Life in the city

In short, I couldnt do it. Ever. Up until this week, I worked from home, 3 days a week. It was nice (I work in the telecom industry). I had to deal with horrible traffic, people, etc, only twice a week. Coworkers are fine. But, I came to a realization this week. We, as human beings, simply arent meant to be office dwellers. Nothing is healthy about sitting in traffic, only to arrive at a job, sitting in a cubicle, all day, for 9 hours, eating crappy food, to commute the same way home, again, in traffic-and repeat that, 5 days a week. We, as human beings, arent meant to be sedentary. We werent sedentary until the advent of the industrial age-and, became REALLY sedentary in the space age, and its gotten progressively worse since then. We spend 8 hours (most of us), behind a computer. We spend an hour sitting for lunch, bitching about sitting behind a desk for 8 hours. We spend an hour commute, each way. Thats 11 hours a day, we spend, sitting, doing menial work. We dont get the sunlight we need. We dont get the greenery we need (recently they released a study about how spending time out in the woods is a big anti depressant-says a LOT about our society). We, as modern Americans, are FAR too plugged in to each other. We have social media. The majority of us, myself included, have smartphones. We, technically, are never without some sort of technology. There is a lot going on politically regarding violence in this country (even though stats show its going down, most people think its going up-thank the news). Here is my take on it; we watch too much TV. We spend too much time on social media sites. We are too concerned with how others perceive us, or that others dont think the same way we do. This is not new, of course. This is because we NEVER UNPLUG. People have ALWAYS had differing views. In the past, people talked about these things. There werent threats, there wasnt facebook to let everyone know what you feel. There was actual, human interaction. Those days have largely disappeared. Now, what can we do about that?
In a word: nothing. We cannot stop progress. We cannot suddenly turn it all off, and go back to a more wholesome time-a time when kids played outside, and no one worried. A time where boys went to school with pocketknives, and werent suspended or expelled. A time where people showed respect towards each other. We cannot go back to those days, as a society. We CAN as individuals. We can choose to be what we once were; respectful of each other. Compassionate, but firm (people need to learn lessons the hard way sometimes). Caring. Happy. Here is what I am doing in MY life-you do what you like, because only you can change yourself:
First, we got rid of TV. A HUGE step. Here is why. We were sick & tired of the doom and gloom of the news. Of product placement. Of shows that, for the most part, had the IQ of a 6 year old. We discussed it, and came to the conclusion that we were paying $80/month, to watch 2 channels. JUST TWO CHANNELS. Not worth it. Now, the benefits of it? Well, other than not being subjected to the idiot stuff on TV (We still have netflix and hulu), we dont have some kind of "tv schedule". You may not even be AWARE of this phenomena. But, when you watch TV, you actually work your life around it. You are tied to certain TV shows. You know what? If you dont watch it-thats OK. NOTHING HAPPENS. Its TV. Its designed SPECIFICALLY to fill a void in your life. The average American watches 4 hours of TV a day. A DAY. Thats 4 hours, wasted, doing nothing but staring at a screen!! Trust me, give it up-its a great liberating feeling!
Second, exercise. Not go to the gym exercise-there is PLENTY you can do at home. And, along with this, eat better. When your body feels healthy, you will feel better, about life in general. Even a light regimen, daily, will make you feel great.
Third, be social. Spend REAL time with friends. Not texting, not facebooking-spend quality time with those who are important to you.
Fourth-take regular walks in the woods. Studies have shown people who do this, are less depressed. My own feeling is that we simply have less input-we simply enjoy being in a state where we arent getting bombarded with info. We simply are there. Enjoying nature. Listening to birds. Watching a small stream. Smelling the surroundings. We spent thousands of years like that-we arent meant to be inside. Engage your senses for what they were designed for.
Finally, get a hobby. It doesnt have to be anything special-but, find something that makes you feel good. That centers you. This is important. Everyone needs something in their lives, that makes them happy. That they can get absorbed in. It can be as simple as reading, or as complex as computer coding. It doesnt matter, just find something that makes you happy.
Thats all I have for tonight :). Enjoy your weekend!