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Wellness Blog

How I Biohacked My Health

We’re all looking for ways to improve our health. Biohacking is a great approach that allows you to take control of your health by focusing on what’s working well and what needs to be tweaked. It allows you to take your health into your own hands and tailor health solutions to your own unique needs. Don’t be intimidated by the term; I’m going to help you learn how to biohack and share with you some of my favorite methods.

First identify the areas you want to change, whether it is your mood, your diet, or your level of fitness. Start keeping track of all the things you do related to that particular area, especially the ones you would like to adjust. For instance, if you are wanting to change your diet, start keeping a record of everything you eat or drink and the ensuing effects you notice in everything from your energy level to your weight. Once you have a sufficient amount of data, you can start making small changes to the areas you think require improvement. Keep track of any changes you notice after you implement your improvements, both successes and failures. Put together a chart so that you can see how things are evolving and improving.

Here are some of my favorite biohacks for boosting your mood, getting better sleep, and improving your exercise regimen.

1. Mood Biohacks

There are a plethora of factors that can make you feel cranky, moody, or just not like yourself, including sleep deprivation, poor diet, heavy workload, or relationship stress, just to name a few. Start by keeping track of everything from how you feel upon waking each morning and what you ate during the day to how you felt after you ate it and how much sleep you got. Collect your base data and decide what changes you would like to introduce.

Try adding a morning walk or a 20-minute meditation session and record your mood after completion, or see how you feel after a yoga class. There is extensive research demonstrating that exercise can be more effective at improving your mood than even antidepressants. Whatever it is that you try, be sure to note any noticeable changes in your behavior.

2. Exercise Biohacks

Exercise is the key to a great health; there are no two ways about it. It improves your health and promotes a positive overall wellbeing. A great biohack I use for exercise is tracking my heart rate after all of my exercise sessions, whether it is a long run, sprints, or a yoga class. This way, I can determine which types of exercise give my heart the best kind of workout.

If you aren’t doing any exercise at all, start small by adding a short, brisk walk to your routine and move up from there. Track your daily feelings about your new exercise and analyze when you are ready to increase the challenge. If you already exercise regularly, try introducing interval training into your routine or something new you've never tried before.

3. Sleep Biohacks

Your body needs to recharge in order to function properly the next day, and good quality sleep is the best way to rejuvenate and refresh your mind and body. Try preparing your body for sleep. Establish a calm, relaxing routine before bed that includes dimming the lights, a warm bath, and maybe even some aromatic candles. Ditch the electronics at least one hour before bedtime, and try applying a few drops of lavender essential oil to your temples to help you relax.

These biohacks are just a few of the ways I have taken control of my health to make my body happier and more efficient. Any change you make to your existing routine can be a biohack; the important thing is to make sure you are paying attention to your body both before and after your new hack!