Sergeant Tony's Blog

“If it weren’t for bhaaaaad luck, I’d have no luck at aaaall … gloom, despair, and agony on meeeeeee!”

If you remember “Hee Haw” — that horrible Country variety show from the 70’s — then you’ll recognize that line. It’s from a skit that featured a bunch of hayseed-overall-clad-hillbillies laid out on the front porch of a hillbilly shack up in the sticks somewhere, drinkin’ moonshine, whining, moaning, and singing about their lazy lot in life and their lousy luck.

As a kid, I got the impression that laziness and loitering leads to despair and depression. Good lesson. So I was determined to stay busy and do stuff. THAT, I reasoned, would mean that I’d always be happy, positive, and people would think that I was fun to hang out with.

But sometimes even those who aren’t sitting around whining and complaining get depressed. Busy people get the blues too. There is that state of being “barrenly busy.” You can see it in the moms driving the family taxi from kid’s event to kid’s event; the business traveler on auto pilot stuck in another endless airport layover, hard pressed to be able to tell you what city they’re in without looking at their boarding pass. Barrenly busy. We all know about it.

Then sometimes, for reasons you can’t even trace, you can end up feeling down. I’ve heard it called “Free Floating Funk.” No reason we can think of. Nothing we can put our finger on. We just don’t feel very happy. We all have trouble, we all struggle, as my favorite REM music video reminds us. Everybody hurts.

In “Bust a Bad Mood,” an article in this month’s issue of Men’s Health magazine, you’ll find a list of different things that you can do to spend less time in a funk. I thought I’d pass them on to you, because … everybody (even Boot Campers) hurt … sometimes … and need a mood buster, particularly on this gloomy looking day!

1. Make sure you get plenty of Omega 3. Cold water fish contains certain acids that boost the brain’s levels of dopamine and serotonin, the same brain chemicals that antidepressants boost. Don’t like fish? Then you’ll need an omega 3 supplement.

2. Don’t smell funky. Smells have a very strong effect on our moods. You 0530 Boot Campers know all about the Friday morning bacon battle. That aroma is torture! The smells of orange and lavender have been used to improve a person’s mood. Ever notice how the smell of a clean house automatically boosts your mood but the smell of a dirty diaper can bum you out? Ever notice how a smell can trigger such strong memories and feelings? I dated a girl in high school who, I’m pretty sure, bewitched me with her perfume. You can use candles, sprays, flowers, lotions, or potions to put you in a happy place.

3. Set a goal and nail it! This goes back to a newsletter that I wrote a few weeks ago about goal setting. Set reasonable, concrete goals and use a step by step method to achieve them. If you missed that newsletter, you can find it (http://usmcfitnessbootcamp.com/blog/2009/01/02/say-yes/), and all of these newsletters on the Boot Camp website blog page.

4. Got milk? Milk is rich in tryptophan, an amino acid needed for the production of serotonin.

5. Get some! Exercise, in particular cardio exercises like running, does some miraculous things. “Regular exercise increases adrenal activity, which facilitates stress adaptatioin and enhances the release of hormones like noradrenaline, serotonin, beta-endorphin, and dopamine. These hormones all improve mood,” says Peter Schnohr, M.D.

6. REALLY get some! Physical affection produces oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that reduces fear and lowers your cortisol (a stress hormone) and blood-pressure levels. Coitus, cuddling, hugging, and even hand holding have this effect. The more the merrier! Seriously!

7. Music your way through down days. Listening to music that makes you happy will alter your mood. My Dad loved old skool Country & Western music. I HATED it! But the old man controlled the radio. That music just depressed the heck out of me, but it put a smile on his face. Go figure. So if Motorhead or Ani Difranco do it for you, go for it! If you’re more of a Jay Z or Beyonce kind of person, listen on! If Barry Manilow or Lionel Richie is more your speed, you need professional help. hahaha Just kidding. Music is a very personal thing where the same music can make one person feel good and another person feel out of sorts. But what ever music boosts your mood and gives you a good feeling, push play!

8. Lay off the sauce. Moderation in all things, including moderation. That advice is no better applied than when it is applied to booze. Coping skills that depend on alcohol are in desperate need of alteration. What you turn to during times of sadness, depression, or stress ought to be positive and uplifting, not potentially destructive and harmful. The presence of alcohol in domestic violence, traffic fatalities, and dysfunctional relationships is so widespread that you almost expect it to be one of the factors leading to a person’s personal tragedy. Moderation in libations.

9. Get sun! A little sunshine everyday helps boost your mood and boosts your levels of vitamin D. Recent studies found that vitamin D levels were 14% lower in depressed people. Unfortunately, our weather today won’t be very helpful. Today would be a good day for supplementation.

10. Get enough sleep. Go to bed before Joe Birch starts telling you about the day’s murders and political corruptions. I am a bit of a news junkie and because of the nature of my work, I need to pay attention to the weather forecast. But if you can, get to bed before you hear any bad news. Read something positive and uplifting before you go to bed. I would not recommend Dean Koontz or Stephen King. And no serious conversations, discussions, or arguments after 9 PM! See # 6!

11. Accentuate the positive. When it’s up to you, surround yourself with people who are positive and happy. There is a personality survey that asks the question, “Would you describe yourself as a person who is more happy or more angry? Is your glass half empty or half full? Is your fuse short or long?” Ask it of yourself. And to the point, consider those questions and those qualities when you choose the people you hang out with.

I recently read that it is wrong to lay the responsibility for your happiness on the shoulders of another. It’s not your boss’s job to make you happy. Not your parent’s job. It’s not your spouse’s job or your partner’s job. It’s your job. Happiness is an inside job! How you process the world around you will determine what kind of world you live in.

You’ve got 11 things here that will help get you started in the right direction. Set a course for a happier you, weigh anchor, unfurl your pirate’s flag, and get underway! Your happiness may be dependant upon more drastic measures than what I’ve listed here. Whatever that may be, do it! It’s impossible to steer a ship that’s sitting dead in the water! Get moving!

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THE LAND OF THE ICE AND SNOW — Our inclement weather policy

Since the weather experts (Those guys who TRACK STORMS!) predict that the weather might get dicey for us tonight, Assistant Drill Instructor Richard Bourland reminded me this morning that restating our inclement weather policy would be timely.

If the Memphis City Schools close due to weather, we will stand down as well.

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Third Thursday for Mt. Fuji

The turnout and the feedback from our trip to “Mt. Fuji” last week was awesome! We’ll do the same thing every month on the third Thursday! Our next trip to the mountain will be on Thursday, February 19. We’ll meet at 0530 at the Zach Curlin parking garage on the campus of the U of M.

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SPRING HALF MARATHON TRAINING!

Half Marathon (13.1 miles) Training for the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville on April 25, 2009 (or the Louisville Half Marathon or will continue at 0800 this coming Saturday, 31 January! We’ll meet in front of the Visitor’s Center at Shelby Farms.

NOTE: IF IT IS RAINING, WE’LL MEET AT THE ZACH CURLIN PARKING GARAGE AT THE U OF M!

Can you do this? I’ll bet you can!!!

If you can run 3 miles in 36 minutes or less, then you can do this!

Cost for the three month training is $100 for “friends” of Boot Camp and $75 for active duty BOOT CAMPERS!

All are welcome!

Have questions? Shoot me an email!

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Melissa “Weiner Dog” Walker Moore’s mom has this quote on her refrigerator and I think it’s a dandy!

“To love is to interpret another’s actions in the best possible light.”

Have a fabulous Tuesday everyone!

To your continued good health and fitness!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding

www.shaklee.net/tonyludlow/main