There's been times when I couldn't stop: > eating > scrolling > working > watching > wherever It feels awful. A miserable existence. Our society is a predator prey relationship. Companies make money and become rich when they convince us to do things that we can't stop. This is a guide to fight back. My resting heart rate is my Sovereignty Index. It measures whether I am a slave or sovereign relative to the powers around me world. Whether I’m ruled by my impulses or the ruler over them. This past month, my RHR has averaged 41 bpm. It’s my best ever 30 day average. It’s less about the absolute number and more about what it represents. A low RHR is a clinical proxy for high vagal tone which is the metric of parasympathetic dominance and physiological self regulation. It’s taken me years to master the daily habits that enable this. A low resting heart rate before sleep is magic: > better sleep > stronger recovery > improved will power > clear headedness > happier life I speak about RHR because it’s the single number that captures modern society. Everything “normal” today increases a person’s heart rate before sleep. It’s slavery camouflaged as ambition, relaxing, and “living life”. 24/7 work, eating before bed, scrolling, binge watching, vaping, late night debauchery, red eye flights…People mistakenly confuse these things as being admirable and a rite of passage. Don’t be fooled by this. This is a cultural mistake that will be corrected in time. The coming years will look back and see the foolishness of it. Most of you reading this are in a state of chronic sympathetic overdrive, burnout, anxiety and depression. That's the state of society today. 88% of Americans are metabolically unwell. Sometimes though, that's because you have a new born, are caring for an aging parent, are fighting a health problem, or are in some other challenging situation. I remember feeling helpless with three children under 6. For those of you in a tough spot, I feel you. For those of you who have the freedom to make decisions, this is for you. And for those of you in the tough spots, maybe these things can be helpful for you too. Master these habits and everything in your life will be better: > final food four hours before bed > screens off 60 min before bed > same bedtime every night > a wind down routine: reading, walking, hobby > final caffeine by noon > red and amber lights in pm, no blues It's the end of the day that get's most people. It's when your will power is lowest and stress is the highest. We reach for things that soothe but they end up causing us self harm. The habits outlined above are designed to be a check against the version of you that is stressed out and overwhelmed, and not in the best state of mind to make good decisions. Deciding on what you will do before that version of you take charge may help you wrestle the upper hand to start living the life you want.