Where Did I Hear This Before?
Are you tired, worn out from your very busy day and all the constant demands? Are you looking for ways to feels smarter, think clearer, and not feel like an idiot? Does your calendar have every waking minute and then some crammed with things that “must be done?”
If you are a woman, say a mom, or a person with a family, maybe you have some kids, a dog, a spouse, you most likely struggle with this every day. Women’s magazines and books helpfully suggest how we can manage this all and still look good. The disappointing downside is that our grandmothers and mothers read the same things and it hasn’t changed much even as society has.
The advice directed at women still proposes ever so subtly that this is a personal failing that could, with just the right combination of determination and emotional self-flagellation, be overcome. These helpful comments are often attached to other advice meant to shore up insufficient things like women’s parenting and housekeeping skills, weight, exercise habits, employability, and if she has time for it, her sex appeal.
But there’s good news in this area of time management and exhaustion. It seem that it is no longer harried, frazzled housewives and other women trying to get the proper work/life formula to evenly balance. This modern dilemma has now caught the attention of harried, frazzled CEO’s and business leaders who seem to be discovering how the demands of a busy life messes with the ability to have a life worth living and are determined to find a solution. (That these CEO’s and business leaders discovering this phenomenon are male comes as no surprise to (the very few) women CEO’s and business leaders. They already have been aware of this for a while.)
The busy CEO sniffs at the suggestion they try multitasking better (Prioritize! Make a to do list! Avoid distractions!) or simply sleep less, claiming these are for the less enlightened. Technology is the only way to go for the modern CEO or business leader. This is now a “science” complete with all the jargon your busy day can hold. They call it biohacking and it is all the rage.
Here are some of the helpful suggestions one CEO has offered to get you started on your own biohacking regime. Try them and see if they work for you. I have offered some DIY solutions you can try at home if these are out of your reach:
1. Smart Physical Exercise Machinery
Get your own exercise equipment for the home. This will save you travel time to the gym and will be a more efficient use of your time. We are informed that efficient use of our time is key to optimizing your flow state. And everyone knows that disrupting your flow screws up your whole day. He offers a list of (very) expensive equipment that would be helpful if you have the income and the space. This option however does nothing for those who are desk-bound, disabled/chronically ill, and any other life situation that does not easily accommodate working out.
2. NAD+ (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) Injections
This is a solution for the burnout which we are informed is a huge problem for founders and executives. He lets us know that this is a big problem for him. He has almost burned out “a couple of times.” With all the things to do each day, even with efficiency and flow factored in, there is still not enough time for him to ‘reset’ during the day.
His solution after consulting with his “primary regenerative medicine specialist” is to inject himself with a pharmaceutical-grade NAD+ that he claims can be harmlessly injected to give an immediate boost of natural energy.
I recommend go play with your dog and take a good nap.
3. Sauna / Cold tub meditation
This sound like fun. After sitting in your infrared sauna, plunge into your $10,000 Morozko tub with 200lbs of ice, for a refreshing way to start your day. We are assured that this “small morning routine has a very immediate effect on your neurotransmitter balance, will give you a ton of energy…”
A DIY home solution should you not have a sauna, 200 lbs. of ice and a tub that will hold it is: Send your family/housemate/dog into the shower before you, sit in the steam they generate, then take your shower when they are done. You are now assured that all the hot water is gone and you will have that cold water shock equivalent to bring “you into the present moment the same way a long meditation would.”
Happy meditating.
4. NK cell therapy
Described thusly in that “it involves drawing 20 vials of blood, centrifuging your plasma, and extracting T cells to find the healthiest ones. Then, once they find the healthiest T cells, they make “copies” of them (billions of copies) before infusing those back into your body.”
No, just no. Don’t do it. It sounds miserable. It’s supposed to help prevent various illnesses but it sounds like a really inefficient way to spend a busy day.
5. Ketamine therapy
Saved the best for last. He doesn’t tell us exactly how he uses this therapy, but correctly notes that it shows promise for treating depression and stress. Now, I’m not offering any judgement on this advice, as some drugs have beneficial effects when used with knowledge and appropriate preparation and can sometimes just be fun. That being said if you would choose to indulge in this mind altering substance, originally used as a horse tranquilizer, be sure that you know what you are getting into. Take time to understand the consequences of the many things that can go horribly wrong. I recommend that you google “K hole” and decide for yourself. And then have a good friend nearby to hold your hand as you plunge into this abyss.
Whether you follow the advice given here or remain skeptical, biohacking now a lifestyle for some with the means to indulge. Glamorous and cutting edge, biohacking is an industry that is expected to generate $16,142.38 million by 2023. It is promoted as scientific way to improve your body and your mind with drugs, supplements and implants. The reasons given for creating this new cutting edge technology is a healthier, longer life, more stamina, more energy, fewer diseases. With its expected rise in usage a biohacking solution may be in your future and not just for the well-off CEO .
Yet, these problems and promises are familiar in some way, did you notice? They seem to have a familiar ring to them. For women it is all about extracting the most from our body and day in order to accommodate all the needs of everyone that we are responsible for. These guys are using biohacking technologies seek to improve life for themselves, ‘optimizing’ everything they can think of for their personal benefit. Not much in these promises about how their families, friends and coworkers will fit into this scientific equation of excellence. Maybe they should have read their mother’s magazines and then this adult life they are now a part of would not have been such a surprise. The fact that the stress of everyday adulting can cause significant issues with your mind, body, and relationships is common knowledge. If they want to know how to optimize their day they can just go talk to their mom and ask her how she does it. And then for god’s sake, have a snack and go take a nap.
Originally published at http://textcatwrites.wordpress.com on January 13, 2020.
