What’s up, TRB family? Chuka here, bringing you 5 habits to help you lead a richer life.
1. Get Your Beauty Sleep
If you want to get your money up, you gotta get up first. Sleep factors into everything you do. Studies show that sleep deprivation is not only linked to obesity, heart disease, and stroke, but causes problems with memory, learning, focus, decision making, and emotional stability. People with proper sleep schedules Stick to a strict sleep schedule that responds to your body’s natural sleep pattern and the patterns of the sun. The amount of sleep your body needs gradually changes as you change. For infants, 12-16 hours a day is normal, whereas for adults, 7-8 hours is normal. If you tend to lose sleep, you accumulate what’s called a “sleep debt,” because your sleep loss adds up over time. Just 2 hours of sleep loss a night watching Netflix or scrolling through TikTok results in 14 hours of sleep debt per week.
The best thing you can do for yourself is stick to a good sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Try to sleep the same amount on weeknights as on weekends to not disrupt your body clock’s sleep-wake rhythm. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, artificial light, and heavy meals one hour before bedtime. Use that hour to meditate, do breath-work, or stretch. Avoid caffeine after 10 a.m. to avoid difficulties falling asleep in the evening. Importantly, make sure to use your bed only for sleeping and not lounging, allowing your body to signal to your brain that climbing into bed means it’s time to sleep.
2. Eat Good, Feel Good
Your body is a temple. If you wouldn’t bring fast food to Sunday church service, don’t bring it into your body either. Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats protects your body from heart disease and diabetes by limiting your LDL-cholesterol and blood sugar. Certain foods, like blueberries, also exhibit antioxidant properties that protect cells from environmental stressors.
A healthy diet means one with less salt, sugar, trans fats, and saturated fats and more fruits and vegetables, but it’s not just about what you eat, but how often you eat, too. One recent study showed that a 4-day low calorie diet that mimics fasting increased stem cell regeneration in mice, suggesting that similar fasting could slow down the aging process in humans.
Better food also means a better mood. Did you know that 90% of our serotonin receptors are in our gut? That means our emotions and energy levels are directly linked to the food we eat. Heavily processed foods or foods with chemical additives are linked to anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness while healthy foods that support the human microbiome give us more energy, better sleep, better moods, better memory, and so much more. In short, eat less, and eat better if you want to feel better.
3. Sweat it Out
To make moves, you gotta get moving. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day decreases risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by 35%, depression and dementia by 30%, osteoarthritis by 83% and type 2 diabetes by 50%.
People who maintain a regular exercise schedule are also less likely to suffer from breast and colon cancer, less likely to fall in old age, and are 30% less likely to experience early death. Not only that, but those who regularly exercise experience a boost of norepinephrine, a chemical that moderates the brain’s response to stress, allowing physically active people to better cope with stress and anxiety.
Endorphins, chemicals produced by the nervous system to cope with pain and stress, are naturally released during exercise, resulting in better mood control and even a feeling of euphoria in those who remain physically active. Oxygen and nutrients delivered to the cardiovascular system during exercise create energy in the body also result in more energy, better memory, better sleep, and better productivity.
4. Write it Down
Reflect and connect. One of the main things that contributes to my success mindset each day is journaling. The simple act of writing something down. One recent study found that the simple act of writing things by hand increases memory retention and understanding.
Journaling also helps you keep your thoughts organized, helps you keep track of your goals and milestones, improves your writing skills, and boosts creativity. Plus, it’s pretty damn relaxing. When I journal, I like to focus on the things I’m grateful for each day, the things I want to achieve, and the steps I know I’m going to need to take to get there. Journaling helps you feel more in control of your thoughts,
5. Save and Savor
Save your money, save yourself. When I started The Rich Barber, I wrote down 10 Commandments. Number 10 was: “Thou Shalt Move Beyond the Barbershop.” In order to expand your empire, you have to plan days and years down the road. Think about this: spending just $27 per day on stuff like food comes out to roughly $10k spent per year. Imagine what all those cups of coffee and In-N-Out burgers could buy you with that money!
When you put money aside, what you’re really doing is investing in yourself and your future. Over 25% of American households have no savings at all. That means if you remain debt free and save even $1, you’re richer than a quarter of the country.
Over 70% of Americans have no long-term savings plan. Don’t be part of that statistic. Start saving money now by eliminating your debt, setting monthly savings goals, saving a portion of your income each month, opening up an interest-bearing savings account like a Roth IRA or 401k, and eliminating unhealthy and expensive habits like smoking, drinking, gambling, and eating out.
Remember: health is wealth. You are more important than your money. Your body and your mind are the first and most important empires to build before you build out into the world. Keeping your mind and your body sharp will ensure that whatever legacy you create in the world will be one founded on good food, good sleep, and a good attitude.
The best part about attaining a richer life is that the ways to get there are free. It costs you nothing to sleep, exercise, and replace your bad foods with good ones. Keeping healthy habits is just like saving money - a little a day goes a long way, and eventually you’ll look back and not be able to believe the growth you’ve achieved.
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