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Wellness Wednesday: Restarting Your Inner Computer
Think of the human body as a kind of supercomputer. It’s able to handle all sorts of sophisticated and complex functions on autopilot. So long as you treat it right, it should run pretty smoothly on its own. But much like computers, sometimes you need to do a little maintenance and updating to keep it running smoothly.
Your body runs on a combination of energy and restorative processes. If you feel like you are lagging lately or off your game, you may need to give your body a “soft reboot” and energize it with one of these methods.
The Three Systems
In his book “The Circadian Code” author Satchin Panda, Ph.D, proposes that the human body runs on three main systems: Sleep, nutrition, and activity. This “three systems” model can be a useful lens for self-examination; when you’re feeling off, ask yourself which of these three you may be neglecting. You may find that getting more sleep or adding 15-20 minutes of sustained physical activity during the day could be all you need to restart your inner computer.
Countdown to Wellness
Here’s a good framework for healthy living that counts backward from 9:
- 9,000 steps
- 8 hours of sleep
- 7 glasses of water
- 6 minutes of meditation
- 5 servings of fruit and vegetables
- 4 stretching breaks
- 3 meals and 3 healthy snacks
- 2 hours of no phone before bed
- 1 exercise session
This countdown covers a lot of essential bases when it comes to your three systems:
Sleep: the human body functions at its cognitive peak when it gets 8 hours of sleep per day. Quantity isn’t the sole factor, however: it has to be GOOD sleep. That’s why getting off your phone before bed is so important: the blue light emitted by cell phone screens can restrain the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm (aka your sleep-wake cycle). So being on your phone before bedtime can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Phone usage can also make you more alert; you're so wired from receiving updates and media that it becomes harder to relax into a state that's conducive for rest. That restlessness can translate to a reduction in your REM sleep, which can have a dramatic effect on your health. REM sleep can lower your stress and also stimulates the areas in your brain that are essential in learning and making or retaining memories.
One thing you can do to both alleviate stress and also improve your quality of sleep is to meditate on a daily basis. Even less than ten minutes of meditation a day can do wonders for you come bedtime.
Nutrition: Drinking 5-7 glasses of water can be optimal for your health. Hydration is essential to good health; your body without water runs about as well as a car without gasoline. Making fruits and vegetables a cornerstone of your diet is also important: fruits and veggies can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, lower blood pressure and eye and digestive problems, prevent some forms of cancer, and have an overall positive impact on your blood sugar.
Activity: Daily exercise burns off calories and stress, and keeps your muscles limber and healthy. Combine that with plenty of walking (9,000-10,000 steps a day is a good benchmark to shoot for) and brief stretching breaks to ensure you don't injure yourself before you exercise. This will help keep your operating system running in tip-top shape.
Article by Austin Brietta