Living Under the Influence
5 Habits That Impair Your Life
Have you been Living Under the Influence (LUI)?
You have a destination in mind. You’re trying to get from point A to point B. But are you going to make it? And even if you arrive, what condition will your vehicle (you) be in?
What you don’t can be more crucial than what you do.
It is dangerous to drive impaired in any form so why would we think it any less perilous to live impaired? This is usually because living impaired is not always urgently obvious to us. Habits form over time and can quietly hum in the background without really noticing its damaging and risky effects.
If you want to live life focused and free, eliminate these 5 habits from your journey.
#1 Lack of Sleep
This should be obvious but, unfortunately, it’s very easy to let this one slip. A late night social media binge in bed. A fun spontaneous night out with friends. Starting your bedtime routine too late…again.
The CDC states that being awake for 17 hours (i.e. 7 hours of sleep) is similar to a 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and 24 hours (i.e. ZERO hours of sleep) is tantamount to 0.10% BAC.
Documenting patient notes or performing manual therapy techniques may not be as immediately life threatening as driving with little sleep. But you can imagine the impact that consistent lack of sleep can have on the quality of care you provide.
Think about the times you get a REALLY good night of sleep (long and deep). How much more focused, effective, and clear do you feel? Prioritizing sleep is listed as number one on this list for a reason. Set yourself up for success each day by getting the sleep your mind, body, and spirit need and others will benefit from as well.
#2 Distractions
Comparable to texting and driving, our phones can significantly impair the way we live.
And it’s not just our phones. Unimportant tasks, requests from others, media and entertainment. All of these are vying for our attention when our eyes should be on the road.
Distractions are toughest to ignore in the moment. You can set parameters ahead of time to not only say “No” to the commotion but also prevent them from happening at all.
#3 No Prior Planning
Ever been on a simple route to a new restaurant that should have taken 10 minutes only to find yourself frustrated, turned around, taking wrong turns, and now 10 minutes late?
Sometimes we go about our life in the same way. We have a general idea of our destination, where it should be, how we think we’ll get there, and how long it should take. But we don’t take a moment to do a simple Google Maps check to gather some quick information.
Weekly check-ins and daily planning sessions can do wonders for setting a course that gets you to your destination. You’ll find yourself better equipped to avoid detours, ditch distractions, and confidently arrive at your target.
And don’t overthink it. If you have a short route (day/week) then you don’t need a lot of time to plot it out. And vice versa: the bigger the journey, the more planning will be needed. So plan accordingly.
#4 Low (or Wrong) Fuel
Similar to a lack of sleep, it is easy to not always see the impact of our choices.
I’m not going to pretend to know the ins and outs of diet and nutrition. But I think it’s safe to say that when faced with an option between an apple or a strudel, one will have better effects on my health.
The important thing is do you know about YOUR nutritional needs. Have you met with your doctor or a dietician? Do you know how much and how often you should be eating? Do you know what to eat or NOT to eat? Are you consuming too much alcohol or sugar before bed or during the day?
Not having enough fuel in your car might force you to stop and travel on foot to get more. And putting in the WRONG fuel can have severe effects on your vehicle. Don’t make the same mistakes for your body and your life.
#5 Speeding
Reckless driving is a sure way to increase the risk of crashing and burning out.
So how fast are you living right now? Is your schedule jam packed and lacking any margin or space for the unexpected? Are you in a rush everywhere you go? Do you hurry from one task to the next?
Speeding through life prevents us from seeing and experiencing the blessings along the way. We miss the opportunities to enjoy relationships, reflect on our journey, and recognizing when we need to change directions.
Don’t get me wrong, at times it is necessary to go fast to avoid an accident or get somewhere urgently. But a life consistently lived in the fast lane keeps you from getting off at your exit and can be hard to slow down.
Summary to Live Focused and Free
“Saying NO to the wrong things creates space to say YES to the right things.” – Mack Story
Making daily good decisions in life will help you safely arrive at your destination. So, ditch these 5 habits and start living focused and free:
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Lack of Sleep – get quality sleep often
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Distractions – actively combat distractions
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No Prior Planning – plan ahead to get ahead
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Low (or Wrong) Fuel – eat and drink to fuel you
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Speeding – live at a sustainable pace
“Life consists of many choices – avoid the bad ones and you’ll live a good one.” – Moreno Zugaro