It’s hard to be relaxed

My wife and I recently returned from a visit to Sydney during which we spent a lot of time on the city’s excellent underground train system.
Before going to Sydney I read an article about Australians being the second highest users of antidepressants in the world, (per head of population), with one in every ten people taking them.
After spending a few days travelling around Sydney (my home town), it’s not difficult to notice why so many people are stressed and anxious.
First there are the obvious issues of large crowds with lots of people in a hurry to get somewhere. They are dealing with the normal stressors of crowded trains & busses, heavy road traffic and long commuter journeys.
Secondly, nearly everyone on a train or bus was looking at their smart phone. There’s no time to spend inside your own mind, just observing life and living in the present moment. People who are constantly looking at screens – doing work, playing games, looking at videos or interacting on social media are not giving their minds any time to relax.
Thirdly, most of the advertising we were being bombarded with encouraged narcissism, obsession with trivia or promoted the assumption that buying a particular product would make us happy or popular.
Adding to all these negatives were the “normal” stresses around jobs, relationships, families and finances. The human brain can only handle so much pressure before problems start to arise. This frantic lifestyle starts to explain why one in ten Australians is popping anti- depressant pills.
If people are going to be successful in reducing their stress levels and finding real, long term happiness, they are going to have to make some changes to their lifestyles and the way that they view and respond to the world around them.
We have some proven solutions. There are lots of books and videos which can teach us how to find more peace and happiness in our lives. It’s not that hard. You just have to make the effort. Our book “How to stay Healthy, Active and Sharp in Retirement” is one which contains practical advice from 14 health experts and is geared towards people over 50. It can be purchased on this web site.