—Respecting your elders
Elderly relatives tend to move in with their younger ones, and having several generations living under one roof is a fairly common phenomenon. There is a lot of cultural cache in respecting your elders – so much so that there’s even a day dedicated to it (the third Monday of September every year, known as Respect for the Aged Day).
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Self
In order to keep motivated, and work most effectively, self-care and achieving balance are so important. In the past, I’ve been guilty of neglecting this and the fallout has been less than pretty. Keeping active, eating well, keeping your mind fit and reflecting on your actions are all vital parts of self-care, and are just as important as the other stuff.
—Cycling
Cycling in Japan is an absolute joy. I found cycling in Kyoto in particular so much fun, and the best way to explore the sprawling city from temple to temple. You tend to find everyone – from kids to little old ladies – on their bikes, and usually without the need for helmets or lights, as drivers tend to give cyclists the room and respect they need to cycle safely. And it’s not uncommon to see bikes parked outside train stations unlocked, as their owners commute to work confident in the belief that their bike will most likely be there when they return. While I wouldn’t recommend going without helmets or lights, or leaving your bike unchained, cycling is a great way to keep fit and active and to get from A to B, while saving money and doing your bit for the environment.
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—Calisthenics
Calisthenics, or radio taiso, are broadcast on NHK (the national broadcaster) public radio around 6.30 a.m. every single day. The movements are gentle, and seem to become ingrained in your psyche (even mine, and I have two left feet, no sense of rhythm and terrible muscle memory for movement).
It’s pretty common for radio taiso to be used at school as part of a warm-up for gym or PE class, but many companies still get their employees to practise it, too. Getting your muscles going in the morning can really help you wake up and stay focused. You can even do most of the moves sitting down, so there really is no excuse not to do it!
—Sudoku
An important part of self-care is keeping your brain engaged and on top fighting form. Sudoku is one of the ways in which you can do this.
Sudoku is a logic-based puzzle, in which you have to place numbers between one and nine in every line and box within nine three-by-three grids, without repeating any numbers within the grids or the columns.
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—Haiku
If numbers aren’t your thing, then maybe words are. Challenge and stimulate yourself intellectually by writing haiku: follow a three-line format, in which the first and last lines have five syllables and the middle has seven. Within these constraints, try and juxtapose two ideas or sensory images. These could be colours, sounds, flavours, or temperatures, possibly set against emotions like love, fear, anger or joy. The juxtaposition should help to create the mood, or atmosphere, between the ‘human’ and ‘natural’ worlds, for example, or to reference a time of year or season without explicitly saying when it is.
A haiku typically should elicit an emotional response, or evoke a feeling of some kind. It’s a subtle art, and emotions should be conveyed subtly, rather than being stated bluntly or overtly. Like putting together a menu, referencing the time of year, or seasons, usually goes down well. Write from personal experience – it should be sincere; so if you’ve never worked a day in the mines, then a haiku about a hard day down the mines kind of defeats the purpose.
In a way, I feel like all writing is created to be read (otherwise, what are we doing it for?), but in many ways a haiku can feel too personal – and working within the constraints of brevity, subtlety and seasonality are challenging enough without having the added pressure to share. Don’t feel you have to do so, if you don’t want to – there is something luxurious and a little indulgent about creating it for your eyes only.
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—Gratitude
Having a positive attitude and demeanour can make such a difference in all of your relationships, professional or otherwise. It’s easier said than done, though, and on those days when nothing seems to be going your way, you can all too readily let those minor annoyances build up and get to you.
I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for a while now, and it really does work wonders. I write three things a day I’ve felt grateful for, including the days when it’s seemed hopeless, I’ve always found something, even if it is as mundane as hanging my clothes outside to dry. Here are some sample entries from some of the bad days:
Grateful for pineapple
Grateful for going to the gym
Grateful for early nights
They are so much fun to read (and now I can’t even remember what was so horrible about that day in the first place).
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© Simon Launay on Unsplash
—Up and at ’em!
The word ‘ganbare’ encapsulates the spirit of how to summon up motivation. It’s a combination of ‘do your best’ and ‘don’t give up’, and captures the enthusiasm and passion you need to keep going sometimes – to keep the end goal in sight.
Ganbare represents an attitude, or the spirit of determination and perseverance. You might hear it chanted at marathons, for example, as an expression of encouragement and solidarity.
Finding your purpose and your ikigai can help you find contentment in that it allows you to be more focused. Rather than being distracted or consumed by the smaller daily frustrations we all encounter, your ikigai brings the most important aspects to the fore and, in so doing, it can help you let go. It can also help you to be more empathetic towards others, realising that everyone is motivated differently, and that one way isn’t necessarily more ‘right’ or more valid than another.
Ultimately, finding your ikigai can help you to be more productive with your time, by paying attention to the most important aspects of your life – whether that’s building a home, spending time with your family or getting to where you want to be in your career.
© Nassima Rothacker