Guilty Act, Guilty Mind

Actus Reus and Mens Rea are latin terms for guilty act and guilty mind and in the world of criminal law this produces criminal liability (I’m simplifying).

In society, we have to abide by rules and regulations. We are responsible for our actions and choices (unless we are pleading insanity but that’s a whole other topic). In our criminal legal system, we are innocent until proven guilty.

So much of our society is build into the act of guilt. There is criminal guilt and just plain old I should not have had those slices of pizza guilt.

Here’s the thing, in order to achieve balance, we have to stop feeling so guilty all the time. Treats are ok and a must. Everything is ok in moderation, even moderation.

So let’s stop feeling guilty and work towards achieving the right balance. Here are a few tips that will help you balance work and life:

1. Stay informed: Learn how to read labels. Just because it says fat free, diet or zero calories does not mean it’s good for you. Do not become a victim of marketing. This might seem difficult, but it isn’t. Just google “images to reading food labels” or “reading food labels”.

2. Eat well and eat many meals per day, starting with a good hearty breakfast: I am not a nutritionist nor a dietician but I am healthy. Thanks to my mother, I have always eaten many meals a day and I continue doing so today. Eating many meals per day requires organization. If you are not organized, you are more likely to skip meals or reach for junk.

Plan ahead and prepare ahead. In my household, Sunday is a meal preparation day. I will cook up a storm and freeze various meats for a few weeks at a time. Sealing your meat will keep it tasty longer.

Have snacks handy and keep a some at work (cottage cheese and/or plain Greek yogurt with fruit, baby bell cheese, almonds, humus and carrot or celery sticks, hard broiled eggs …)

3. Drink a lot of water: I aim for a minimum of eight glasses per day. To make it easy to keep track, go to Wallmart’s tupper ware department. They sell a nice big water bottle that holds the equivalent of 8 glasses of water per day. It has a handle on it and is easy to lug around. You fill it up once and you’re done.

4. Exercise and stay fit: Just like preparing your meals ahead of time is important, structuring your workouts and making them a part of your schedule is a must. Schedule a date with yourself and input it into your calendar. If you need extra motivation, make it a date with a friend. It will help you stay accountable. While we might be more apt to cancel a date with ourselves, we are unlikely to ditch a friend.

If you do not like the gym, find something that you like. Enrol in a martial arts or dance class. Get outdoors and move around. Try to mix cardio with weight baring activities. If you do not belong to a gym, do push ups, the plank, squats and lunges.

5. Have a hobby: It order to be a well rounded individual it is important to have hobbies that stimulate us. Exercising is one of my hobbies but I also love to read. I always have a good book on the go.

6. Surround yourself with positivity: Stay away from negative people. If you are surrounded by negativity, you are more likely to be negative. This might mean getting out of your comfort zone and reaching out to new people. Enrolling in classes (gym, boot camps, art, dance) will help you meet like minded individuals.

Hope these tips help you. Until the next time …