I’m no fun.
I go to bed early, I don’t drink or do drugs, I’m on a strict diet so I never eat out, I’m not on social media, I don’t like shopping, I don’t drink coffee or even tea. No tea?! What’s wrong with tea?! Are you trying not to enjoy life?
Quite the opposite, actually.
Self-discipline is the cornerstone of my life. Without it I would still be a mess.
Questions
Between my 20’s and 30’s I was increasingly plagued by auto-immune disease. This manifested as eczema, asthma and eventually a mental health disorder. Despite seeing a variety of doctors and specialists that prescribed me many medications, none helped solve my conditions.
My neck and arms regularly looked like they were mauled by a wild animal and I was wheezing day and night. I was depressed, anxious and spent most of my time hiding indoors. I felt helpless and was drowning in a puddle of self pity.
At my lowest point, about five years ago, something shifted. I started asking different questions. Is there anything that I can do myself to get better? Can I improve my health by making better lifestyle choices?
I remember a meeting I had with my GP. When I asked him how I could get healthier he said: ’You shouldn’t come to a doctor for your health’. First I was angry. Then I realized that, sadly, he was right. Physicians are trained to diagnose and treat symptoms. I needed to find my own answers.
It started to dawn on me that I might have to take responsibility for my own situation and start to take action. But where to start?
Tiny steps
I stumbled onto the world of self-help, and my suspicions were reinforced. You are responsible for your own life and the situation you’re in. It’s possible to improve your health by changing your lifestyle. Your daily choices and actions have a huge impact on your wellbeing.
I started reading books from productivity guru’s to navy seals to classic philosophers. More importantly, I started taking tiny steps. Folding my blanket in the morning. A five minute walk. A high protein breakfast.
I felt a bit better.
It wasn’t so much that my symptoms improved, that would still take a while. But these voluntary restrictions seemed to make me mentally stronger. Coping with my condition felt a bit easier.
Surprisingly, following rules felt freeing, not restricting.
The structure and rhythm of daily habits was comforting and calming. Going to bed at the same time everyday. Being aware of what and when to eat. Exercising daily. I even started taking cold showers.
Discipline isn’t obvious
In the Western world we enjoy enormous prosperity. Machines do most of our work and we’re used to growing levels of comfort. Consumption is the norm. If you can afford a bigger TV, why would you willingly restrict yourself?
Then there is the amazing headway science and technology have made. It almost feels like, however big the problem, science can fix it. Modern medicine has made impressive advancements, so we sit back and ask our doctor for a pill.
But this attitude doesn’t help us, it hurts us.
I’m grateful for life’s luxuries and medication has reduced my suffering for sure. But looking outward for a solution hasn’t helped me. It was only when I started looking inward that I started improving.
The meaning of discipline
When I was younger, the word discipline had always evoked images of drill sergeants and tyrannical teachers and when we say ‘to discipline’ we mean ‘to punish’.
Discipline actually originates from the Latin ‘discipulus’ meaning student or follower, which doesn’t sound oppressive at all. We can then take self-discipline to mean ‘to follow one’s self‘.
And this is what I’m doing. I discovered that taking responsibility and following my own rules is freeing, not restricting. And I’m enjoying it.