The way that society is set up right now has got a lot of us going like a hamster in a wheel. In order to make ends meet many work several jobs at insane hours. A lot of people are praised for carrying that load yet that doesn’t remove the fact that people ain’t supposed to be killing them selves working to secure food, clothing and shelter. Isn’t it funny that the things that people say they have no time for (to eat or to sleep) are actually the only things that their body NEEDS to do?! In this fast paced world making time for the general body care is a must.
Just in new the rapper Juicy J was hospitalized due to exhaustion. He had to miss a leg of his tour due to his body not being able to keep up with the pace that he was imposing on it. He isn’t the first rapper to be hospitalized due to straight up body fatigue. The rapper/rock and roll lifestyle usually involves little sleep, hella partying, little “real” food and possibly some “mood enhancers” (drugs and alcohol). Though many of us may not live the life of our favorite rap star you may be surprised to realize that our daily routine impacts us in a similar fashion.
Sleep deprivation effects us in the short run and long run. In the short run you will be tired all of the time. It isn’t just enough to sleep. One needs to get the deep REM (rapid eye movement) rest that usually comes from sleeping between 2-5 am. With some training in some meditation practices one can reach that state at different times and quite easily. The tiredness manifests as different ways also (short attention span, irritability, lack of eye/hand coordination, etc). In the long run that sleep deprivation weakens your immune system so that you are more likely to get sick.
The other arm of this “over worked” lifestyle is that one usually isn’t eating right. One compensates for being “tired” by eating and drinking things that are high in sugar, carbohydrates, caffeine and the wrong fats. Those things give you a burst of energy yet the flip side is they drain you. So when you come off the “sugar/caffeine” high you crash. That means that you are actually at a lower level of energy than what you started with. Also by not eating the nutritionally dense foods you need you will never reach peak energy level. Also, just like with sleep deprivation, you are weakening your immune system.
So what can the average person do who “has” to work all of these hours to keep things level in their life? My simple answer is quit those jobs, think outside of the box and live a new life. For everyone who doesn’t have focus to do that or who truly are locked into a cycle you need to hack your working/living schedule.
-Look into meditation as a means to get into REM sleep quicker and at odd times
-Cut down on that sugar/caffeine and guzzle down some 40s of water
-Fast Food is the devil. Pack your lunch and snacks. Make sandwiches that are nutritionally dense. Throw some avocado up on that thing. Get some hummus and falafel going. Figure out the 1001 ways to cook and eat beans. Hit up a smoothie bar. See what you like. See if you can reproduce it at home.
The one thing that I do know is that you have one body. Once that thing start going down a certain incline it is hard to get it back moving in a positive direction. Care and preventive health. Those are the twin keys that will enable one to get the most out of that vehicle called your body that you are driving around everyday.
-ALife Allah