😉 (I added the emojis myself, it's not AI) In this post I'll tell you:
1. Why endless scrolling makes us feel empty (and how we can stop it).
2. The "uncomfortable" truth about sleeping 8 hours.
3. Exercise: the best natural antidepressant.
4. The 5-minute trick for impossible tasks.
Hi
These past few days I've had a series of thoughts that led me to an idea I think is interesting to put into practice. I was reading a bit about the issue I struggle with most, which is a lack of motivation; so I did a quick search and discovered a series of factors you can track and, according to science, notice an improvement when making and carrying out decisions (it's important to mention that I'm not a doctor and this doesn't constitute health advice from a specialist).
So, before anything else, I went into full nerdy mode to look up what science has recently said about motivation to understand a little about how these variables could positively affect my daily life (and hopefully it can help you too). According to a definition I found in a review of studies on motivation for learning in an academic environment, it's defined as: > "a readiness to begin, work toward, or complete a particular activity or goal." It is quite common to perceive that "I don't have enough motivation" or not feeling motivated in the "right way", which affects us in the performance of our tasks, whatever they may be.
Human beings are a whole; that is, most ailments don't stem from a single cause. Therefore, it's important to look at the bigger picture to see what might be happening to you. Among the factors that can affect motivation are three: 1. Biological factors, 2. Psychological factors, and 3. Lifestyle factors.
Since the first two require professional help, we'll focus on lifestyle factors, as these are the ones we can directly control.
So, this month we could be working on:
📱❌1. No social media for a month
I went all out, haha, but you can try avoiding social media for an hour after waking up and an hour before going to sleep. I don't know if you've recently seen in the news the millions of dollars Mark Zuckerberg has had to pay in various lawsuits because social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are addictive. Therefore, it's already been proven that social media design is intended to keep you on endless scrolls, making you feel the need to constantly scroll down, which means you spend more time on the app. They win... and you? Your sense of emptiness grows.
"The algorithm is designed to make you a prisoner, hooked on the lives and ideas of others."
Furthermore, the algorithm is designed to show you videos and topics that generate interest; therefore, your dopamine system is overstimulated, since you'll always find videos that evoke emotion. When you finally manage to break free from the loop and have to face the monotonous and "boring" reality, you no longer feel the same excitement and can reach a point where you lose the motivation to do your daily tasks. Do you know anyone in this situation? Recommend a social media detox to them.
😴😴2. Sleep 8 hours and go to bed at the same time every day
The importance of sleeping well for your mental health is something I've come to understand over time. In fact, I've noticed that in many mental health treatments, one of the factors they emphasize is the quantity and quality of sleep. Doctors check if you're getting enough sleep because lack of sleep begins to affect your psychological stability and well-being. If your sleep is being significantly affected, treatment includes restoring its quality. I found an article that mentioned a correlation between insomnia and the likelihood of developing a mental illness (that's how important it is... and there are people who are pushing the idea that sleeping is for weaklings. No way! Sleep should be a right, and we should all be able to get the right amount of sleep to function well in society).
🏊🏃3. Let's exercise at least 4 times a week
I must confess that this is the point I struggle with the most... I've been trying to get back into regular exercise for over a year without any success. It frustrates me quite a bit not being able to get back into it. It turns out that exercise is one of the pillars of good health (one of life's secrets); it helps both your body and your mind. I've been reading that exercise helps generate a series of neurotransmitters that contribute to your brain regulating your emotions and making you feel much better. According to what I found, motivation requires physical energy; if the body is used to a sedentary lifestyle, it won't have even the minimum energy required to start a task.
⌛⌛4. We accomplish our tasks in micro-steps
Another finding from the article I was reading is that scientists discovered that humans have different strategies for motivating themselves and carrying out various tasks. For example, some people turn their chores into a kind of game, or transform a very large task into smaller tasks that don't feel overwhelming.
So, I'll divide my daily household chores, like washing dishes or tidying my desk, into small steps. One of the tasks I have as a medium-term project is finishing some online courses I paid for, but I have zero motivation to complete them. The great thing about micro-steps is that they're so flexible that you can dedicate just 5 minutes to the task (obviously, if you have to hand in the assignment tomorrow at 6 a.m. and it requires more than two weeks of work, then the method won't work the day before). So calculate the time well so you can do the task little by little, but enough to deliver it or meet the estimated deadlines.
So, here are the points we can work on this month:
- Social media detox (at least 1 hour upon waking and 1 hour before bed).
- Sleep 8 hours every day, at the same time.
- Exercise 4 times a week (even if it's difficult, your body will thank you).
- Micro-steps: Break down your huge tasks into 5-minute mini-tasks.
📣📣The final challenge
I think we can do it! But I'm not suggesting you do all 4 at once (that would be crazy). I challenge you to choose ONLY 1 of these habits and stick to it strictly for the next 7 days.
Let's start today, observe what works best for us, and make adjustments. If you want to let me know which one you chose and how you feel after the first week, write in the comments. Next week I'll share my own daily log with you. Are you up for doing it with me?
See you next week!
If you'd like to support me in any way, here's my new PayPal: cavc0424@gmail.com
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