A LIVING FIELD GUIDE

The Human Operating Manual

Physiological tools for staying functional

An online living document that consolidates the world’s scientific research and literature about ALL aspects of the human body.

A quick note to anybody visiting – read each section with a critical mind. Science evolves daily, and so does this manual.

START HERE

Pick your entry point

Don’t overthink it. Choose the fastest path for where you are today.

Diagnostic 30 seconds → get your next actions Quick Start The minimum viable manual Browse the Manual (hardware → OS → network)

TIP

If you feel overwhelmed, start with the Diagnostic. If you feel stable, go straight to the Index.

Status Check

Pick how your nervous system feels today.

Shutdown Safety Flow Drive Manic

COLLAPSED (low energy, low agency)

System has collapsed to conserve energy. Do not force productivity. You need sensory safety.

Light Exposure 2-5 MIN Micro-Movement 2 MIN Warmth Anchor: hot shower on neck/upper back, heated blanket, warm tea 5 MIN Salt + Water, Small Carb/Protein Snack 2 MIN Music Regulation 15 MIN

ARMOURED (tension, vigilance, bracing)

System is scanning for threat. High tension. You need to signal safety to the amygdala.

Physiological Sigh 90 SEC Horizon Gaze/Wide Lens 5 MIN Extended Exhale 1 MIN Humming 60-90 SECS Isometric shakeout: 10 sec full-body tension → 20 sec release, repeat x3 2 MIN

CLEAR (regulated, capable, flexible)

System is stable and functional. Agency is high. Use this window for complex work.

Deep Work Block 45 MIN Priority Lock: write 1 outcome + 3 steps 5 MIN Single-Tab Mode: close everything, one screen only 15-20 MIN Skill Stack: deliberate practice (editing, writing, research) 20-30 MIN Walk + Think 10 MIN

CHARGED (high energy, still directed)

System is highly energized. Good for output, but monitor for "tipping point" into mania.

Sprint/Heavy Lift 30-45 MIN Output Sprint: ship something ugly 30 MIN Protein + Water: prevents “wired then crash” 5 MIN Nasal Breathing + Longer Exhale During Exercise 5 MIN Zone 2 Flush: easy cardio 20-30 MIN

SPINNING (overstimulated, reactive loops)

System is leaking energy into loops/outrage. You need boundaries and reduction, not more input.

Input Fast: no feeds, no news 30-60 MIN Journaling: write to empty 15-30 MIN Environmental Friction: put phone in another room, remove access not willpower 15-30 MIN Body Dump: 30 air squats + 10 slow breaths 5 MIN NSDR/Yoga Nidra 10-20 MIN

These states are a simplified version of the defence cascade, the sequence of automatic responses to threat seen in animals and people: arousal, freezing, fight or flight, and, under extreme threat, immobility and collapse (Kozlowska et al., 2015). The scale is a working model for noticing your state, not a diagnosis.

HOM Diagnostic

High-accuracy state routing

4 sliders + gates → state + tags + 3 tools + gated warnings.

Energy / Voltage

5/10

0: flat/heavy10: amped

Threat / Alarm

5/10

0: safe10: danger mode

Cognitive bandwidth

5/10

0: can’t follow steps10: can plan

Social safety

5/10

0: isolated/unsafe10: supported

Sleep debt

Last 3 nights: <5h average or long awakenings

Dissociation / numbness

“Watching life through glass” / unreal

Overstimulation (tag)

Compulsive scrolling / novelty seeking in last 24h

Tie-breaker

Only nudges classification when Threat and Energy are both high.

Stop rule: stop any tool if dizziness, chest pain, or distress rises. If Threat rises by 2+ after Tool #1, switch to orientation + steady walk.

Result

—

FOUNDATIONS

Start with the fundamentals

Use these when you want the map behind your outcomes or the assumptions behind the tools.

The Life Audit Map

A structured way to identify the variables that shaped you, what's driving you, and what to change first.

The HOM Philosophy

The operating assumptions behind the manual, so the tools make sense and don't become dogma.

STRUCTURE

HOM Framework

Every person is different, but human biology follows recurring patterns. These sections are arranged in the order that tends to restore function fastest: secure the essentials, apply targeted tools, understand the deeper mechanics, troubleshoot what’s driving dysfunction, then follow a clear path forward. Use this sequence when you’re unsure; jump straight to what you need when you’re clear.

Part I: Our Needs

The non-negotiables for staying functional: sleep, nutrition, movement, breathing, light, connection, purpose, and environmental safety.

Part II: Tools

Practical interventions you can deploy quickly to shift state, reduce symptoms, and build capacity.

Part III: Macro & Micro

Investigating the foundation of life and observable emergent patterns that reflect human behavior.

Part IV: Simplifying Dysfunction

Deconstructing the cause of bodily and systemic dysfunction from a top-down, Western view.

Part V: Steps to "Optimal" Health

An actionable summary of the steps required to maintain the health of the individual human unit via collective integration.

Field Notes

A list of summarized books and online content that were used to build this system.

New in the Manual

03Jan

The HOM Philosophy

The core idea behind the Manual: that entropy drives everything, fear was life's first way of processing information,…

LEARN MORE

03Jan

The Life Audit Map

A map for tracing why you feel and act the way you do, from body chemistry and the…

LEARN MORE

02Jan

Self-Sabotage vs. Toxicity

How to tell whether a relationship is harming you or whether you're getting in your own way, using…

LEARN MORE

The Human Operating Manual

Physiological tools for staying functional

Pick your entry point

Status Check

FOUNDATIONS

Start with the fundamentals

The Life Audit Map

The HOM Philosophy

STRUCTURE

HOM Framework

Part I: Our Needs

Part II: Tools

Part III: Macro & Micro

Part IV: Simplifying Dysfunction

Part V: Steps to "Optimal" Health

Field Notes

New in the Manual

The HOM Philosophy

The Life Audit Map

Self-Sabotage vs. Toxicity

HOM

Categories

Useful Links