Vitality

For me, vitality captures important aspects that we need for an independent life: lifeforce, free willingness and energy flow. Vitality provides me with physical and mental strength, and a sufficient amount of positivity and optimism to handle life as it happens to me. Everything we do, think and feel costs energy. In fact, we gain, consume, lose and re-gain energy all the time. Without vital energy, we couldn’t exist. Energy moves freely and can be created or lost at any minute in our lives.

The meaning of the word “vitality”

Vitality comes from the Latin word vita (meaning “life”) and describes a state of aliveness that is much more than just a feeling of being “alive”. Vitality can be defined as a life force, the energy that we need for living. It is like a personal battery which, while charged, gives enough power to enjoy life fully. A vital person is energetic, enthusiastic, inspired, spontaneous, and lives with purpose and excitement. This person possesses a positive, supportive attitude towards himself, others and the environment. Vital people can also be described as curious, playful, and active with the readiness to learn and explore. These abilities are very important for personal development.

Vitality can also be described as “calm energy”, it differs from activation such as anger, or anxiety, vitality is always associated with positive, uplifting and cheerful energy. Psychological and physical events both have an impact on our vitality and change our energy levels.

Vitality is closely related to longevity capturing important elements such as graceful proactive ageing and a healthy lifestyle. It is also positively related to general health and happiness. Vitality is considered to be an aspect of emotional and physical well-being and is derived from internal sources, mainly from intrinsic motivation.

Vitality expresses itself in a high level of energy and low level of fatigue; in mental resilience and fitness.

The roots of vitality

We can find the roots of vitality in Eastern Philosophies, where the life force or eternal energy is called Prana, Chi or Qi (such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda). The energy is in constant flow and passes everything and everybody. In the human body, it creates seven energy centres that are called chakras. Read more about chakras here.

Additionally, according to TCM, there are 14 pathways where the energy moves, creating an entire web in our bodies. The pathways are called meridians and they produce low electromagnetic and other subtle energies that are hard to measure. Meridians lie along the skin’s surface but also reach deeper tissues and organs. The energy that is blocked, contaminated or too low, can be manipulated in meridians at certain acupoints by pressure (acupuncture and acupressure).

Life energy can be created, gained, sustained, blocked, or lost; it depends on our own lifestyle, diseases, traumas, and disabilities. Many alternative therapies are created to re-balance the energy level (energy healing, chakra healing, reiki, reflexology and many others) but also spiritual practices such as yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong.

Vitality as life energy

Vitality as life energy is in constant motion, it is never static. We gain it from the healthy food we eat but not only. We also receive energy from activities and hobbies we enjoy, from the favourable environment such as nature, through supportive and caring relationships, from mindfulness and meditation practices, physical activity, a good sleep, playfulness, and joy - in fact, from every experience we ever get.

We all have our own energy sources that may differ from the sources of others. For successful vitality management, we need to identify our own energy leakages: the activities and/or things that cost too much energy, and energy sources that provide us with new energy. By doing so, we have control over our own energy level and we can manage our lives independently.

We need vital energy to perform well at work and to take good care of ourselves and our families. We need vital energy for planning, creating, thinking and analysing. Every thought and emotion, in fact, is energy! Vitality gives us physical, mental and spiritual freedom and power to act independently, make decisions, create plans, and fulfil them, have a good time and enjoy life.

In hard situations

Energy flows where attention goes…

Life can be hard. Changes are difficult to be accepted such as ageing, losing a job, divorce or loss of loved ones but so are also toxic relations, loneliness, disease, and many other challenges that make us struggle and stressed. In those situations, life can turn into an endless nightmare of accusation and self-blame, regret, and desperation where we have no vitality left. Distress, heavy workload and personal issues create worries, negative thoughts and anxiety that drain our valuable vital energy and make us exhausted. We lose the joy to live. This is the opposite of vitality.

Why do we feel negative emotions?

Emotions can be felt as pleasant or unpleasant, they can create thoughts or memories, even real feelings in the body, and as a result, our behaviour and thinking change. Emotions release certain hormones and chemicals in our bodies, and this is why we sometimes feel emotions in our stomach, chest, or heart. We may have a fast heart rate, fast breathing and a racing heart while experiencing negative emotions.

Emotions influence our life more than we can imagine and not always in a good way though. Sometimes we accuse our emotions of our failures and wrongdoings and our reactions to situations may cause behavioural problems and confusion. Situations as they occur, are actually neutral, we interpret them as negative or positive according to our own life experiences. So, our emotions may be influenced by our past and painful memories that have nothing to do with the present moment. In fact, also our interpretations of our own emotions may be wrong and different from reality.

We have our values and principles that guide us towards our goals. We try to explain and give meaning to everything that happens to us and that meaning is often influenced by past experiences. On the other hand, we also have expectations that sometimes tend to be too high. In that case, it is easy to get disappointed, triggered by negativity, anxiety and even panic. This is also why we tend to react emotionally to triggers at the workplace, in our personal lives, and in everything that is important to us. In order to get control over our emotions, we need to become aware of the labels and meaning we have given to things, happenings, and people in our lives.

It is important to remember that every emotion tells us something. We experience emotions for a reason! Joy, surprise, anger, hate, disgust and fear are the six universal emotions that people experience. So, let us pay attention to our own emotions and find out why we experience them.

dimensions of vitality

Vitality unites the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of our multidimensional life and offers a true path to joyful ageing and longevity for everyone, who wants to stay physically and mentally fit. These aspects can be seen as separate dimensions that are deeply interconnected with and depend on each other. Once we take a deeper look at each of these dimensions, we find the factors that influence the level of vitality. We also get a better understanding of how vitality works. To maintain vitality, we must take good care of each dimension. Physical health is not enough to maintain vitality when our mental health is weak and the way around.

Physical vitality

We make choices every day regarding our physical health. It is also obvious that sometimes our choices are not the healthiest. Important questions that we should ask ourselves are:

• How do I treat my body? What do I eat? Do I exercise enough, and every day? Do I get enough sleep? Am I fresh and energetic in the morning?

Physical vitality is about a healthy physical body and fitness and the ability to move and exercise. The bad physical shape has a serious impact on the other aspects of vitality. Also, our diet has an important role in our physical and mental health, the food that we eat, and rest, and a balance between work and leisure. We should show more respect for our bodies and take good care of them.

Physical activity has many benefits. Regular exercise changes our mood for the better, and we can more easily concentrate at work. We can also keep our weight under control and avoid overeating. We are less receptive to illnesses and our immune system is in good condition. Exercising gives us a good body posture and makes our heart, bones, and muscles strong. Regular physical activity also reduces stress and anxiety and improves sleep. According to health experts, we should take around 10 000 steps daily to maintain good health. But when we start counting our daily steps, we may be surprised how much we need to move to reach this number! So, on working days while sitting at our desks, we never make it. To reach 10 000 steps, we should walk a bit less than 10 km and around 60- 90 minutes per day. But in reality, people spend most of their valuable time sitting in their comfortable seats. Even shopping nowadays is nothing else but clicking on a couple of links on the Internet, and delivery is already on its way. We only need to stand up and walk to the front door, which is less than 10 000 steps. We use cars to go to work and back, elevators to move up and downstairs, and electric steps scooters to reach every destination in the city without any need to walk. As we see, there is not enough physical activity needed to do all that!

Without being aware of the fact of how little we move; we cannot solve the problem. Therefore, it is good to stand up regularly during the day and move around instead of sitting for hours, go to the gym regularly to lessen the deficit of physical activity. And yes, we need to take extra time for exercising, and that can be a problem for many because we are lazy. It is a question of self-discipline.

Physical activity is important also in old age. Regular exercising is needed to maintain mobility rather than prevent diseases. Dancing would be a great choice for elderly people that helps not only stay fit but also mentally active and cheerful.

Food is our basic need, we cannot do without it. Food is the fuel that keeps our bodies moving and alive. The energy that we get from food enables us to grow and function. Food has a huge impact on our health, mood, productivity, physical and mental fitness and vitality. Poor diet is a cause of many diseases, inflammation, and obesity, it can also lead to phycological problems, poor sleep, stress, and depression.

So, if it is so obvious that a healthy diet is needed to maintain good health, then why are we still sabotaging our own health? There are different reasons for that. Food can be used as a reward (chocolate cake after hard work, a glass of alcohol to celebrate an event), as a comfort (sweets, alcohol, overeating to lessen sorrow and stress). An unhealthy diet can be a result of poor time management (buying pre-prepared or ordering fast food).

We always have a choice, and it is our responsibility to provide our bodies with the nutrients and vitamins that keep us alive, fit and active. A good diet is a good investment for the future and disease prevention. The simple advice is to bring more colours to our daily diet and create a rainbow on our plates: fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, olive oil, herbs and spices, wholegrain and legumes. Healthy microbiota reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer and increases good mood and vitality.

Sleep has a huge impact on our vitality and overall health. In sleep, we recover and recharge. Without good sleep, we cannot function properly. Insomnia has become a problem for many people nowadays. Lack of sleep can cause different health problems such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, weak immune system, mood changes and many more. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates the rhythm of our sleep and awake time. Our bodies produce it more at night and less during the daytime. As a result, melatonin helps regulate circadian rhythm and keeps our day-night routine more or less stable. The circadian rhythm dips and rises at different times of the day, and drops significantly during the hours between 2 and 5 p.m. We can avoid sleepiness by taking some fresh air, walking, listening to music, having a healthy snack and drinking water.

What can be done to improve our sleep quality? It is a good idea to have some activities we do regularly before going to bed. These activities should support our goal to fall asleep peacefully.

First of all, it is always good to keep a consistent sleep routine, it gives our bodies stability and enough time to recover. Taking a hot bath in the evening (but not directly before going to bed!), reading a good book, listening relaxing music, enjoying candlelight and meditating can be good ideas to practice before going to bed, they prepare us slowly for a good sleep. It is very important to make sure that the bedroom is well ventilated and the temperature is not too high. The bedroom should be dark and quiet, light and sound keep us from falling asleep.

There are certain things that we should avoid such as heavy food and caffeine late at night, alcohol and fluids before going to bed. Also, we could consider switching off the television a couple of hours before bedtime and avoiding electronic devices in the bedroom, not to mention checking emails, texting or chatting in bed. Bedtime is for sleep and sleep is for our health!

Emotional vitality

Emotional vitality depends on our ability to deal with our emotions. Very often we cannot change the situation, but we can change our thoughts about it. The questions we should ask are:

• How do I deal with my emotions? Are my emotions ruling my life or is it me?

This aspect of vitality involves mental strength and resilience, dealing with anxiety, fear and stress. Vitality is about the joy of life, enthusiasm and motivation. Negative reactions to triggers lead to imbalance, stress, tension, and mental struggle. We look at life situations through the lenses we have created for ourselves using the content of our past to protect us. What does it mean? Our past is a mix of experiences and memories, painful failures, and mistakes that we are carrying around with us all the time, like a large heavy backpack that we carry around with us. The content of the backpack influences our choices, beliefs, interpretations, and behaviour.

We can react to the situation mindfully or mindlessly, the latter would be the first and default choice while acting on autopilot. On the other hand, before any decision, any action or further thought, we could also stop, become aware of the situation and our emotions and then respond to the situation mindfully. Moving from reacting to responding, and from responding to proacting is the right way to go. Proactiveness means initiating and taking action. Taking control over our own thoughts and emotions allows us to control our lives. Mindfulness and meditation practice help reduce stress and maintain vital energy.

Social vitality

Social vitality is about our ability to develop and maintain healthy and positive relations with others. A question we should ask is:

• How do I treat others? Am I capable to create and keep positive relationships?

When we are low in energy, every communication requires a lot of effort and we may feel exhausted. At the same time, a good talk with a dear friend can fill us with new positive energy and we feel motivated to work and be active again. Compassion, caring for others, positive relationships, a loving family, children and good friends, community ties and engagement in public projects, volunteering and involvement – that all are important for our vitality. The support of our loved ones keeps our vitality level in balance.

A safe and supportive work environment and good relationships with colleagues have also a huge impact on our social vitality. Transparent communication, exchange of information, honesty and support are important aspects of a trustful and fruitful work relationship.

Spiritual vitality

Spiritual vitality depends on how we perceive the world, others and self, how we relate to others and self and what is our purpose in life. A question we should ask is:

• Why do I do what I do? What inspires me?

It is about finding a purpose in life. Meaningful life creates a lot of joy, devotion and happiness. Our intrinsic motivation is an inner source that allows and encourages us to do things that we like and enjoy. We do those things because we enjoy the process itself. Those activities create a flow experience.

In the flow, we are controlling our activity, we feel confident because we have the right skills for performance, we are fully focussed and therefore unaware of the time passing, often forgetting about the space and anything else around us. The flow experiences teach us what we like to do and what we can do the best. This is how we can find our purpose and meaning in life. A conscious engagement in activities that matter makes a difference and fills us with joy and satisfaction that helps us to maintain and cultivate vitality.

We can phrase the principles of vitality as follows:

• Practice moderation in everything you do and seek balance in life.

• Treat your body with dignity and compassion.

• Exercise regularly.

• Connect with nature. Nature is a powerful source of energy that you need for your vitality.

• Make healthy food choices. Eat mindfully.

• Take enough rest. Learn to listen to your body.

• Become aware of your emotions. Choose proactive behaviour and do not let the situation determine how you feel.

• Learn to trust yourself.

• Practise mindfulness, it helps you stay focussed and enjoy the present moment.

• Follow your values and principles whatever you do.

• Keep your goals realistic and appreciate simple things in life.

• Follow your passion.

• Cherish friendship and positive relationships.

• Be tolerant and live your life with compassion.

• Love yourself, be honest and practice self-compassion.

• Enjoy life here and now.

Vitality rituals

We all have secret and private rituals that we don’t want to miss. It can be a morning walk or a relaxing bubble bath, meditation or singing while taking a shower …

Why do we need rituals?

Rituals give us a feeling of stability and security, they create a certain rhythm that comforts us and makes us feel good. Often, rituals are activities that we enjoy alone. These are the moments of recharge and revitalisation. Read further here.

Sources

• On Energy, Personality, and Health: Subjective Vitality as a Dynamic Reflection of Well-Being by Richard M. Ryan and Christina Frederick

• Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions by Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci

• Revitalization through Self-Regulation: The Effects of Autonomous and Controlled Motivation on Happiness and Vitality by Glen A. Nix, Richard M. Ryan, John B. Manly, and Edward L. Deci

• Find further readings here