aging
David K. Reynolds
Updated 2016
Here are some suggestions, based on my observations and life experience, for using our time
constructively. It is in the DOING of these activities that benefit lies.
1. Walking is good for the body's health and good for the mind, too. The same route may be safe and
familiar, but pay attention to changes along the way. Notice the details of houses and street names and
parked cars. What seasonal changes show up in the yards you walk by?
2. You may have more time to eat, but do so with attention. Eating small wrapped candies takes time and
effort to unwrap them, so you might eat fewer of them. Use smaller plates, saucers when eating your meals so
it is safer to load up your plate. I wash dishes before eating dessert so that my brain has more time to
register the food I already ate. Furthermore, I am rewarded for doing dishes right away with a tasty
dessert.
3. There is more time for stretching slowly and carefully. The body stays flexible and capable of a variety
of activities.
4. You may find limits on your finances. Whether there are limits or not, find ways to give to others. A
smile, humor, a greeting as you walk by, picking up a piece of trash from the street or from a neighbor's
yard. Information about local meetings or sale items and the like are valuable gifts that cost little or
nothing.
5. You have learned your body's tendencies. You know how it reacts to certain medicines, how it reacts to
stress and exhaustion, how it likes certain foods and rebels at the taste of others. You have learned ways
to avoid sickness. Nevertheless, you will sometimes become ill. Furthermore, your body's preferences may
change, so don't give up trying and retrying a variety of activities.
6. When ill, aim to keep to your daily routine as much as the illness permits. It is easy to play the role
of weak and helpless victim of disease, but overacting that role invites weakness and helplessness. Find
small ways to be helpful to others while you are ill.
7. Find or make small gifts for others. Smiles and compliments are gifts, too. Shared laughter improves the
health of all.
8. Travel takes you away from the comforts and familiar routines of home. Travel is inconvenient.
Nevertheless, travel gives opportunities for new discoveries and perspectives. Travel combats the boredom of
the usual. Go on a trip now and then.
9. Proper teaching requires you to keep up to date with learning. Find opportunities to teach others.
Handicrafts, songs, travel planning, cooking, household hints--whatever your skills--share them with others.
10. Waiting for someone to come and fix something is more irritating than doing something to alleviate the
problem yourself. Even if your effort results in only temporary success or no success at all, the effort is
superior to having the wait weigh upon your mind. At the very least, make preparations that will help the
fixer do his/her job.
11. Express interest in the health and doings of those around you. Don't dwell on your own health and
activities. No one enjoys hearing constant complaints.
12. Forgetting happens. Learn something new, another language perhaps or new computer skills. Practice
memorizing jokes, people's names, famous quotes, addresses. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the
natural process of forgetting as we age. What did you eat yesterday? What did you do yesterday and the day before?
Keep a journal to check on your memories.
13. By now you have learned an efficient way to do lots of things. Now is a good time to try new ways of
doing everyday chores. Your experience will help you determine whether the new ways are better than what you
have done for years. Try dancing while dusting, vacuum with your left hand, mow the lawn in new patterns, and so forth.
14. By now you know how possessions require storage and upkeep. Now is a good time to simplify, donating
unneeded clothing, electrical equipment, tools, books, and other possessions that can benefit others. Simplifying helps
to keep your desktop and drawers neat and clean.
15. You have lived through times when feelings overwhelmed you and then faded as time passed. You know from
your experience that constructive behavior can persist in spite of flurries of emotions. When troubled
others come to you for support and advice be sure to pass along this wisdom about feelings, offering examples
from your life.
16. You have more time to sleep, and sleep can be an enjoyable something that needs doing. Exercise and
other constructive waking activities make sleeping more pleasurable. Develop a rhythm for waking and
sleeping that need not be interrupted by weekends. Spend some money on comfortable sleeping arrangements--
mattress, blankets, sleep wear, lighting, temperature, and so forth. Generate a regular pre-sleep routine.
The right amount of rest is good for you, and for others.
17. Leave a record of your existence. Type out or voice record your memoirs. Leave useful information for
others based on your life experiences. Someone may come across the record of your life wisdom and profit
from it. Format the material in short sections, easy to access and inviting.
18. Memory must be exercised or it is lost. Every day find a joke you enjoy from a book or from the
Internet. Memorize it. Share it with someone.
19. Get out of the house. At least go walking in the neighborhood, go window shopping, clean up a local park
or shopping area, help someone with something.
20. With retirement comes new opportunities for clothing innovation. Wear clothing that is comfortable, but
neat and clean. Experiment with new styles and sizes. Ask others what they think of your new look.
21. Before retirement, work structured your days. Weekends were probably different from weekdays. Evenings
were probably different from mornings. Holidays and vacations were set apart from ordinary work days. After
retirement it will be useful to purposely assign structure to your days. Without structure you must keep
deciding the details of what needs doing next. The good news is that your structure can now be more flexible
than before retirement. Put some orderliness in your daily activities, but not rigidity.
22. Does a song keep going over and over in your mind? Would you like to change to another tune? Print out
a list of song titles from your younger days. Go to Pandora or Grooveshark on the Internet to find those
oldies. Then go over in your mind one of the oldies on your list a couple of times. Refresh as needed. Sing aloud
as you shower, garden, drive, cook, and dust.
23. Now is your chance to work on your debt to your parents. If they are still alive they may need help with
medications, with transportation to medical facilities, with shopping. They may appreciate regular contacts
with you. If they are dead or living far away, you may wish to find other elderly people nearby to help.
Consider volunteering at a nursing care facility or a senior center.
24. Make sure that you accomplish at least one special task each day. Write a letter or thank-you note, hem
a skirt or slacks, mow the lawn, clean out a drawer or closet, or accomplish some other noteworthy task so
that you can look back on the day and see that it held at least one accomplishment. Earn your life by making
use of every day you are alive.
25. With age comes more forgetfulness. Use routines (e.g., for toothbrushing and dishwashing) and regular
places (e.g., for keys and remote controls) to minimize the effects of forgetfulness.
26. Laziness breeds more laziness. Overeating breeds more overeating. Untidiness breeds more untidiness.
Catch and stop bad habits before they blossom.
27. Be sure to give thanks to those who are helping you now and those who have helped you in the past. You
are likely to need more support as you grow older. Give small gifts and notes to your supporters including
doctors and nurses, postal carriers, trash collectors, car mechanics, grocery clerks, and others. Of course,
family members who help out deserve your thanks, too.
28. With age may come power and influence for a few. I encourage you to use what influence you have to fight
against the trend that emphasizes emotions above all else. In this age many people believe that they must
feel confident and comfortable before taking action. They believe that uncomfortable feelings must be erased
at all cost. They believe that feelings of distress must be conquered with medicine or meditation or diet or
some other magical technique before life can be lived well. What is reasonable, right, or even aesthetic are
subject to the single purpose of feeling good. When feelings take precedence over necessary behavior
civilization is on its way downhill. Our current level of affluence was built and sustained by people doing
well what needed to be done, feeling comfortable or not. I urge you to keep reminding others of these
truths.
29. To ponder is to leisurely compare a statement with one's own knowledge and experience. There is little
pondering going on these days. People seem to hurriedly flit from information byte to information byte.
With age we have the time to ponder, to organize our understanding of the world on a deeper level than
before. We are not required to keep up with all the latest fads and neologisms. We may or may not feel some
responsibility to pass on our pondered wisdom to others. Reread a book from your past and see what it has to
teach you. Explore opposing viewpoints. View movies and television programs in unfamiliar genres.
30. People you care about and people you care for will become ill and some will die. You will, too. Be
prepared to go and to let go. Do what you can to relieve pain. Accept the sorrow you cannot control. Keep
on doing what you can do about illness. Do not allow any failing body to engulf your life. Find bright and
meaningful moments. They are there, thankfully. So thank them.
31. Prepare for your death. Make arrangements for your funeral. Write a will. Prepare final words and
things to leave with others after your death.
32. Accept your imperfect, aging self. Don't compare yourself with your youth, with others (healthy or
disabled others).
33. Do daily reflection on what you are receiving, what you are giving, what troubles you are causing others.
34. Emphasize what you CAN do, even if you must take small steps toward your goals. Tell others of
your dreams and goals and purposes.
35. Recognize that you will not live to realize all your dreams and achieve all your goals. You will not
read every book, visit every distant place, achieve unlimited wealth or unlimited fame, break every athletic
record, and so forth. Appreciate today. Today is good enough.
36. Now that you have plenty of free time, keep your top pleasures in check. What is so pleasurable when
experienced now and then becomes boring when repeated hour after hour. Use your special fun activities as
spice. Basic staple activities should fill most of your day. Reward yourself after accomplishing some task.
37. If health permits, take short vacations separate from your partner. That way each will learn to cope when the other
is gone.
38. You have time to enjoy the creation of your meals. Peel and chop and experiment with various foods and
preparations.
39. Recreational shopping is fun. Now you have time to wander through stores looking for bargains and comparing prices. Buying at the best prices becomes a kind of game you can win. Of course, keep your clever spending within reasonable limits. Explore unfamiliar aisles and departments in stores. Discover new consumer items with their advantages and disadvantages.
40. The job you had brought you moment-by-moment purposes. Now that you are retired you must generate your own purposes. Purposeless living is agony. What needs to be done?
41. If you are still driving, purposely park your car far from your shopping destination so you will get more exercise walking to and from the store. Explore new routes and neighborhoods while on the move from place to place.
42. Keep your ears open to overhear nearby conversations, bird songs, traffic sounds, wind sighing. Notice the details provided by hearing.
43. Move your eyes around as you move your body. Don't focus for long periods on a computer or cell-phone screen. There is lots going on in the world around you.
Japanese Advice for the Elderly
Aging Hints from Hinohara Shigeaki
Born 1911 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
(translated and adapted from Tanoyaku, Vol 38, June, 2007)
Emphasize love, not hate
Recognize your imperfection but aim to improve
Try something new
Focus your attention; don't waste time thoughtlessly
Find a model person to imitate
Seek to empathize
Value encounters with others
Maintain small eating habits
But don't be neurotic about diet; enjoy food
Walk; use stairs as much as possible
Participate in group sport activities
Enjoy leisure; avoid a life with only work
Handle stress by exercising; walk, play
Take responsibility for your own behavior
Change habits when necessary; don't be obsessed with maintaining habits
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.Creative Commons License Deed
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
You are free to Share -- to copy, distribute, display, and perform this work, under the following conditions:
Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor.
Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work.
Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
Routines allow us to look deeper into our behavior because of the behavioral repetition.
Vary Your Routines
As we get older there is a tendency to hold to established routines. After all, it took us years to discover them. Rather than creating new opportunities our attention is directed toward preserving the status quo. We want the heater to keep working as it has, the pipes to remain unclogged, the roof to continue to be without leaks, and so forth. Anything new is likely to be viewed with suspicion. However, I want to suggest something new here. There is special pleasure in refining routines, in trying small potential improvements just to see how they work. These small changes may not turn out well; then we have learned something new. Or they may upgrade our routines positively. In any case, they are better than the boring business of doing the same thing over and over for years. There is satisfaction in consistent security, but even more satisfaction in successful innovation. And it sharpens the mind.
When I do my weekly dusting I look for areas I missed before and vary the strokes of the duster. As I vacuum I vary the orderly patterns on the floor and attend to graceful cord placement.
Even if you are living in a nursing home or some other sort of sheltered facility there are minor possibilities for change possible. Vary which leg that first gets into the bed or wheelchair; reach for buttons with a different arm or finger; eat a meal in a different order; watch new television programs. Find out which alternative is preferable under which conditions. Sharpen your mind. Morita pointed out that we learn more by doing something than we learn by thinking about doing something.
Refine Your Routines
Check routines occasionally for possible improvements. Some routines are not realistic and constructive. They need to be changed. Once a routine is determined to be in need of change the first step is to substitute behavior at the beginning. Substitution is easier than simply deciding to stop the routine. What new action is preferable? What satisfactions in the old routine could be achieved with better behavior in a new routine? Cues that the old routine behavior is about to begin should be noted and the new routine behavior begun. With repetition the new routine will become automatic.
Redefining Routines
Picking up leaves and other debris in the yard becomes a game of finding hidden objects. In a past CL meeting we talked about listening to music and doing chores with friends to brighten up routines.
Changes in Routines
When a routine is interrupted know how to handle change, how to modify the routine, how to return to the routine, how to move to another routine, how to do what needs doing next.
Perspectives on Routines
Check out others' views of your routines. Inquire about similar and different routines that others may have. Adopt the routines that fit your situations. Adapt your existing routines to make them more realistic.
Advice for Aging Well--Constructive Living for Aging
David K. Reynolds
Updated 2016
Here are some suggestions, based on my observations and life experience, for using our time
constructively. It is in the DOING of these activities that benefit lies.
1. Walking is good for the body's health and good for the mind, too. The same route may be safe and
familiar, but pay attention to changes along the way. Notice the details of houses and street names and
parked cars. What seasonal changes show up in the yards you walk by?
2. You may have more time to eat, but do so with attention. Eating small wrapped candies takes time and
effort to unwrap them, so you might eat fewer of them. Use smaller plates, saucers when eating your meals so
it is safer to load up your plate. I wash dishes before eating dessert so that my brain has more time to
register the food I already ate. Furthermore, I am rewarded for doing dishes right away with a tasty
dessert.
3. There is more time for stretching slowly and carefully. The body stays flexible and capable of a variety
of activities.
4. You may find limits on your finances. Whether there are limits or not, find ways to give to others. A
smile, humor, a greeting as you walk by, picking up a piece of trash from the street or from a neighbor's
yard. Information about local meetings or sale items and the like are valuable gifts that cost little or
nothing.
5. You have learned your body's tendencies. You know how it reacts to certain medicines, how it reacts to
stress and exhaustion, how it likes certain foods and rebels at the taste of others. You have learned ways
to avoid sickness. Nevertheless, you will sometimes become ill. Furthermore, your body's preferences may
change, so don't give up trying and retrying a variety of activities.
6. When ill, aim to keep to your daily routine as much as the illness permits. It is easy to play the role
of weak and helpless victim of disease, but overacting that role invites weakness and helplessness. Find
small ways to be helpful to others while you are ill.
7. Find or make small gifts for others. Smiles and compliments are gifts, too. Shared laughter improves the
health of all.
8. Travel takes you away from the comforts and familiar routines of home. Travel is inconvenient.
Nevertheless, travel gives opportunities for new discoveries and perspectives. Travel combats the boredom of
the usual. Go on a trip now and then.
9. Proper teaching requires you to keep up to date with learning. Find opportunities to teach others.
Handicrafts, songs, travel planning, cooking, household hints--whatever your skills--share them with others.
10. Waiting for someone to come and fix something is more irritating than doing something to alleviate the
problem yourself. Even if your effort results in only temporary success or no success at all, the effort is
superior to having the wait weigh upon your mind. At the very least, make preparations that will help the
fixer do his/her job.
11. Express interest in the health and doings of those around you. Don't dwell on your own health and
activities. No one enjoys hearing constant complaints.
12. Forgetting happens. Learn something new, another language perhaps or new computer skills. Practice
memorizing jokes, people's names, famous quotes, addresses. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the
natural process of forgetting as we age. What did you eat yesterday? What did you do yesterday and the day before?
Keep a journal to check on your memories.
13. By now you have learned an efficient way to do lots of things. Now is a good time to try new ways of
doing everyday chores. Your experience will help you determine whether the new ways are better than what you
have done for years. Try dancing while dusting, vacuum with your left hand, mow the lawn in new patterns, and so forth.
14. By now you know how possessions require storage and upkeep. Now is a good time to simplify, donating
unneeded clothing, electrical equipment, tools, books, and other possessions that can benefit others. Simplifying helps
to keep your desktop and drawers neat and clean.
15. You have lived through times when feelings overwhelmed you and then faded as time passed. You know from
your experience that constructive behavior can persist in spite of flurries of emotions. When troubled
others come to you for support and advice be sure to pass along this wisdom about feelings, offering examples
from your life.
16. You have more time to sleep, and sleep can be an enjoyable something that needs doing. Exercise and
other constructive waking activities make sleeping more pleasurable. Develop a rhythm for waking and
sleeping that need not be interrupted by weekends. Spend some money on comfortable sleeping arrangements--
mattress, blankets, sleep wear, lighting, temperature, and so forth. Generate a regular pre-sleep routine.
The right amount of rest is good for you, and for others.
17. Leave a record of your existence. Type out or voice record your memoirs. Leave useful information for
others based on your life experiences. Someone may come across the record of your life wisdom and profit
from it. Format the material in short sections, easy to access and inviting.
18. Memory must be exercised or it is lost. Every day find a joke you enjoy from a book or from the
Internet. Memorize it. Share it with someone.
19. Get out of the house. At least go walking in the neighborhood, go window shopping, clean up a local park
or shopping area, help someone with something.
20. With retirement comes new opportunities for clothing innovation. Wear clothing that is comfortable, but
neat and clean. Experiment with new styles and sizes. Ask others what they think of your new look.
21. Before retirement, work structured your days. Weekends were probably different from weekdays. Evenings
were probably different from mornings. Holidays and vacations were set apart from ordinary work days. After
retirement it will be useful to purposely assign structure to your days. Without structure you must keep
deciding the details of what needs doing next. The good news is that your structure can now be more flexible
than before retirement. Put some orderliness in your daily activities, but not rigidity.
22. Does a song keep going over and over in your mind? Would you like to change to another tune? Print out
a list of song titles from your younger days. Go to Pandora or Grooveshark on the Internet to find those
oldies. Then go over in your mind one of the oldies on your list a couple of times. Refresh as needed. Sing aloud
as you shower, garden, drive, cook, and dust.
23. Now is your chance to work on your debt to your parents. If they are still alive they may need help with
medications, with transportation to medical facilities, with shopping. They may appreciate regular contacts
with you. If they are dead or living far away, you may wish to find other elderly people nearby to help.
Consider volunteering at a nursing care facility or a senior center.
24. Make sure that you accomplish at least one special task each day. Write a letter or thank-you note, hem
a skirt or slacks, mow the lawn, clean out a drawer or closet, or accomplish some other noteworthy task so
that you can look back on the day and see that it held at least one accomplishment. Earn your life by making
use of every day you are alive.
25. With age comes more forgetfulness. Use routines (e.g., for toothbrushing and dishwashing) and regular
places (e.g., for keys and remote controls) to minimize the effects of forgetfulness.
26. Laziness breeds more laziness. Overeating breeds more overeating. Untidiness breeds more untidiness.
Catch and stop bad habits before they blossom.
27. Be sure to give thanks to those who are helping you now and those who have helped you in the past. You
are likely to need more support as you grow older. Give small gifts and notes to your supporters including
doctors and nurses, postal carriers, trash collectors, car mechanics, grocery clerks, and others. Of course,
family members who help out deserve your thanks, too.
28. With age may come power and influence for a few. I encourage you to use what influence you have to fight
against the trend that emphasizes emotions above all else. In this age many people believe that they must
feel confident and comfortable before taking action. They believe that uncomfortable feelings must be erased
at all cost. They believe that feelings of distress must be conquered with medicine or meditation or diet or
some other magical technique before life can be lived well. What is reasonable, right, or even aesthetic are
subject to the single purpose of feeling good. When feelings take precedence over necessary behavior
civilization is on its way downhill. Our current level of affluence was built and sustained by people doing
well what needed to be done, feeling comfortable or not. I urge you to keep reminding others of these
truths.
29. To ponder is to leisurely compare a statement with one's own knowledge and experience. There is little
pondering going on these days. People seem to hurriedly flit from information byte to information byte.
With age we have the time to ponder, to organize our understanding of the world on a deeper level than
before. We are not required to keep up with all the latest fads and neologisms. We may or may not feel some
responsibility to pass on our pondered wisdom to others. Reread a book from your past and see what it has to
teach you. Explore opposing viewpoints. View movies and television programs in unfamiliar genres.
30. People you care about and people you care for will become ill and some will die. You will, too. Be
prepared to go and to let go. Do what you can to relieve pain. Accept the sorrow you cannot control. Keep
on doing what you can do about illness. Do not allow any failing body to engulf your life. Find bright and
meaningful moments. They are there, thankfully. So thank them.
31. Prepare for your death. Make arrangements for your funeral. Write a will. Prepare final words and
things to leave with others after your death.
32. Accept your imperfect, aging self. Don't compare yourself with your youth, with others (healthy or
disabled others).
33. Do daily reflection on what you are receiving, what you are giving, what troubles you are causing others.
34. Emphasize what you CAN do, even if you must take small steps toward your goals. Tell others of
your dreams and goals and purposes.
35. Recognize that you will not live to realize all your dreams and achieve all your goals. You will not
read every book, visit every distant place, achieve unlimited wealth or unlimited fame, break every athletic
record, and so forth. Appreciate today. Today is good enough.
36. Now that you have plenty of free time, keep your top pleasures in check. What is so pleasurable when
experienced now and then becomes boring when repeated hour after hour. Use your special fun activities as
spice. Basic staple activities should fill most of your day. Reward yourself after accomplishing some task.
37. If health permits, take short vacations separate from your partner. That way each will learn to cope when the other
is gone.
38. You have time to enjoy the creation of your meals. Peel and chop and experiment with various foods and
preparations.
39. Recreational shopping is fun. Now you have time to wander through stores looking for bargains and comparing prices. Buying at the best prices becomes a kind of game you can win. Of course, keep your clever spending within reasonable limits. Explore unfamiliar aisles and departments in stores. Discover new consumer items with their advantages and disadvantages.
40. The job you had brought you moment-by-moment purposes. Now that you are retired you must generate your own purposes. Purposeless living is agony. What needs to be done?
41. If you are still driving, purposely park your car far from your shopping destination so you will get more exercise walking to and from the store. Explore new routes and neighborhoods while on the move from place to place.
42. Keep your ears open to overhear nearby conversations, bird songs, traffic sounds, wind sighing. Notice the details provided by hearing.
43. Move your eyes around as you move your body. Don't focus for long periods on a computer or cell-phone screen. There is lots going on in the world around you.
Japanese Advice for the Elderly
Aging Hints from Hinohara Shigeaki
Born 1911 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
(translated and adapted from Tanoyaku, Vol 38, June, 2007)
Emphasize love, not hate
Recognize your imperfection but aim to improve
Try something new
Focus your attention; don't waste time thoughtlessly
Find a model person to imitate
Seek to empathize
Value encounters with others
Maintain small eating habits
But don't be neurotic about diet; enjoy food
Walk; use stairs as much as possible
Participate in group sport activities
Enjoy leisure; avoid a life with only work
Handle stress by exercising; walk, play
Take responsibility for your own behavior
Change habits when necessary; don't be obsessed with maintaining habits
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.Creative Commons License Deed
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
You are free to Share -- to copy, distribute, display, and perform this work, under the following conditions:
Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor.
Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work.
Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.