By Mai Elsayed

Stop and think for a moment – you spend every breathing minute of your life making decisions. These decisions are based on the beliefs that you hold dear to your heart. The choice you make to spend your time and energy on one activity over another reflects what your core values are. There is no doubt that the circumstances caused by the pandemic are giving us ample amount of time to sit with ourselves and re-asses our values. There are so many changes happening to the way we live and work, and that could also require us to revise our goals to become our ideal self. These goals should be in line with our values while at the same time being realistic with the conditions at hand.

Let’s define what values are

Psychologists define values as the “fundamental attitudes guiding our mental processes and behavior”. These are the same attitudes and beliefs that give meaning and purpose to our life. When we know what our values are, we can easily implement changes to our daily routine and align our activities to our core morals. This will help us live a more authentic life by being true to who we really are. In fact, there are two main types of values that human beings live by. The first type falls under the category of the ‘moving-towards’ values and these are the values that motivate us to do the things that are emotionally gratifying and pleasurable. On the other hand, the ‘moving-away’ category of values affect our decision-making process as they drive us to avoid feeling negative emotions.

The importance of self-concept

As children, we grow up to develop our self-concept, a perception of our identity as individuals. This entails a definition of who we are, what we believe in, what we want to achieve in life etc. Our values shape the impressions we hold for our ideal self and outline who we want to be. Often, we fall into the psychological discomfort of cognitive dissonance when our ideal self (the person we are) does not overlap with the identity that we want to have (ideal self).

These two schemas of the self never stay constant. With time, challenges and circumstances, our belief of what our ideal self should look like and how it should behave change. That does not necessarily mean that our values change as well. Instead, our mind tends to give importance to and glorify certain values – especially ones from the ‘moving away’ category.

However, we start to experience psychological distress when we live in conflict with our core values. Having a huge discrepancy between who we are and who we aspire to be is one of the ways we can get out of alignment with our core values. To ease the pain of cognitive dissonance, one needs to close the gap between the real and ideal selves. This can be done by either lowering the standards that you have set for your ideal self or working on your values to bring the qualities of the real self closer to the ideal one.

Find out what your core values are

Our values can be described as the catalogue by which we choose to live our lives. Our past experiences, to a large extent, shape these values and how we choose to implement them in our day-to-day activities. The first step to living an aligned life is to know the psychological rules by which you choose to live. Identifying what your core values are will not only help you live a more authentic life but will also help you easily make decisions especially during times of crisis.  In addition, having clarity into your own core values will help you identify areas of your life that need more attention and understand what you should prioritize in the future.

A technique used by cognitive behavioral therapists called ‘Values Clarification’ can be very useful in helping you identify your value system.  This approach is made up of five simple steps that you can practice in the comfort of your home. All you need is your mind, a piece of paper and a pen.

• Define yourself

Get in a one-on-one conversation with yourself and try to find out what your life stands for. Ask yourself questions such as – what are the qualities that you have as a person and what are the qualities that you wish to develop and why?

• Define what drives you in the different aspects of your life.

In this section, dissect the different aspects of your life based on your relationships, school/career, leisure, health, finances and personal growth. Some of the questions that you should explore include what are the types of relationships that you want to bring to your life, and why? What qualities would you like to exhibit at work/school? What is your relationship with yourself like?

• Identify what drives or triggers your emotions

Compile a list of actions or situations that could trigger a positive or negative response from you. These reactions most likely link to a core value that you hold dear to your heart. Once you identify what value your response could be linked to, write it down and explore it further.

• Practice mindfulness

Notice the values that you practice on a routine basis. When you find yourself having an impulsive reaction, stop for a second and think why you are behaving the way that you are. Write your thought down on paper and try to find your thinking pattern and what values it could represent.

• Find out where you are

There is always room for improving yourself and enhancing your life. Once you have implemented the first four steps, compare the values you have and the behavior you exhibit in your current time to the values and behaviors of the person you aspire to be. At this stage, you can choose to lower the expectations you set for your ideal self or change the perception and attitude of your real self so they both meet at a common ground.

Mai Elsayed is a clinical hypnotherapist with psychotherapy skills and a blogger at bittersweettalks.com

Blame it on lock-down, or newly discovered culinary skills, many of us are carrying a few extra kilos on our untoned frames these days. With summer on our doorstep, and hopefully a return to outdoor living, we need to get our beach bods back, quickly.

Who better to set us back on course than leading fitness trainer Hany Emam?  Here we go with his top tips and home workout routines for both men and women.

HE: As you know, men and women are different, from our skeletal frames to our tendency to gain weight in certain areas, and our ability to lose it when needed. Women tend to store fat around their hip and thigh areas, whereas men often gather more belly fat. Women also have a higher percentage of body fat according to normal BMI index, with a healthy range of 20 to 25%, while for men it drops to 10 to 15%. 

When you are out of shape with recent weight gain that needs to be taken off, there are factors to be considered. The better shape you were in, the less time it will take to get back into shape. Your muscle memory remains for a long time after your muscles have faded, you just have to remind it and get those muscles, blood vessels, and lungs back in shape to make it happen again, along with shedding that excess fat.

While myofibrils may not build up immediately, it’s possible to gain much of the lean mass you got back through fluids in the muscle fibers soon after starting training again. Of course, it will take more time the longer you go without exercise. For cardio, it takes less time to break down your fitness; it could take years to lose all your muscle.

10 Top Tips

1. Don’t stop eating!

Your body needs fuel to keep your metabolism metabolizing. Get as much high quality, nutritious food into your system throughout the day as you can. Aim for five to six small meals.

2. Swap your carbs for better carbs.

Switch your carbohydrate intake to fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead of filling up on bread, pasta and pastries, and make sure you are getting enough healthy fats like seeds and nuts and avocados. This will give you enough calories to build the muscle you need while kicking your metabolism into gear to lose the fat you want.

3. Don’t scrimp on protein, even if you’re scrimping on other things.

Increase your protein intake to help sustain muscle during weight loss. Especially when losing weight quickly, your body can lose muscle mass which will affect the toned look you’re seeking. The protein leucine (in whey, animal proteins, and dairy) has a direct effect on muscle to prevent this muscle loss.

4. Stay hydrated.

Muscles are 70-80 percent water and dehydration leads to muscle breakdown. In order to increase the production of new muscle tissue it’s essential to keep yourself properly hydrated with water and maintain the right electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium).

5. Try interval training.

If you’re someone who normally tends to do lots of cardio it should be easier to lose fat without sacrificing muscle if you switch to intervals, i.e. moving all-out for one minute and then slowing way down for two. (Do this for thirty minutes, three times weekly.) In an hour-long Pilates workout, you speed up and slow down, and alter resistance on each exercise to create the ultimate interval workout.

6. Make your muscles multitask for a longer calorie burn.

By choosing exercises that target different muscle groups you can employ more muscles at once without exhausting any individual muscle too quickly. Through working more muscles at once, more hormones are released, stimulating more calories to be burned throughout the day.

7. You won’t bulk up from lifting weights.

Bulking up like a bodybuilder is really difficult, and requires changing the foods you eat, when you eat them, and lifting extremely heavy weights, among other things. With light to moderate weights, you won’t. Instead, while strength training builds muscle, it also boosts your metabolism, burns calories, and accelerates weight loss.

8. Chill out.

Stress elevates the cortisol hormone, which is responsible for your body storing fat and diminishing muscle. Get enough quality sleep, laugh more, breathe, stretch and relax.

9. Bring a trainer to your living room or home gym.

There are some great mobile apps available, so take advantage of them.

10. Accept that it won’t be easy.

In order for improvement to occur, you must vary your movements and workout elements, and always move with awareness and control. Your body will not change until you are determined to push it to change.

*Some of this content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Men’s workout

• Crunches
• Heel touches
• Elevated crunches
• Plank
• Russian twist
• Side plank
• Cobra

Women’s workout

• Squats
• Glute bridge to leg raise
• Donkey kicks
• One leg row
• Lunges
• Side plank
• Sumo squat

Work at maximum intensity for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds.

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More than ever, we need to ensure our lungs are in good working order. With Covid-19 attacking respiratory systems in both young and old, let’s take a look at what we need to know to protect ourselves. Professor of Chest Diseases and Pulmonologist Dr. Waleed El Serougi addresses the important points for us.

CWM: Dr. Waleed, what role does good lung health play in our overall wellbeing?

Your lungs keep you breathing, and also keep every other one of your organs functioning. Essentially, when you breathe in, the lungs take in oxygen and pass it along to the bloodstream, which brings it to your body’s cells. In return, it picks up carbon dioxide, which the lungs dispose of. Every time you breathe, this process is happening. That is why it’s crucial to keep your lungs healthy.

What are the common problems that affect the lungs and how can they be avoided?

Unfortunately, the environment does not always help the way that our lungs function. There are many risk factors that contribute to lung-related health complications. They can be things we don’t even realize that we’re breathing in. Sometimes they can be avoided, other times they cannot, however, it’s important to know what they are and know what you can do to protect your lungs.

Tobacco Smoke

Cigarette smoke is the #1 cause of lung cancer, with smokers accounting for 80% of all lung cancer diagnoses. Other lung conditions caused by cigarette smoke are COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. The smoke from cigarettes causes the lungs to become irritated, creating mucus in excess. This can cause excessive coughing and difficulty breathing.

Sadly, tobacco smoke doesn’t stop at smokers. Non-smokers who have been exposed to secondhand smoke have a 20-30% higher chance of eventually developing lung cancer.

Household Carcinogens

This category consists of substances of a variety of different forms. Asbestos, at the top of the list, is a household carcinogen that can commonly be found in homes built before the 1980’s within insulation, tiling, plaster, etc. This fibrous material was once thought of as a miracle for its heat and fire resistant properties.

Other household carcinogens can be found in a variety of different products. It is best practice to always read the ingredients label before using a product! Look up ingredients you’re not familiar with to learn more about the products you’re using.

Outdoor Air Pollution

In a perfect world, the air we breathe in would be made up of 100% clean oxygen. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. There are many types of air pollution, both natural and manmade, that we consume daily. Natural air pollution includes smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes.

On the manmade side, the air is full of emissions that come from cars, planes, factories, etc. In locations where this is above average you’ll often hear the pollution referred to as smog. Other products like aerosol cans, pesticides and gas appliances can also contribute, on a smaller scale, to air pollution.

Tips to Keep Your Lungs Healthy

• Avoid Indoor and Outdoor Toxins

Stop smoking, and do your best to avoid second hand smoke and other harmful toxins in the air. Keep your senses keen to notice differences in your surroundings.

• Exercise to Keep Lungs Strong

Aerobic, cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis can help improve your lung function. It increases your body’s ability to use oxygen, as well as, more effectively removed carbon dioxide. Exercise doesn’t need to be lengthy. 30 minutes to an hour of walking or jogging a few times a week can be a huge help in your lung health.

• Deep Clean with Natural Products

Natural products are a safe bet for cleaning your home. It’s not uncommon for many regular cleaning products to contain a long list of hidden toxins that can be extremely hazardous to your lung health, and to health in general. Not to mention, these products are deadly to children or pets that could get into them.

• See Your Doctor for Regular Check Ups

It’s always good to make regular trips to the doctor for an annual check up. However, if you suspect something might be wrong, schedule an appointment to have it checked out right away, and to get vaccinations like the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine.

What natural foods and supplements help in supporting lung health?

Water is essential for healthy lungs. Getting enough water is as important for the lungs as it is for the rest of the body. It helps keep the mucosal lining in the lungs thin, making it easier to drain.

Foods for keeping your lungs healthy

• Fish high in fat is an excellent choice of food for healthy lungs as it contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are linked with lung health.
• Apples, broccoli, apricots, poultry and walnuts.
• Vitamin D and E have been found to improve lung function.

Which exercises help the lungs?

Aerobic activities like walking, running or jumping rope give your heart and lungs the kind of workout they need to function efficiently. Muscle-strengthening activities improve your posture, and toning your breathing muscles. This helps your body use oxygen more efficiently and, with time, can improve your breathing.

What do we need to know about Covid-19?

Anyone can get Covid-19, and most infections are usually mild, especially in children and young adults. But if you aren’t in an area where Covid-19 is spreading, haven’t traveled from an area where it’s spreading, and haven’t been in contact with someone who has it, your risk of infection is low. There is currently no vaccine to prevent Covid-19 or even a direct effective anti-viral drug, so the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 2 meters), through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, these droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Some recent studies have suggested that Covid-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms as well.

People over 65 are most likely to get a serious illness, as are those who live in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, who have weakened immune systems, or who have medical conditions including:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Lung disease
• Asthma
• Kidney disease that needs dialysis
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Cancer treatment, especially chemotherapy
• Liver disease
• Cigarette smoking

What are your top tips for simple steps to keep the lungs healthy at times like this?

• Wash your hands. It sounds simple and silly, but washing your hands (actually washing, not just rinsing!) and practicing good hygiene in general is very good for your lungs, especially during flu season. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.

• Maintain a safe distance between yourself and others (social distance) about two meters. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.

• Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

• Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

• Stay home if you feel unwell.

• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Call in advance.

• Follow the directions of your local health authority.

“Let’s not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things. A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress.” Albert Einstein

Life has a way of kicking us when we are down. And just when we think we can’t fall any further, we get kicked again.

But it’s important to remember that setbacks, failures, and tragedies – however painful they may be – are a part of life lessons. I have always been a content person. Some people may find me too optimistic, annoyingly positive and somewhat ridiculously idealistic. My mother always engraved in me endless positivity. She always has and continues to tell me, positivity attracts positivity and negativity attracts more misery. Whatever you put out to the universe, it will come back to you.

This is why most of the time, however low and beaten I get; my perspective may be different than others. I see these difficult times as challenges and lessons of life. I feel that the luckiest people in the world are the ones who go through difficult times. Why is that, you may ask. Why do we have to go through difficult times to rise again? Why can’t we just be happy and have a smooth life. Well guess what, it all depends on you.

I won’t attempt comparing myself to people who die of hunger, wars or drown in the sea trying to make it from one border to the other to find shelter and a safe place to be. These are the true unsung heroes. But I will only speak of my humble experiences in my life. I do not believe that we go through harsh or difficult times as a punishment. For me, life is giving me different levels of learning, it starts at low, medium and advanced.

The more you challenge yourself and build resilience, the stronger you get. If you never go through hard times, you have not lived. It is as simple as the phrase goes, “Easy come, easy go”. We don’t have to suffer to learn. But if we do, it is important that we take it with a pinch of salt, a smile and an open heart to embrace the pain, learn and move on.

Whether we manage to find joy and success in the daily struggle of life is largely dependent on our ability to persevere through even the toughest adversity without ever giving up.
If you’re going through a rough time, finding something to give you a little lift can help you remember that life isn’t always bad. These seemingly endless stretches of fear, disappointment, pain, and heartache are just brief, insignificant moments of time that will soon pass. A little gratitude goes a long way. Be grateful for what you don’t have before what you have; you just might start seeing life differently.

I would like to share with you a few tips from https://theconsciouslife.com/ that helped me during this difficult time:

• Focus on the positives. No matter how dire a situation may be, there are always some positives you can find in it. It is our unwillingness to look at them that blind us to the brighter sides. In the book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, the author Alex Pattakos recounted how he managed to pull a female driver to safety when he saw her school van crashed into a parked car. Then in an attempt to calm down the distraught woman, he asked her to list ten positive things about this accident. You probably thought he was insane, but they managed to list the positives which included the fact that the van and the car which she crashed into were both empty at the point of the accident. The attempt may seem absurd but it worked. The driver was calm enough to break into a smile and had probably saved herself from going into a shock. Now it is your turn, think of ten positive things that would come out of this crises.

• Find your own meditation method. Meditate on what really happened and your response to the crisis. Learn to see the crisis for what it really is. Begin by practicing breathing meditation, and then ask yourself: “What has really happened in spite of what have been reported? Are my fears and worries real or imaginary? If they are real, what can I do about them?” It is crucial to list your fears and worries causing your anxiety, rather than running away from them. Understanding that each one has a distinct start and end, may help you breakdown the big problem into smaller challenges that you can tackle day by day.

• Give thanks and gratitude. Having listed the positives you can think of, give thanks for the current situation as well as the things that you already have. For one, things could be a lot worse! It won’t be easy to be thankful in the face of harsh challenges, but focusing on what you do have, instead of what you have lost, will put you in a better position to solve problems on hands than being in a self-pity and sorrowful state. Start a daily gratitude journal – it will help you set the momentum.

• Reach out to others. Do you know of people who might be badly affected by the crisis? Some may have lost their jobs because their companies were put out of business, while others may have lost family members without having the chance to say goodbye due to the obligatory distance. Talk to them, listen, and if it is within your means, offer your help, however small it may be. Helping others who are less fortunate than you also helps you to put things in perspective and warms your heart. And who knows, they may be the ones who lend you a helping hand when the table is turned the next time.
• Get enough sleep. During stressful time, we’re likely to skip on sleep whether voluntary or not. From experience, you need more quality sleep during stressful times than ever so that you can remain clear-headed, energetic and focused to figure out your next moves.

• Quit being a victim. It is often easier to assume the role of a victim during tough times than taking responsibilities for yourself. But doing so will only prolong your suffering and put off people who may be able to help you out. Letting go of the victim label also frees you from resentment and bitterness which will only jam up the creative energies you need to get out of the mess.

• STOP the bad news intake. Being constantly fed with gloomy news is enough to blur our judgment, fill up our hearts with fear and turn on the panic mode. Hearing bad news once is enough, not ten times of the same news in different versions from every gadget that you own.

• Join forces with others. When bad things happen, it is easy to become close-minded. But chances are, you are not alone during difficult times. There are likely to be many people who feel the same way as you do even though they may not voice out loud. The many talented friends that you will make during hard times could become lifetime friendships, and even turn into unexpected help in the future. And if you are an employer, this is a great time to boost your business with skillful and experienced people to help you ride out the crisis.

• Get close to nature. Finnish researchers found that spending time in your favorite outdoor area and woodlands are more relaxing and restorative than time spent in your favorite urban settings or city parks. Taking a mindful walk, reconnect with nature, with water, with mountains – look out of your window into the horizon. Sometimes just listening to the sound of the birds at an early morning sun rise, can change your entire day mood. I found it a great way to clear the mind and regain mental balance.

• Re-evaluate the meaning of your life. Tough times present hard but valuable lessons that force us to re-evaluate the meanings we have been attaching to our lives. Ask yourself: “Do the meanings and goals I’ve been living by before the crisis really worthwhile? Through this crisis, what are the things that I’ve found to be really important? What are my priorities? And what are those that are not as precious as what I once thought to be?”