Having a clear mind is not something that comes easy for most people anymore. We have been trained into eating and drinking items that are not good for our health. If you don’t know what I mean, than you might have forgotten what it is like to have a mind that can focus and push you harder. I didn’t know that my brain could do the things that it could until I started doing 75Hard. Most of my adulthood, I just assumed that I had a shitty memory and ADHD. I have always been very active, so it just seemed natural to me. Now, with some key changes, I have been able to think clearly and focus on my tasks again.
Key Change #1: No Alcohol
This one is honestly a no brainer (pun intended). Alcohol is literal poison and we are putting it in our bodies and some people are doing it everyday. Being from the state of Wisconsin, we practically live on alcohol, so this won’t be an easy one for me to give up forever. So, once I am done with 75Hard, I will try to see how 1 drink every once in awhile affects me. If it gives me the same fog and grogginess the next day than I will probably try to cut it out completely. The day after I drink, I am never at full capacity and basically waste the day. You can look up so many studies on how it affects your body if you are curious, but I highly suggest journaling how your body reacts to it. I will say, I don’t have as much of problems when I drink in foreign countries. So, I will be happy to splurge a little on any vacations I take.
Key Change #2: Food Choice
As a population, we have resorted to convenience way too much. Big companies put complete garbage in processed foods for you to pop in the microwave to have in minutes. When instead you should be eating natural food and fats that help support your body in the nutrients it needs. There are articles that say cholesterol is bad for you, but in reality it is actually really good for your brain health. Some studies have shown that cholesterol is what helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease (which has only been around for the last 100 years). So, get your fat ass off of the couch and make some real dinner. There are very simple meals out there that only take 20 minutes to make. With that, you also have to make sure you are getting quality ingredients. All of your big named stores don’t have quality produce or meat to select from, so try to find a local butcher for your meat and try the farmers market for produce. If you do want to shop at a grocery store, one main thing to watch out for is seed oils (canola, sunflower, soybean, etc.), try to find things that use extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil in them. Just be conscious of what you are putting in your body. Your body is like a car, if you put cheap oil in it, it won’t run as efficiently as it would with better quality oil. So, start putting better quality food into your body to help it run at its best.
Key Change #3: Sleep
Our bodies need sleep to recover and regenerate. The average adult should have 7-9 hours. There are some studies that suggest women need 8-9 hours, while men can get by with 6-8. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, then it won’t be able to recover from all of the abuse you put it through throughout the day. Especially, if you are working out. Your muscles need the sleep to help them recover from exercise. Also, your brain is a muscles as well, so it needs that time to recover to be at it’s peak. Our bodies need quite a bit of maintenance, which is why we sleep 1/3 of our lives away. If we don’t keep up with our bodies recovery then it isn’t going to last to its fullest potential. So, put the phone down and sleep.
Key Change #4: Phone Usage
With 75Hard going on, I honestly have very little free time. When I don’t have free time, then I cannot scroll through Instagram or Facebook. Since I have been scrolling less, I have instantly noticed how much more I can focus on my tasks. I used to be so scattered brained that it would take me awhile to write these blogs, because I would have a million other tasks flying around. Today, I have been able to stay on the same thought process for this entire post. Turns out, scrolling through social media is not great for your focusing abilities. On the days that I do scroll more, I can definitely feel it. I have a hard time reading a book on those days and when I get started scrolling I struggle to stop. Now, I feel like I have more time in the day, since I am able to complete my work throughout the entire day instead of only 3/4 of it.
Take these changes and try to apply some of them into your lives as well. Some of the things I talk about, is really hard to find studies on since search engines aren’t reliable right now. That is why I suggest trying some of these things out for yourselves and take notes on the changes in a journal. If you don’t take notes, you aren’t going to notice as much. It helps to go back and look at how you were feeling a few weeks prior. So, go and better yourselves!
From Your Life Tutor
-Sam
Tutors of Life 