When i started writing this series the main purpose was to explain the bigger picture to a friends dad who had recently been diagnosed with Cancer, however, in review, it seems to have more response from people that already knew about the subject known as Quantum Health (Light Health) points i am making, but just weren't implementing them in their daily lives. What if CT and all that comes with it could be automatic?
i've met lots of people that were always surprised that i get in cold water everyday because it sounds extreme, and even people in the QH world were surprised i managed to keep it going... but there is a very good reason why this is not amazing at all, and i want to explore the difference between the people that do this every day, and the people that talk about doing it every day.
This got me thinking about what had made me do it every day, without thinking, without fail... could others use the same technique?
See the thing is, i used to explain my morning routine and as much as for me, it was a helpful, simple list of things to help me not forget, whoever i was talking to would look at me as if to say 'this is the most complicated thing i've ever heard of' - but when it's listed, everyone's routine sounds ridiculously complicated.
People have mentioned to me that there hasnt been much chat about Quantum Health recently, and i think my family and people around me would probably say the same, and i have a theory on that: once you make it part of your routine, it's so intuitive that it kind of doesn't warrant talking about, it's almost like having a conversation about your heart beating or breathing in and out. All very effective and neccassary for health, but just dont warrant much conversation once everyone is on point.
Here's the thing you need to get your head around: There are things you do every day without thinking that sound ridiculously complicated, but they're not, because they're autonomous, they're automatic... you dont need think about them.
lets take a typical morning for a single mother of 2
wake up @ 6:55, put one of the kids in the shower at 34 degrees so they dont get burned, not too much pressure so they dont get water everywhere, leave a towel by the side so they dont slip or get the hallway wet, put the TV on for the other on channel 3 because thats the station their favorite programe is on, then swap, then make cereal, little johny has warm milk no sugar on his cornflakes, sarah has cold milk but has to be semi skimmed and from tesco because she doesnt like the green label from asda, make sure ive got milk for tomorrow, make tea with plenty of milk so i can drink it fast with sweetener because i read sugar is bad for me, put the Nintendo on for them to play while i get ready, feed the dog, etc ect etc
point is, everyone's routine is complicated, just like if i told you that you have to breath 10000 times tomorrow it sounds like a chore also; but you can bet your life you'll won't miss a single one, but was it stressful? of course not... you didn't even think about it. It's all about how you move things from your conscious into your automation
My take on the difference is that there are three lists of things to do tomorrow, there is;
The Autonomous list
The Conscious list
The Wish list.
Pretty much everything you do will fall into one of these categories.
The autonomous list is self explanatory, and includes things like, heart beating, breathing, thinking, driving, waking up, looking when you cross the road, changing gear in your car, making tea, or coffee, johny's cereal and Sarah's TV programmes etc: things that take no effort or memory space.
The conscious list takes effort, causes stress and cant be changed or altered too much at any one time, you can maybe add one thing a week.
Any more than that will cause the kind of stress that will likely lead to the new additional task being dropped.
Stress is a big deal, and its tough convincing your brain that anything is worth enduring this stress, even the benefits of CT such as losing weight, and with good cause, because the stress of change will probably kill you before the weight/Fat will anyway.
This is the real pain i want to avoid - Stress
The Wish List are all those things you say you want to do, but really know you can't do right away, so you need to work out whats the most important and which habits warrant being added to the autonomous list, first via the struggle of the conscious list, but you have to be very picky, as you only have one per week at the most that will stick.
So when i talk about my routine, get up, turn the sauna on, make a peppermint tea, drink a liter of cold water, make coffee with Georgie, have 30 minute stretch in the sauna, then 10 minutes in the cold water: There is zero thinking in this process. it's all on my autonomous list
over the course of 3 years i've gradually made it the part of the day that causes me no stress. In fact, it's part of my flow state.
I enjoy it. You don't need to take years to do it, but i would certainly not add more than one a week either.
Anyone trying to emulate more than one part of someone elses routine at a speed higher than one change a week will likely fail very quickly. But one piece a week could be perfect.
So lets say your a single mum and you want to get into cold exposure, and you hear someone telling you that you need to buy 5 bags of ice and start with ice baths to speed up the process: you can see why i'm not a fan. Create the habit first, this takes the stress out, then it goes onto your autonomous list. Another reason why a 'cold only' bath is much better for the 'Habit'.
7 'cold only' baths a week for 10 minutes is 70 minutes a week, and you can do the maths and multiply that over a year, with no stress... i can count on one hand how many times ive put ice in water before getting in that water - once!
It was a nightmare, lasted a couple of minutes before it melted, it's a complete waste of time.
However, i absolutely love it when it's so cold outside that i have to crack the ice on the water before i get in, because that is natural, feels great, i'm accustomed to it and beelive it or not, only happened twice in all of winter 2016/17.
I dont know why, but its much easier than 8-14 degrees for me... maybe pressure, maybe density, maybe something else, but thats another stpory for another day
This is another reason why before i worked out that gym's probably weren't the best place to burn fat or get healthy. Time efficiency
I already worked out that by the time you'd packed your bags for the gym, walked round the house making sure you hadnt forgot anything, then drove to the gym, got ready at the gym, been in the gym an hour, then showered, got undressed, dressed again, drove home etc etc you've wasted about 3 hours
I doubt 90% of people who go to the gym do a work out that benefits them as much as doing 50 burpees in their living room would, taking a total of 90 seconds... WTF would you bother with all that wasted time, blue lights, Wifi exposure, expense. Very bad return on time invested for me
Dont forget, i'm not trying to get you fit, i'm trying to get you healthy, i just believe that when you're healthy you'll be fitter than you've ever been by going to the gym or playing sports, but naturally, and thats coming from someone that played for pro-football clubs from 10-18, boxed at decent boxing clubs, sparred with amateurs and pro's, run iron man (badly admittedly) and always been in good general fitness.
If you aim to get healthy, fitness will be a residue added value for free, and when you consider healthy could come in the form of automation, it makes it all a bit more attractive.
So while i've suggested that creating the habit is the most important thing with making this lifestyle work, now i'm suggesting a new mindset to create that habit, and i like to think the 3 lists might help organise what you want, and what you really want first.
The hardest thing in the world is to be organised. Any old mouse can wake up and just deal with whats in front of them, prioitisation takes a bit of character and technique, but the benefits are huge, and take the labour out of life
There are lots of famous techniques in making the conscious list more effective also, one i like a lot is halving whatever you're doing. so if you want to do press ups every morning before you get dressed, and you think you can do 20, rather than do 20, just do 10.
Same with meditation, same with flossing your teeth. if you think you've got to floss all 36 teeth, it might help convince yourself not to, but if you can convince yourself 'it's only the front 4 teeth' this will make it more likely that you will pick up the floss, and once it's in your mouth, you know that you wont stop with the front 4. You'll do the lot
I use this technique all the time, i know i cant trust my memory to do all the things i need to do, so instead i dont, because its too painful. i make a list and refer to it throughout the day, i leave things i need to take with me by the front door, i leave the floss next to the seat i sit in after ive eaten. I plant chewing gum whereever i know i'll be eating for afterwards, it's almost like i'm a private PA for myself, just leaving lots of little triggers all over the shop so i dont forget the things on my conscious list
if an ice bath is too much, then a cold only bath might be the next step, but the main thing is creating a trigger that reminds you to do it and once reminded the task won't be too much of a stretch.
You might want to hang a bottle of 'cool water' shower gel on the shower so that when you're finished your shower, it acts as a trigger to remind you to do 30 seconds of cold, which you could try and increase by 15 seconds every week - little things like this
I'm currently trying to move 'stretching and foam rolling from my conscious list into my autonomous list. I do already automatically stretch my hamstrings, groin and do a downward dog in the sauna, but after years of sitting in an office chair, i need to do more.
So i'm using my amazon prime music account as an alarm, and when the music comes on, thats my que to take Mollie outside, ground, get am sun and foam roll. its been about 2 weeks and so far so good, i reckon about another month and it should be something i forget about, and just do naturally.
It's a bit like deciding to put something on a repeat order subscription with amazon or ordering it when you need it giving yourself the chance to forget. If it's something you need every day, then why not take the EZ route?
It's all mind games, fighting one part of your brain with another, using what mental strength you have, coupled with a few techniques to give yourself the upper hand over your own disobedient will power, but if its something that has endless benefits, and a pain that wont kill you, it's got to be worth organsing yourself around enough to become something that gets listed in the same section as breathing, heart beats and driving a car, right?
Autonomous list Conscious list Wish List
Heart beat Stretching more Start Yoga
Breathing Find a local, Organic fruit farm Start using Headspace
Driving a car Go Shopping Read all the links Jamie sent me!!!!
walking Buy petrol Read more books
running Buy my wife Flowers Finish the books i started
sleeping Buy Water (again) Go to a sound bath
morning sun Exercise
grounding/not wearing shoes Foam rolling
Wearing blue blockers Read to Mollie
charging my phone Walk the Reggie
amazon monthly repeat subscription
make coffee in the am
To Love
Eat
Avoid Blue Light
Check my Phone
Drink Water in the am
Go the the toilet
Get in the sauna
Sun-gaze with Mollie
write
So, where this is going i guess really we have 3 lists