How To Beat Jet Lag And The Winter Blahs

Do you hate that slump you get after flying?

How about that dumpy feeling that comes when winter takes hold? Not the greatest of friends, is it?

But just stop and ask yourself …

What If Suffering Like This Could Be Reduced Or Eliminated?

In my brief experience with an amazing new invention, I believe that it can. It's called Human Charger and this is my story using it.

As a Canadian currently living in Germany, I've spent more than a few days in the miserable dark. Winter temperatures rarely stand a chance, but gray days take a lot out of me, especially since I have Bipolar Disorder.

But no matter where a person lives or what conditions they might face, there are solutions to the winter blahs.

And if you're a frequent flyer, the very same solution applies to jet lag too. All you need is light.

As always, the science is divided. In general, light is essential to the creation of Vitamin D, though it's not entirely clear that Vitamin D plays the role we think it does. Nonetheless, light definitely affects mood and energy. And since it takes a feeling of well-being to tolerate long, dark winters, arguably, more exposure to light will ease that burden.

The 3 Best Ways To Get More Healing Light

I've tried a number of ways to get more sun during the winter in Berlin.

Travel is the simplest: Pick a sunny place and go. Travel is great because you not only get more light, but you can challenge your mind by learning a language and enjoying the culture. In addition to getting more "happy rays," here are another 15 Reasons Why Learning A Foreign Language Is Good For Your Brain.

Definitely chase the sun if you can. I've enjoyed warmer temperatures, boosts in fluency and warm sun in places like Greece, Spain and most recently in China where I shot a video course and did some research on the great mnemonist Matteo Ricci.

While at home, my trainer Lars Rosenbaum at Ignite Fit recommended one 15-minute session per week in what he called the "assi-toaster." That's a Denglish (German/English) word that combines asocial with toaster to joke about the anti-social activity of laying in a tanning bed.

I've found that he's right. That small blast of light once a week helps keep the blues away. It's not enough to create much of a tan, but a sufficient amount for creating the desired effect.

Just Like Storing The Sun In Your Pocket?

Even before the package arrived, I was skeptical. After all, the idea of shooting light into your ears sounds a bit fantastical. I also worried about burning holes in my eardrum or developing tinnitus.

Not only that, but I had no upcoming trips with flights long enough to merit trying the Human Charger. So I let one of the most miraculous technologies I would ever use just sit there.

Then Jari got in touch to ask if I'd given the Human Charger a try. I told him that I had no reason to do so but might the following year. He suggested giving it a try, citing its use for dealing with Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD). My interest peaked and so I finally opened the package and gave it a try.

It's simple to use. About the size of an iPod, it comes with two earbuds that you pop into your ears before switching it on. It makes a beep and soon after you feel warmth inside your head.

Eureka … It Works!

After the session, I immediately felt different. I felt better. And of course I figured it was probably a placebo. Nonetheless, I stuck with the device and still use it every day during my meditation sessions.

The device is set at 100% power when you get it for a 12 minute session. That felt too much for me so I reduced it to 75% for 9 minutes.

The 9 minutes matches almost exactly how long I like to meditate and gives my meditations a frame without having to set an alarm. It's also pleasant to meditate with the warmth in my head, something definitely worth experiencing.

I also enjoy using Humancharger when completing The Freedom Journal, which is another great Memory Improvement Tool.

Imagine Flying Halfway Around The World Without A Shred Of Jet Lag

For me, the real test would be an international flight. So when I finally went to China, I followed the instructions precisely and flew with anticipation of a jet lag free experience.

To my pleasant surprise, I got it. More precisely, I felt like my body wanted to go into jet lag, but it couldn't. There was just a whisper of that holiday-destroying condition that didn't disrupt a thing.

I wasn't the only one surprised either. People kept asking me why I was so chipper, which gave me the opportunity to share the good news about the Human Charger.

Like others, I too felt skeptical.

Nonetheless, both during and after my visit to China, the post-flight experiences created amazement in myself and others as I strutted around with my usual impenetrable energy.

The Best Meditation Hardware On The Market

With respect to overall well-being, the best part of using the Human Charger apart from solving jet lag is the experience of using it during meditation. Many people use apps to help keep them focused as they practice and I've certainly tested my share.

At the same time, I've always felt that using sound-based apps weakens the mental effects one is trying to create. After all, shouldn't we work to meditate unassisted by anything? Isn't that where the real power of creating concentration at will lies?

I still think so, but the Human Charger is different because it's not software. It enables light to reach a place inside your body light normally doesn't get to go. There are no sounds, no fantastic strobe effects, nothing more than a steady blast of exposure as if your ears had opened up and let the sun in.

The reason the Human Charger adds so much to meditation is not only that the device adds a time frame to the experience.

It also creates a physical sensation that you can focus on. I find kinesthetics more beneficial than sound during a meditation because touch is always happening anyway. Your body touches the floor and itself. You can create physical effects with your breath and the temperature can be noted and focused upon.

Warmth in the ears then becomes another tool of physical immersion that further cements you in the moment. Computer-generated sounds, on the other hand, usually have a transportive effect, immersing you in the technology rather than the world as it is unfolding around you.

Yes, you can argue that the technology is part if the unfolding world around you – but you know what I mean! …

But … Does It Help With Memory?

That's obviously the most important question, right? We're here for astonishing memory tricks, after all.

The answer is simple:

Any time you can remove suffering from the equation, you help your memory. Simply having the ability to pay attention better already gives you an advantage. And when using mnemonics, having a clear head and energy makes the entire process much easier.

Along with meditation, the Human Charger is a Light Saber that cuts through the darkness and gives your imagination a boost so that you can better learn, memorize and recall anything. Check out the Human Charger for yourself today.

About This Episode Of The Podcast

When you download this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll hear an interview with one of the Human Charger's founders, Timo Ahopelto of Lifeline Ventures.

Timo has worked in several industries, ranging from biotech to apps, digital media and process technology. He earned his entrepreneur MBA from CRF Health, a software and services company that he co-founded, developed into a global market leader and successfully exited in 2015. Timo spends his free time with family, ice hockey, iron and in Lapland skiing-hikes.

Timo is also an author. He published his first book in 2013 (in Finnish). The books is called "Sand Hill Road" and is an action-packed report based loosely on the true story of two Finnish entrepreneurs who moved to Silicon Valley to make their mark.

My favorite parts of the interview involve our discussion about Zen Robotics, the fact that jet lag is not classified as a disease in the US and the ways that startups now have the ability to give medical technology to regular people instead of locking it up in medical buildings.

Be sure to look up Timo on Twitter and let him know what you think about his work in technology and medicine!

Further Resources

Human Brain Reacts to Transcranial Extraocular Light (Scientific Paper)

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