Hector Garcia

According to researcher Owen Schaffer of DePaul University, the requirements for achieving flow are:
Knowing what to do
Knowing how to do it
Knowing how well you are doing
Knowing where to go (where navigation is involved)
Perceiving significant challenges
Perceiving significant skills
Being free from distractions1

Presented with new information, the brain creates new connections and is revitalized. This is why it is so important to expose yourself to change, even if stepping outside your comfort zone means feeling a bit of anxiety.

The American Institute of Stress investigated this degenerative process and concluded that most health problems are caused by stress.

Spending too much time seated at work or at home not only reduces muscular and respiratory fitness but also increases appetite and curbs the desire to participate in activities. Being sedentary can lead to hypertension, imbalanced eating, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and even certain kinds of cancer. Recent studies have shown a connection between a lack of physical activity and the progressive distortion of telomeres in the immune system, which ages those cells and, in turn, the organism as a whole.

For all these reasons, melatonin is a great ally in preserving youth. It should be noted, however, that melatonin production decreases after age thirty. We can compensate for this by:

Eating a balanced diet and getting more calcium.
Soaking up a moderate amount of sun each day.
Getting enough sleep.
Avoiding stress, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine, all of which make it harder to get a good night’s rest, depriving us of the melatonin we need.

A powerful antioxidant, melatonin helps us live longer, and also offers the following benefits:

It strengthens the immune system.
It contains an element that protects against cancer.
It promotes the natural production of insulin.
It slows the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
It helps prevent osteoporosis and fight heart disease.

It’s easy to be less sedentary; it just takes a bit of effort and a few changes to your routine. We can access a more active lifestyle that makes us feel better inside and out—we just have to add a few ingredients to our everyday habits:

Walk to work, or just go on a walk for at least twenty minutes each day.
Use your feet instead of an elevator or escalator. This is good for your posture, your muscles, and your respiratory system, among other things.
Participate in social or leisure activities so that you don’t spend too much time in front of the television.
Replace your junk food with fruit and you’ll have less of an urge to snack, and more nutrients in your system.
Get the right amount of sleep. Seven to nine hours is good, but any more than that makes us lethargic.
Play with children or pets, or join a sports team. This not only strengthens the body but also stimulates the mind and boosts self-esteem.
Be conscious of your daily routine in order to detect harmful habits and replace them with more positive ones.

To keep healthy and have a long life,

eat just a little of everything with relish,

go to bed early, get up early, and then go out for a walk.

We live each day with serenity and we enjoy the journey.

To keep healthy and have a long life,

we get on well with all of our friends.

Spring, summer, fall, winter,

we happily enjoy all the seasons.

The secret is to not get distracted by how old the fingers are;

from the fingers to the head and back once again.

If you keep moving with your fingers working, 100 years

will come to you.*

A study conducted by Frankl in his Vienna clinic found that among both patients and personnel, around 80 percent believed that human beings needed a reason for living, and around 60 percent felt they had someone or something in their lives worth dying for.2

The search for purpose became a personal, driving force that allowed Frankl to achieve his goals. The process of logotherapy can be summarized in these five steps:

A person feels empty, frustrated, or anxious.
The therapist shows him that what he is feeling is the desire to have a meaningful life.
The patient discovers his life’s purpose (at that particular point in time).
Of his own free will, the patient decides to accept or reject that destiny.
This newfound passion for life helps him overcome obstacles and sorrows.