Think Like a Human
This week I had a really interesting conversation with my physical therapist, Dr. Locatelli Rao. After a bad flair up in my symptoms, I was lamenting feeling a sense of diminished capacity. He went on to describe what my human body was actually designed for, the life that early humans lived thousands of years ago:
- A strong circadian rhythm where I would wake with the sun
- The day’s tasks would serve the needs of the tribe or village I lived with
- Living in close community with generations of family and friends
- Very clear delineation between sympathetic response (i.e. major threats, like saber-tooth tigers) and parasympathetic response (i.e. non-threats, no saber-tooth tiger today)
- Walking and running several miles per day barefoot and on uneven ground
- Squatting for long periods and lifting and carrying heavy things
- A diet borne not of choice but availability, consisting mostly of meat
- A strong circadian rhythm where I would sleep close to sundown, exhausted by the day’s physical exertion
He then contrasted that with the realities of modern life:
- My waking hours are not driven so much by my circadian rhythm but by the demands of work hours and the time for leisure afterward, so that I am usually awake long past sundown
- The day’s tasks are often disconnected from my immediate needs or reality, existing either in the future or a digital space
- Living farther away from family and friends, reducing a sense of community
- A multitude of low level stressors, like driving in traffic or reading the global news, that do not threaten my life, but leave me in a stasis of sympathetic response
- Walking far less than several miles per day and most often on man-made ground in unsupportive shoes
- Sitting for long periods of time, punctuated by short periods of structured movement, like taking an exercise class or playing a sport
- A vast array of choice in diet but processed food is often more accessible than high quality fresh food
- Many hours spent looking at screens that further disrupts the circadian rhythm
- Access to more automation and convenience, leading to less physical exertion throughout the day
He used this comparison to explain how humans’ capacities for stress are inherently diminished by the modern world in which we live. The things that are meant to regulate and rest our systems, like a strong circadian rhythm, deep sleep, community, diet, and walking, are lessened in time spent and quality. And the things that stress our systems, like work, constant access to all knowledge in the world, driving, and screens, have all increased over time.
So this week, while you may have some unstructured time around the holiday, I encourage you to think like an early human. Put down the screens, turn off the work notifications, and get back to the good stuff. Sleep. Eat delicious food. Go for a walk. Make something with your hands. Help a friend with a task. Be in community. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.