Mitophagy and Thriving: Practical Ways to Improve Your Wellness - 2023 Thrive Practice #8
“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” – Deepak Chopra
Mitophagy is the process whereby old and damaged mitochondria are broken down and removed so that your brain and body can function properly and maintain health. It’s an ongoing process that you can influence through proper rest, moving your body, eating well, taking care of your spiritual and emotional needs, and so on—all the positive practices we’ve been exploring. You can build your mitochondrial health. In response, your mitochondrial health can help build a life of thriving.
You can also think of mitophagy also as a metaphor for change. As with damaged cells, we can intentionally break down and remove bad habits by replacing them, one by one, with good habits that build our health. That’s what thrive practices are for. They replace old and busted systems that take away from our wellness with new and better ones that contribute to our wellness.
Let’s explore a few tactics that you can install in your life to help you thrive more consistently more often!
Take a full day to unplug. If you’re like me, you’re probably regularly bombarded with phone calls, messages, and news. It’s important to step away from all that and be fully unplugged for good stretches of time. If you’re going through a period of high stress, leave your phone at home and go for a walk or even a day-long hike and just enjoy being disconnected. You may have to plan ahead to take a full day off from your phone, but it’s worth it. This dose of device-free time will ease some of your psychological stress, reconnect you to yourself and your real-world surroundings, and leave you feeling refreshed.
Sprinkle in small bursts of joy. The sum of small day-to-day moments create a happy life. So one way to invite more happiness into your life is to sprinkle in small bursts of joy throughout the day. This might mean emailing someone to thank them for something they did for you, having a meaningful conversation with a friend, taking 30 seconds to help someone who needs it, or recalling a great past experience.
Seek out playful activities. Engaging in playful activities such as sports or games not only boosts your happiness but is also important for your brain! A study found that juvenile rats that engaged in “rough and tumble” play had higher activation in certain areas of the brain compared to control rats. They also had greater brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression, suggesting that play is important for neurodevelopment. I know you’re not a mouse but you get the idea.
Make self-care non-negotiable. This means dedicating some time each day to an activity that is for you and you only. Going for that quick walk in the middle of the day will not only improve your physical health, but also make you more focused the rest of the day. Taking time to meditate every day will make you more patient with your family. Setting aside time to work on a project or hobby will give you balance, give you a sense of accomplishment, and make you happier. On a larger scale, you may want to take up an activity that requires lessons or regular practice, like painting or woodworking or rock climbing. What’s important is making a commitment to and then scheduling self-care activities into your life.
That’s it for this month. I hope those ideas spark some new approaches to building a thriving life practice.
What practices are you using to help you flourish and thrive? Let me know on Instagram or Linked In.
If you want to learn more about thriving, I cover that topic in detail in my new book Powerhouse: Protect Your Energy, Optimize Your Health and Supercharge Your Performance.
Our VIIVIO health and performance app is designed to send you daily 1% Tips that can help you thrive in all aspects of your life. You can check out VIIVIO here.
We hope this information helps you get some perspective about thrive practices that lead you to an upward spiral of wellness!
Have a great month!
