I went to acupuncture yesterday and got some bad news: “Your Qi is low.” Say what you want about Chinese medicine and acupuncture, but I believe it can be very useful vehicle for healing . On top of that, it’s a great way to check in with the body and see how it’s operating as a whole. Apparently, I’m burning too much, so I need to make some changes. This I what I want to discuss today.
Off the bat, let’s get some things out of the way. This is my current inventory:
I don’t get enough consistent sleep.
I don’t drink enough water.
I consume too much caffeine (500 - 800mg per day).
I consume too much nicotine (I haven’t used tobacco in years, but I do use Zyn nicotine pouches).
I overwork my body in training.
I overwork my mind creatively.
What this all leads to is a weak pulse, low Qi, and a vulnerability to what I like to call The Vice Grip of Anxiety. With all of these elements in my life out of whack, I’m extraordinarily vulnerable to be controlled by my anxieties. My daily meditation practice has been a huge help, but I imagine if I get the rest of the system in check, my experience in my body would change dramatically. Here’s what I intend to do:
Get 8 hours of sleep minimum, allowing for 1 day per week of less than 8 hours.
Drink at least 1 gallon of mineral water per day.
Keeping coffee consumption at a maximum of 500 mg per day.
Cutting nicotine consumption in half.
Planning more rest days on a weekly basis during this winter’s training.
Restructure my creative life to operate more harmoniously.
Now, none of this is going to happen overnight. I usually find that when embarking on changes like this, there’s a strong “three steps forward, two steps back” effect. I don’t plan on implementing all of these things at once, but I do intend on moving my life in this direction. By the end of the winter, I want my Qi to be high, and that is only going to come with action (and in many cases, non-action).
What I hope to impress upon you by sharing this is that more often than not, extreme anxiety has a root physical cause. I don’t know too many people who get plenty of sleep, don’t overuse stimulants and train in moderation who are anxious. That’s just a plain truth. That said, there’s always a push-pull. I love training hard and creating every day, and caffeine does help if not overused. But as soon as the scales tip with any one thing, the whole system gets out of whack (i.e. too much caffeine leads to less sleep, etc.).
If you’re struggling with anxiety (like so many of us do), try find the root. Are you sleeping enough? Are you drinking enough water? Are you consuming nourishing foods? More often than not, the answer is in the basics. Trust me, I know how difficult it can be to make seemingly simple changes, but at the end of the day, a small amount of suffering is worth the benefits in the long run. Remember, your body is a complex operating system, and each individual element works as a part of a greater whole. That’s why I love acupuncture - it helps me to remember that health is holistic.