Focus on optimizing sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and social relationships as these are vital elements for living a healthy life and contribute significantly to happiness, fulfillment, and overall health.
Combat loneliness by reaching out to someone you care about for five minutes a day, giving people your full, undistracted attention, and looking for ways to serve others, as these actions forge powerful connections and affirm personal value.
To make significant behavior changes (e.g., around physical activity, diet, or device use) easier and more successful, partner with one or two friends or family members to hold each other accountable and provide mutual encouragement and support.
Parents should aim to delay their children’s use of social media until at least past middle school, ideally partnering with other parents to create a supportive environment where children are not alone in this choice.
Create technology-free “sacred spaces” for children, specifically the hour before bedtime and throughout the night, during mealtimes, and during time with friends and family, to protect sleep quality and foster in-person interaction.
Parents should initiate open, non-judgmental conversations with their children about social media to understand their experiences, address concerns, and educate them on reporting harassment, bullying, or concerning content like suicidal ideation.
Parents should lead by example by drawing boundaries around their own device use and putting devices away when with their children, especially during sacred times like mealtimes and bedtime routines.
Ensure children have ample unstructured playtime, as this is crucial for developing essential social skills like negotiation, conflict resolution, collaboration, and non-verbal communication, which are vital for their mental health and development.
Ensure children learn how to build and maintain healthy relationships, as this is as important as reading and writing for their happiness, fulfillment, health, and success in life.
Advise adolescents to limit social media use to less than three hours a day, as using it for three hours or more doubles their risk of anxiety or depression symptoms.
Aim to consume minimally or less processed foods and increase intake of fruits and vegetables, as highly processed foods often contain unhealthy levels of sodium, sugar, and additives that detract from health.
Ensure adolescents avoid using devices, especially social media, late into weeknights to protect their sleep, which is critical for their mental health and well-being during a crucial developmental phase.
Recognize the social cost of modern mobility and convenience, and consciously invest more time and effort in nurturing relationships and reaching out to people, even if it means actively mitigating the ease of online interaction.
Foster an environment of humility and civility by avoiding attacks on those with different views or unpalatable recommendations, recognizing that respectful dialogue is crucial for public trust and effective communication.
Drink one packet of Element dissolved in 16-32 ounces of water first thing in the morning and during physical exercise to ensure proper hydration and adequate electrolytes, vital for optimal brain and body function.
Utilize meditation apps like Waking Up for various meditation types, including yoga nidra or non-sleep deep rest (NSDR), to place the brain and body into different states and restore cognitive and physical energy, even with short sessions.
Be aware that social media use, particularly for adolescents, significantly contributes to negative body image due to constant comparison; encourage critical evaluation of online content and self-acceptance.
Actively seek out and consume information from diverse voices and a broader group of experts in public health to gain a more comprehensive and trustworthy understanding of health recommendations.