How to be Woke

What did Jesus, Harriett Tubman, Malcolm X, and the Buddha have in common? All these people ate healthy food, slept, drank clean water spent quality time with their loved ones, and were conscious of their spiritual needs.

When you were a baby, your parents were continually feeding you and putting you to bed. They did this because they loved you. Failing to do these things would have been abuse. Do not abuse yourself; love yourself. Cherish your body and your mind.

There is no waking up without first going to sleep.

Your parents were always putting you to bed because they knew that you needed sleep to develop and learn. Do not forgo sleep to pursue other interests. If you have barriers to getting adequate, get rid of them. Get room darkening curtains or earplugs if you need them. Establish a nightly routine. Limit electronics, caffeine, alcohol, intense workouts, and heavy meals within 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Communicate with essential people during the day. Keep your phone away from your bed to avoid being awakened by notifications. Decide if you need to have your ringer on at night or if you will put your phone on silent. You may feel obligated to be available if someone has an emergency, or you may decide that anyone with an emergency should call 911 rather than you. You can offer sympathy and support in the morning. Simple counting and breathing techniques can help you fall asleep. Some people benefit from taking melatonin or a nighttime pain reliever.

The body does not live by food alone, nor does it live without it.

All the sleep in the world will not energize you unless you give your body proper fuel. Your diet need not be perfect or based on any gimmick. There are many good books about appropriate eating. You can also download apps that help you track your diet and exercise. Every single health expert will tell you the same thing your parents told you. Eat your vegetables! Many people face dietary challenges. Maybe you suffer from lactose intolerance or celiac disease. Some choose not to eat animal products. Everyone can eat fruits and vegetables. Try to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Vegetables can be delicious if you learn to cook them properly. If you live on earth, you need to stay hydrated. Try to have a full glass of water with every meal and drink water when you wake up in the morning. Have water between meals as well.

Exercise is a privilege.

Jesus Christ and Harriett Tubman did not need health club memberships. For them, exercise was a form of multitasking. They stayed in shape by working and walking. Many modern people are lucky enough to have jobs that don't require much physical exertion. This form of luck is both good and bad. Quite a few of us are fortunate enough to be able to drive everywhere we go. This good fortune often comes with the misfortune of being overweight and out of shape. Suppose society has given you the benefits of easy work and effortless transportation. That's an excellent sign that you need to exercise your privilege and join a gym or start jogging or buy some weights to work out at home. Your routine can be simple or complex long or short. An intense 7-minute workout is much better than no training at all.

Cultivate methods to minimize stress.

Hundreds of years before Christ was born, Gautama Buddha came to an important realization. Stress is inevitable. Keeping your body healthy can strengthen your mind and help you deal with stressful situations, so can good friends and a loving family. Jesus Christ was fully divine, yet he still had 12 men assisting him to carry his ministry. No ordinary human being can do everything alone. Human beings are social species. Cherish the time you spend with loved ones.

The best way to ruin your health and your relationships is to become a substance abuser. When stress comes along, you need to confront it head-on, not hide from it under a cloud of confusion and artificial euphoria. When the high is over, the stress is still there. The lack of resources that inevitably results from overindulgence in mind-altering substances is sure to cause even more stress. Traditionally addictive substances like heroin and cocaine come with the added burden of being illegal. Not only does using these substances ruin your health drug addiction guarantees that the system will victimize you. Overindulgence in marijuana and alcohol only makes it easy for the system to destroy your life.

Having a clear head is essential to properly observing life and gaining knowledge. So how do you relieve stress without stress-reducing substances? Getting enough sleep is a good start. That keeps coming up because it is crucial. A simple exercise like walking can also relieve stress. Walking in a pleasant wooded area near a large body of water can be incredibly calming. Meditation is an excellent way to relieve stress. It is a simple, free activity that can be done anywhere and has very few side effects. All you need to get started meditating is your breath. Yes, there are books, videos, and websites that can teach you how to exercise, cook healthy meals, and meditate. Some people will tell you that life needs an instruction manual. The truth is life comes with several manuals, and you have likely heard of at least two of them. The Bible, Bhagavad Gita, and Quran have helped millions of people over the years. Use them. They are easy to find. If a killer were attempting to break into your house, you would use whatever tools you had available to protect yourself. Use the tools you have available to protect your health every day.