PUT A RING ON IT

While the country swirls in chaos, I’ve gone Zen and purchased the Oura ring, pictured above. It watches over me silently. It knows how much I sleep, how good that sleep is and even reminds me when it’s time for bed. It also seems to know what I am doing at any given moment. Recently, it asked, “Playing music?” I was. Observing my physiology in real time is amazing. Knowing something scientifically never takes away the awe for me. It adds to it.

The Oura measures my heart rate variability, body temperature and stress levels. Last week, I thought I handled an upsetting moment in a super, chill way. Apparently not. Oura showed that I was in the STRESSED zone during the entire event! I had NO clue. That gave me pause. Had this been invented decades ago, it might have saved me a lot of wear and tear. Nonetheless, it’s here now and I highly recommend the purchase.

You receive data in three main categories: READINESS, ACTIVITY and SLEEP with subcategories in each. READINESS calculates your activity combined with your restorative rest. I’m super high on ACTIVITY but not so good at ‘resting.’ SLEEP assesses how quickly you fall asleep, the length and stages of your sleep as well as your oxygenation during the night. (The ring flashes red/green in the dark, so if you wake up, don’t think a spaceship has landed on your pillow).

The first week all three of my percentages were in the 80’s. As an over-achiever, I determined to get to 100%. When I told a friend that I was ‘trying to sleep better and get to 90%,’ he said, “Geez. You even over-achieve while you sleep.” He was right. Today, I had several clients in a row. About halfway through I received a message on my phone from Oura. It read: “Don’t you think you should get up and stretch your legs for a bit?” Indeed.

This ring has my back 24/7 and even lets me know when it’s time to “wind down.” I’ve gone to bed earlier in the last 3 weeks than in the last 30 years. I literally am listening to my body and even fitting in meditative moments as well. The ‘Headspace’ app, is super helpful for this. Check it out.

So next time someone tells you that, “California has a law that says you can have sex with 12-year-olds,” or that, “no one will be allowed to rebuild in the Pacific Palisades,” or that the “government uses weather weapons against us,” put a muzzle on them and this ring on you.

Answer to last week’s Bonus Question: The Cabinet.