Most of my friends make fun of my bedtime (7:45 or 8:00 p.m.). In thought #4, you’ll learn how I’m trying to change that, at least until November…
With that said, here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for the week.
Enjoy!
4 THOUGHTS
1. Grow and Multiply Your Breathing Practice
"When it comes to the process of scaling habits, there are two general categories: habits that grow and habits that multiply."
- BJ Fogg, Tiny Habits
Some habits might grow organically: flossing one tooth might grow into every tooth. Others might not: eating an avocado a day might be enough. But, this might multiply into using olive oil instead of a sugary dressing at lunch.
With breathing, it usually grows first.
You might start with just two minutes. This might grow into 5, 15, or 30+ minutes a day. Then at some point, you will naturally find the right growth limit for you.
Then it multiplies.
By creating a breathing practice that makes you feel good, you might begin eating healthier, exercising more, and sleeping better. You might also multiply your breathing practice by incorporating it into other areas of your life—like breath walking or nose breathing during exercise.
But it always happens in a way that’s right for you.
Luckily, there is no one right way to do this. Breathing can be (and is) applied in all domains of life. The best part is watching it grow and multiply in whatever way is right for you on your way to becoming the person you want to be.
2. The Most Effective (and biggest) Antioxidant
"In this regard, we can reasonably view the gigantism discussed in Chapter 5 as an antioxidant response. The increase in body size compensates for the higher external oxygen levels."
- Nick Lane, Oxygen
Oxidative stress is a major issue for people with diabetes. So, discussions on antioxidants always interest me. This one was somewhat crazy, though.
To start, Nick Lane argues that, if we flip our perspective, our circulatory system can be seen as a way of limiting oxygen delivery:
"Our elegant circulatory system, which is usually presented as a means of distributing oxygen to individual cells, can be seen equally as a means of restricting, or at least regulating, oxygen delivery to the correct amount."
His argument is supported by the fact that our cells and mitochondria function best at an oxygen "concentration of less than 0.3% of atmospheric oxygen." Thus, our bodies and circulatory system act to reduce atmospheric oxygen by ~99.7%.
Stated differently, our bodies essentially work as giant antioxidants.
"The development of multicellular organisms can even be considered an antioxidant response, which has the effect of lowering oxygen levels inside individual cells."
He even provides historical evidence that as oxygen levels rise, some species get bigger (hence the headline quote on gigantism). But they don’t get bigger because there is more oxygen for energy; they get bigger to protect them from it.
My mind hurts now too.
But the point is that our bodies were perfectly designed to deliver the right amount of oxygen to the cells—not too much, not too little. Problems arise when we disrupt that beautiful balance.
3. Slow Breathing Enhances Decision-Making
"The 5-2-7 pattern breathing exercise improved decision-making performance and prevented stress under overwhelming psychological pressure."
- Inc. This 2-Minute Breathing Exercise Can Help You Make Better Decisions, According to a New Study
Here is an excellent article from Inc. on how slow breathing can help you make better decisions (based off a 2019 study).
I especially appreciated the practical advice they provided on how you might apply these findings in real life in the "Putting it into practice" section. Enjoy!
4. American Academy of Sleep and Multiplying Habits
"It is, therefore, the position of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that these seasonal time changes should be abolished in favor of a fixed, national, year-round standard time."
Because nasal breathing at night changed my life, I am fascinated with sleep. So I take statements like this from sleep experts quite seriously. But it’s one thing to read an article and get inspired; it’s another to take action.
So this year, I have decided to try ignoring Daylight Savings Time.
This is something I can try in my life. My job allows me to come in later and stay later. And our daughter will be happy to have her sleep schedule unchanged.
I hope you’ll join me.
Not with the time change, but with whatever is firing you up these days. Here’s to multiplying our habits on our way to becoming the people we want to be.
P.S. My bedtime will now be a more reasonable 8:45 or 9:00 p.m. : )
1 QUOTE
"Man was created of the Earth, and lives by virtue of the air; for there is in the air a secret food of life…whose invisible congealed spirit is better than the whole earth."
- Michael Sendivogius (1604)
1 ANSWER
Answer: Although considered the "elixir of life," this gas was not discovered until the 1770s.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is oxygen?
In good breath,
Nick