My "Neurotic" Tendencies
Always looking forward. A mentality that isn`t easy to come by that can have profound effects on your every day life. The Marine Corps may not be the best organization to be a part of when it comes to your physical health (joints, sleep, tobacco, etc...) but god damn do they teach you a healthy way of life. And I will be forever thankful for the lessons I have been taught. I am now employing these skills as i begin my journey back into the civilian world going to college. No other profession will you get either in depth training or a basic understanding on such a wide array of topics. One focus being first-aid (trauma oriented), no other boss in your life will walk into the office and toss you a tourniquet, tell you your neighbors leg got blown off and you have 60 seconds to apply said tourniquet. God forbid you don`t or your slow ass is going to pay for it. Or travelling, anytime I go anywhere that requires some sort of preparation: I am always the most prepared and organized. We would spend sometimes an entire day focused on a "gear-inspection" that requires every Marine to lay out their issued gear, in the same order, piece by piece, and stand-by for inspection rain or shine. It wasn`t the inspection itself that made you efficient at packing, it was the pressure from your leadership that provoked the internal pressure to do it right. This meant that while preparing you are thinking methodically--picking each piece carefully leaving out the fluff--and playing Tetris as you place it in your pack. Every day started with a basic daily routine (BDR) that if you failed to complete, you would be looking at a pretty grim morning. This is the area I want to really focus on, because to me it is the method to the madness. Every morning started with you waking up at 0530 to brush your teeth, shave your face, fix your hair, dry your sink, sweep the floor, and take out the trash. When 0545 comes around (yes, 15 minutes is usually how long it took me to accomplish all of that) you are lined up with the rest of your platoon ready to workout. This is how every morning went, rain or shine, for a collection of about 14 months (I spent 6 months with another unit and my last couple months on the island I thought I "rated" to not participate anymore).
All of that being said, lets get to the nitty-gritty as to why I`m telling you about all of this. It has come to my attention that people have problems in their life (no shit). When you have problems they need to be faced, so your are occupied trying to solve them. Not everyone is going to join the military and not everyone should. Therefor not everyone will possess the skills I listed above, so if I write a little blog post about a couple of them I might be able to help someone out. Disclaimer: I am not an expert on these subjects, nor will I ever claim to be. I can only say that I have been practicing these ideas and they have been working wonders for me.
Lets start with sleep. If you`re not on a solid sleep schedule that should become your first priority. Your brain craves a solid cycle and it is your duty to provide it. If you have a sleep disorder: do everything in your power to fix it, solving you sleep dilemma will bring you perpetual self-gratitude once you learn how to sleep. Are you maintaining a healthy diet? Now I ask this question as loosely as possible because I fucking love cheeseburgers (In n Out). By now you should have a good grasp on what foods work well with your body. If not: focus on how something makes you feel after eating it. It is also important to make sure you are eating enough, when I first left the service I had noticed I lost ten pounds in the first month. My activity levels were way too high for the kind of calorie intake I had. That type of weight loss also becomes possible with important life events: loss of a loved one, a new job, moving, a breakup, etc.. Are you staying hydrated throughout the day and drinking water before bed? This is a common cause of headaches, drowsiness, inability to focus and being light headed. Are you exercising? Everyone dreads the gym (unless your weird like me) for good reason: it makes you uncomfortable. But like any event in life that makes you uncomfortable--physically or mentally--it will only make you stronger. This goes along with the concept of psychological hardiness (commitment, control, and challenge). The decision to have a good day starts as soon as you open your eyes, and the day to start whatever goal you`ve been considering pursuing is always today. You`re alive, each breath is a blessing so don`t waste it.
All of that being said, lets get to the nitty-gritty as to why I`m telling you about all of this. It has come to my attention that people have problems in their life (no shit). When you have problems they need to be faced, so your are occupied trying to solve them. Not everyone is going to join the military and not everyone should. Therefor not everyone will possess the skills I listed above, so if I write a little blog post about a couple of them I might be able to help someone out. Disclaimer: I am not an expert on these subjects, nor will I ever claim to be. I can only say that I have been practicing these ideas and they have been working wonders for me.
Lets start with sleep. If you`re not on a solid sleep schedule that should become your first priority. Your brain craves a solid cycle and it is your duty to provide it. If you have a sleep disorder: do everything in your power to fix it, solving you sleep dilemma will bring you perpetual self-gratitude once you learn how to sleep. Are you maintaining a healthy diet? Now I ask this question as loosely as possible because I fucking love cheeseburgers (In n Out). By now you should have a good grasp on what foods work well with your body. If not: focus on how something makes you feel after eating it. It is also important to make sure you are eating enough, when I first left the service I had noticed I lost ten pounds in the first month. My activity levels were way too high for the kind of calorie intake I had. That type of weight loss also becomes possible with important life events: loss of a loved one, a new job, moving, a breakup, etc.. Are you staying hydrated throughout the day and drinking water before bed? This is a common cause of headaches, drowsiness, inability to focus and being light headed. Are you exercising? Everyone dreads the gym (unless your weird like me) for good reason: it makes you uncomfortable. But like any event in life that makes you uncomfortable--physically or mentally--it will only make you stronger. This goes along with the concept of psychological hardiness (commitment, control, and challenge). The decision to have a good day starts as soon as you open your eyes, and the day to start whatever goal you`ve been considering pursuing is always today. You`re alive, each breath is a blessing so don`t waste it.
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