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Why Biohacking is a Must for Brain-workers

Minimalist Biohacker Biohacking for Brain Workers Students
Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels

The article in short

When starting out in the business world, we are led to believe that knowledge and experience are the pillars of success. While it's certainly a very important component, we often forget that physical and mental wellbeing are the actual foundations of high-level performance. 

  • The Status Quo of business education
  • Why the body and mind are crucial for success
  • How you can take (back) control over your body and mind
  • The role of biohacking in the workplace of the future

If you are a leader in an educational environment or trying to become a professional in the world of business yourself, this article is for you.


Status quo

Around 20 million people are studying within Europe [1], striving for success in their chosen career paths. Almost 5 million students graduate each year within the European Union [2]. They learn theoretical concepts and how to apply that knowledge in the real world. The graduates then enter the job market and start working.

 

The higher they climb, the more demanding the game becomes. Complex relations, long working hours, traveling and a requirement for cognitive performance, non-stop. On top, technology enables us to constantly connect and exceed the limitations of time and distance. And for sure, higher education partially prepares for these challenges. We mostly know what to expect, right? Still, a lot of people struggle to keep up with the pace of professional life, while also maintaining a healthy relationship and a social life. 

"There are a lot of highly trained and specialized

workers out there, unaware of how their bodies

work and perform and what potential lies within them."

We are unprepared from a physical standpoint. Our bodies and minds are not designed to handle this "new" lifestyle. We are not made to spend 8 hours plus in a dark office, glued to a computer screen or skipping time zones in an airplane. And while we feel that something is off, we lack the knowledge and experience to specify what it is. There are a lot of highly trained and specialized workers out there, unaware of how their bodies work and perform and what potential lies within them. 

Why body and mind are important for success

No matter where you work, chances are there are a few people in your environment considered to be "high performers". The leaders that others look up to for inspiration and guidance. Oftentimes these leaders are described as:

  • energetic
  • open-minded
  • strong-willed
  • disciplined
  • hard as nails

They are the ones to show up early, work with intention and are able to stay late. There might be stories going around how little they sleep, eat or how crammed their schedule is. Generally they avoid tasks which do not contribute to the completion of their goals. Are they born like that? In my opinion, no. It's a combination of genetic setup, upbringing, education, higher education and experience. The high performance those leaders display is based on healthy and productive habits and techniques, which they apply day by day. Often without being aware of them.

"The high performance those leaders display,

is based on healthy and productive habits and

techniques, which they apply day by day,

often without being aware of them."

That's why a lot of high performers can't give you clear answers when you ask them about their "secrets". It's automated, internalized, unconscious. Because of their lifestyle choices, they are healthy and mentally strong. That's also the reason they can get along with a bit less sleep or skip a meal in order to finish an important task. That's the reason they wake up energized, able to stay focused the whole day. 

 

They understand how to overcome the limitations of our current work society. They integrate habits to avoid and overcome the negative effects of:

  • sitting all day
  • being exposed to junk light
  • having limited access to healthy food
  • being bombarded by mails and should-dos

They know how important a functioning body and mind are for success. Is that something you can do, too? 

How to take control over body and mind

Absolutely! You, too, can achieve more than you currently do, by making use of your full potential, as well as expanding it at the same time. The goal is to improve your physical and mental condition, to strengthen the foundation for all that knowledge and experience inside of you. With a healthy body and strong cognitive performance, you will be a much more valuable employee, husband, father, friend, sportsman, etc. You will be able to contribute a lot more, while actually enjoying what you do. 

 

How? With the principles of biohacking, integrated into your life. It starts with analyzing yourself, by finding out about your genetic setup, what fuels your body and what is toxic. It continuous with collecting data about your day to day status, by tracking vital functions. With that you can learn and integrate new methods and techniques, aimed at optimizing your performance. 

  1. Analyze (to remove barriers and discover what is toxic for YOU)
  2. Track (to discover potential for optimization)
  3. Optimize (by using scientifically proven methods, ancient wisdom and habits and techniques of high-achievers)

Biohacking applies the data-driven approach (which everybody preaches for businesses and financial systems) to our bodies and minds. Isn't it strange that we apply complex models and deep analysis for our businesses, while we don't even bother to look into what fuels us each and every day? All the while we complain about a lack of energy, that we are gaining weight or feeling tired after a big lunch. 

"Isn't it strange that we apply complex models and

deep analysis for our businesses, while we don't even

bother to look into what fuels us

each and every day?"

The role of Biohacking in the future workforce

Online marketing is data-driven. Driving a car becomes data-driven. Business success is often fueled by data. Our bodies, too, could benefit from a more data-driven approach. Modern technology makes it possible to easily track vital signs, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The interpretation of this data happens via applications on the mobile phone. 

 

If we have lost the connection to our body and how we feel, this technology-based approach can help shift things back in the right place. With metrics like Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Respiratory Rate, Temperature etc. you can get a very good impression of how your body is doing.

  • Are you stressed out and should take a break?
  • Are you having trouble to physically recover?
  • Are you sleeping well?
  • Do you move enough to build tolerance and stay healthy?

All that can be assessed via a tracking device or fitness tracker, like an Oura Ring, a Garmin device or a Whoop strap. 

 

It's not about outside control, it's about self-control. We need to put ourselves back in the driver seat when it comes to health and performance. While doctors treat your symptoms and save your life if you are seriously ill, most of them are not trained in getting you from standard health to a high performance level. That's not their job. They neither have the time, nor the knowledge, to turn you into a high-performing professional with stellar health and cognitive power. That's up to you!

Conclusion

If you are striving for success in any field which puts high demands on how you show up physically and mentally (which let's be honest, is almost every job in the world), it's YOUR responsibility to make sure you are up for the task. Biohacking can help you to get a grip on your health, energy levels, stress levels, recovery, mental performance and a lot more, by making your status visible. It enables you to make targeted and educated adaptations in order to increase your performance. 

 

As an institution for education or higher education. think about how you can integrate the topic of biohacking into your curriculum. How can students learn more about their physical and mental wellbeing? What do they need in order to be fully equipped for what they will be facing in the world of business? How can you provide them with the foundational tools to stay healthy, while outperforming the competition?

 

As a company, think about how you can physically and mentally prepare your employees and provide support where necessary. What can you do in terms of office environment? What can you teach them in order to increase performance, on the job and in privat? 

 

Always remember: It's not the responsibility of any institution or company to look after the health of it's members. That's impossible from an organizational perspective and each person is way to individual for a generalized approach. It is YOUR very own responsibility to get yourself in the best shape possible, physically and mentally. Biohacking will help you achieve that. 

If you liked the article and got some benefit out of it, we would be grateful if you would recommend it to people who should get that info, too. You help someone you love and at the same time spread the word about optimized performance. If you're interested in daily updates on better performance, follow @minimalist_biohacker on Instagram. Also look at our offer for WorkshopsKeynotes and Courses to optimize yourself or your company. 

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