Welcome to issue #32 of The Power Up, the curated email magazine from Man Body Spirit.
In this week’s selection we look at the traits that define a charismatic personality, and how to have one. We have good advice for those of us who take a long time making decisions, and we also investigate the two-way relationship between sleep and the food we eat.
We also came across 4 habits for better mental health, a selection of beneficial mental health resources for men, and – for those of you who feel like you’ve exhausted all the TV & Movies you care to watch during lockdown – there is a curated list of the 24 best documentaries of all time.
As always, I hope you find something interesting and relevant to you.
Enjoy.
4 Habits everyone needs for better mental health
Although mental health is thankfully becoming less taboo and a more publicly discussed topic, it is still very misunderstood.
A lot of people believe that mental health is deterministic—that you are essentially at the mercy of your genetics and brain chemistry.
Others believe that it’s simply a matter of willpower — “just think more positive and you’ll be OK,” which is a gross over simplification.
As Psychologist Nick Wignall writes here, the truth is in the messy middle.
Mental health is not a matter of fate or a single decision. It’s largely a matter of habits, which we can indeed have control over if we are aware of how to cultivate them.
Mind
Decision Making 101: How to make better choices in less than two minutes
Do you ever find it hard to make decisions? Or spend hours researching, comparing and analysing before making even relatively small scale choices?
Our modern globalised lives have created this sense of not wanting to settle for anything less than the best possible. I recall an Aziz Ansari sketch where he talks about Googling ‘What’s the best toothbrush?’ before making the purchase.
However, the side effect of this is that we spend far more time and mental energy on decisions than necessary.
This quick read introduces the terms ‘maximizers’ and ‘satisficers’ and shows us how we can simplify our decision-making processes to conserve time and energy.
Mental health resources & tools for men with depression
The conversation around men’s mental health is gaining reach and momentum. Here is a solid list of tools, communities and resources if you’d like to learn more or find support for challenges facing you or those you know.
Body
Investigating the Food-Sleep connection
Our eating habits can make or break our sleep — and our sleep patterns can make or break our eating habits.
This connection is often underestimated and misunderstood. What does make sleep such a potent factor in metabolism? And how do our eating habits influence sleep? This article brings together several expert opinions to give us the lowdown.
This is your body and brain on coffee
A twice-daily coffee-making ritual have become moments to look forward to for me during lockdown, having previously gone almost a year without it. Wondering if this was an especially bad or good thing, I stumbled upon this article…
Spirit
8 traits of a charismatic personality & how to be one
Who doesn’t like a charismatic personality?
That fine balance between cockiness and confidence is hard to find and deliver consistently. But some people seem to master it better than others.
This article breaks down 8 key traits of charismatic personalities and offers 4 actionable steps to become more charismatic.
The first step to attract the life you want
Here’s another quick read about the powerful benefits of defining a realistic yet ambitious purpose for your life – the first step in generating the kind of momentum and energy that makes us unstoppable.
Bonus Content
The 24 best documentaries of all time
So you’ve completed Netflix, rewatched your favourite movies too many times, and become mind-numbed from endless newsfeed scrolling… Maybe it’s time to learn and be inspired by some of the best documentaries of all time, summarised in this handy list.
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you?
Jim Rohn
“Not much.”
