Some years ago, a seminar presenter coined the term ‘Presenteeism’. He was referring to whether members of an audience were fully engaged with the moment, or whether they were thinking about yesterday or tomorrow. On Wednesday I spoke with one of our members who is in fact a full-time addictions counsellor. He shared that, unfortunately, 90% of those with addictions, will eventually die from the same. But his major concern is for the youth of New Zealand. He said that kids are increasingly staring at screens at school, then again staring at these blue screens after school, gaming. He said that gaming offers no real ‘completion’. There is always a higher level just out of reach that helps to create in kids a form of anxiety.
On Friday, speaking at the New Zealand Exercise Convention (FitEx) in Takapuna, President Richard Beddie highlighted the most recent NZ wide survey on people’s motivation to exercise. The number One reason is now given as ‘For my mental health’. He reminded us that, behind Victoria – Australia, the second longest lockdown was in fact Auckland which has played havock on people’s well-being. Richard said that the two major areas affecting mental health were anxiety and depression. But anxiety comes about by worrying excessively about what ‘could’ happen in an uncertain future. Whereas depression is caused by ‘the past’.
The highly positive news offered on Friday afternoon by former SAS soldier and Professor Paul Taylor is that stressful situations often lead to PTG – Post Traumatic GROWTH! If you are able press-on and push through tremendous adversity and difficulty, you will achieve a period of immense growth in attitude, confidence, and capability. Paul said that ‘fit people’ have a better response to stress.
In a nutshell, it certainly does pay to exercise regularly and to get yourself ‘fitter’. Then rather than focusing on the past or perhaps what ‘could’ happen tomorrow, instead, be fully aware and appreciative of what you have and who you are with right NOW, TODAY.
Hear Paul Taylor for yourself
You’ve got time to make good on your promise
Remember last Christmas when you made a promise to yourself (and you told your family), that this was the year
