The term “biohacking” has many slightly divergent definitions depending on who is explaining it, but the term essentially refers to the use of novel practices and habits for optimizing cognitive and physical performance. The idea is that, through biohacking, individuals can reach their full potential and supercharge their effectiveness in business, sports, or life in general.
Biohacking is a proven way to improve your capacity to learn a new skill, get a side hustle business off the ground, and up your energy levels to accomplish everything you want.
In this article, we’ll introduce readers to a few of the most popular biohacking habits that make you mentally sharp and how you can incorporate them into your own life.
Cold Showers
Understandably, most people balk at the idea of a cold shower when the water heater is working just fine. However, before you turn the warm water knob, consider the enormous benefits of cold showers.
Cold showers work by creating hermetic stress responses in the body. “Hormetic stress” is a term used to describe actions that trigger a physiological response that actually strengthens the organism over time by increasing its ability to withstand the impacts of stress. This includes the body’s ability to defeat invading pathogens like viruses through an optimized immune system.
Cold showers are shown to flood the brain with neurotransmitters like norepinephrine that have been shown to help alleviate symptoms of depression in affected individuals.
Supplements
A major focus of many biohackers is on substances that may supercharge physical and mental performance. Like all products associated with an emerging movement like biohacking, some are shown to be effective while others are more dubious.
Spirulina is one of the most well-studied biohacking supplements. The reason that it is a go-to product for so many biohackers is that it does so much good in the body.
It provides an impressive array of health benefits including lower LDL cholesterol levels, reduced blood pressure, lower levels of inflammation, and potential anti-cancer properties. In addition, it packs an enormous nutritional punch with tons of crucial vitamins and minerals.
Just be careful, though, to purchase spirulina that is organically grown because it is known to absorb heavy metals.
Modafinil can also be incredibly beneficial for productivity. It is incredibly popular among Silicon Valley professionals, as well as ambitious students looking for an edge.
The Irreplaceability of Physical Activity
The reality that many biohackers might not want to hear is that no amount of pills or quirky tricks can replace the enormous physiological benefits of exercise.
The good news is that you don’t need to exercise all day to reap the rewards. A simple 30-minute routine with moderate cardiovascular exertion can improve your mental state through the release of “feel-good” hormones such as endorphins, elevate heart function, reduce stress, and augment your body’s capacity to fight disease, among other benefits.
Furthermore, pushing yourself in your workout routines hardens you mentally and gives you the confidence to conquer challenges in everyday life. For example, when you struggle to pull out one more rep in the gym or to run that extra mile, even when you think you can’t, you learn that you have overestimated your physical limitations.
In short, you learn that you are capable of more than you thought through hard work.
These are just a few of the many ways that you can optimize your mental and physical health through biohacking. The web is full of useful resources and helpful tutorials for biohackers just getting started.