Inspiration Brewing

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Caffeine

coffee can make you poop within minutes 

it takes between 30 min to 1 hour for the caffeine to peak in the body

Caffeine helps us be more alert, awake, focused, and helps us have faster reaction time 

On average, one cup of coffee reduces your sleep by about 15 min BUT this varies a lot from person to person and depends on how your body can metabolize caffeine. If you metabolize caffeine slow, this could look like an hour less of sleep but if you can metabolize it fast, there might not be any change on sleeping. 

Caffeine can help with athleticism. People in studies who drank coffee more had 1,000 more steps daily that those who didn’t (just don’t overdo it, maybe like 1-2 coffees before exercise)

it might reduce your risk of depression, if you’re drinking coffee and tea, Cancer, Parkinson’s, and diabetes

Verdict: have some tea and coffee, it actually seems to be quite good for you. If you want to have some good peak performance too in terms of exercise, a bit can also help with that. Just have it in moderation.

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Probiotics

Verdict: You don't need to include probiotic food into your daily life. You just need to have a very good and balanced diet. Have lots of fruits and vegetables and eat foods high in FIBER!!! This is awesome for the gut.

Your microbiome is basically like a rainforest with lots of diverse trees, plants, insects, and animals. There is no one superfood that will make a big difference. Eating a probiotic like yogurt or kimchi is like dropping one species of bug into your rainforest. It's so minuscule it really doesn't make a major difference.

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Veganism

General Verdict: you can be healthier by being on a vegan diet. Being vegan is also significantly better for the environment. There are only two main issue with being vegan is that there are certain vitamins (Vitamin B12) that you can only get through animal products which can easily be solvable through taking supplements. Also, for some reason we see that vegans are also much more susceptible to breaking bones than the general population. All around health can be better though by reducing meat consumption.

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Perfectionism

Laurie Santos claims that perfectionism is more of an anxiety management strategy rather than a personality trait

one dangerous form of perfectionism is socially prescribed perfectionism which is when we assume other people expect us to be perfect.

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A peaceful life is one lived without the inner demand to know that the future will conform to your desires for it ~ Oliver Burkeman

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Finding exfoliators

exfoliation is using a product to remove dead skin

2 types of exfoliation: physical or chemical

Good ideas for dry skin (these are both serums)

Medik8 Press and Glow Daily Exfoliating PHA Tonic: this uses gluconolacctone (this is gentle and good at exfoliating and hydrating)

SkinCeuticals Cell Cycle Catalyst: you can also use it along with vitamin C serums too

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Shaving Bikini Area Tips

Step 1: Prepare for shaving

need a razor that has only 1-2 blades (5-6 typically ends up being way too much)

Step 2: Shaving

shave last in showering since the warm water helps to make your bikini area softer

exfoliate gently (physical exfoliation might be better than chemical)- do this max 2 times a week

shave pubic area first if shaving other areas too since the blade is the freshest)

you need to shave with the hair not against the grain. Basically start in the direction of the bellybutton and go down

shave with super short strokes- maybe 1/4 or 1/2 an inch at a time

use shaving cream cause it really can help further soften the area and really let it lather up

Step 3: After Care

When you get out of the shower, gently pat the area dry since you did so much irritating shaving to the area so be kind

Use Tend Skin that helps with ingrown hairs. It has alcohol (to clean the area) and aspirin which helps with anti inflammation. - this is like after shave and pat it on -

moisturize after the aftershave- any moistuizer works

1% Hydrocortisone ointment (this is an anti-itch cream): apply a thin layer a couple times a day for a couple days after you shave to keep things calm

use sunscreen in that area since it is soooo much more sensitive to the sun

wear loose fitting clothes and underwear in the day after so there is less pressure

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Good Screens and Bad Screens - Happiness Lab Podcast

There is nothing inherently wrong about this (being on screens). I see people talking about how I should spend less time on screens or I should do this… when it comes to our screens we don’t need to be critical of ourselves or restrictive just for the sake of being critical or restrictive. 

Don’t be hung up on the number of hours your iPhone.

What about my phone usage do I like or not like 

We need to use our mindfulness muscles to make sure we are using our screens in a way that will boost our well being 

Set up goals and principles for how to use screen time 

Consumption- taking stuff in

Creation

Connection

Write down a list of non screen activities you like to do when you want to mindlessly pick up your phobe

Creating boundaries with your screen

Screen life balance.com

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The Power of Habit

Main takeaway points

habit has 3 components: the cue, the habit, and reward

when you actually engage in the habit, you really work on autopilot. You just do what you know. What motivates you to actually do the habit is the reward. If you reward yourself more for habits you want to change, then you will be more likely to do them

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Boredom Podcast

Why we evolutionarily feel bored: boredom is meant to motivate us to seek out a new experience

One culprit for boredom is due to overstimulation through things such as social media

Fighting Boredom:

create an anti-routine - an intentional decision not to have a structured or predetermined set of activities to follow upon waking up. It's rejecting the notion that there is a one-size-fits-all approach to starting your day that makes room for a willingness to embrace flexibility and spontaneity.

Try new things: try a new recipe, go to a new restaurant, try a gym class

Try a dopamine detox by cutting out social media, not eating junk food, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, etc.

get out of your sweat pants at least once a day and leave the house

declutter your area

help others

psychologists define boredom as being the transient unpleasant affective state in which an individual feels a pervasive lack of interest such that it takes pained conscious effort to  attend to an activity 

boredom is somehow a new idea:

Mind-wandering seemed to help people feel less bored from different tasks (as long as it is positive and not focused on worrying about other things like credit card debt or something)

When asking over 100 physicists and writers when they got inspiration, 20% of the time it happened when they were mind-wandering when doing chores, taking a shower, etc.

The purpose of boredom might be to shift our brain into a more creative zone

Form of meditation called open mind monitoring- you just watch your thoughts without getting very attached to them- a thought arises, you witness it, and then you just let it pass - try not to let your thoughts shift to negative things that create anxiety so come up with a list of topics that you know you'll have fun thinking of.

our aversion to boredom might be problematic in the future

Personal note to self: you should really take the designated time each day to do meditation and feel bored. Just sitting down on your floor on your yoga mat or something away from a screen. Turns out there seems to be many forms of meditation you can do, you just have to find one that feels right to you. Maybe do some research into different forms of meditation.

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5 Year Plan Podcast

Pros of having a plan

research shows that having a sense of a plan are an evidence based tool to increase motivation 

Those who had clear cut goals were happier 

A plan helps us not live aimlessly 

Cons of it

We can’t plan everything and we shouldn’t expect to plan everything

The five year plan doesn’t really leave room for spontaneity when we have this linear blueprint for our lives 

What you want at 18 is def not what you will want at 23 

Focused too much on the should and not enough on the want 

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Supercommunicators

Things they do:

Looping for Understanding- repeat back or positively reinforce what the other person said 

match other people’s moods and tones- conversations have to match in terms of the tone (practical versus emotional versus silly conversations) and this could help with communication 

perspective getting: rather than perspective taking (trying to put yourself in the shoes of someone else) you ask people to tell you more about what it’s like to be them. The idea is admitting that we can’t actually imagine it, so let me learn from you what it’s like 

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Long Distance Dilemma

Does distance make the heart grow fonder?

yes

Negatives

lack of shared experience - we can’t build this on a regular basis which makes us feel disconnected and like we are living separate lives  

Physical distance create barriers psychologically and biologically: Dopamine and oxytocin are released when we are physically close with someone. When we are physically distant we can go into withdrawal because we don’t have this constant chemical going off in our brain.

Lack of non-verbal communication: this can lead us to feel distanced if we struggle to communicate effectively without non-verbal communication

Positives

it make the time spent together all the more valuable

it strengthens/ develops the relationship if you are able to handle that period of stress- you built the boundaries, trust, communicated

you don't take each other for granted as much

it forces us to develop effective communication skills, independence, and resilience

provides you time to spend time with friends, your personal growth, hobbies, and foster a sense of individual fulfillment

Things to consider before doing long-distance

goal alignment and the future- don't put yourself under the pressure if you think the relationship is short term; consider if you have a shared vision, want the same things, have value alignment

communication- effective communication is crucial in this. What is your willingness to putting in the effort to putting in time- consider time zones, work schedules. Your lives are not necessarily parallel, more like perpendicular where you meet at one point in the day

trust- you know that other person will be in your corner and make decisions for both of your best interests; discuss how often do you need to call for example

emotional and physical needs- if your primary love language is physical touch or quality time, you will need to put in extra effort to make it work; evaluate that trade off

your support system- you will feel lonely when you are not together.

Answer these questions before and during the distance

in five years time, can you imagine a future together?

do your long term goals align?

What are your expectations? Are these shared

Are we okay without seeing them in your daily life

what is your approach and strategy for jealousy

How will we manage conflict?

Tips

Have an end date we can look forward to. Figure out when you will see each other next

set up date nights, maintaining emotional intimacy: set aside time for virtual date night and make activities in the relationship. Play virtual scrabble or watching movies together.

Regular check-ins- what can you do better, what has been happening in your lives you haven;'t had a chance to say

create a vision board or physical reminder of why you are doing this. It is a mutual goal and this helps our perception of how we can do this.

Last thoughts:

If you are feeling the way you do (finding it hard or frustrating). It’s biological, psychological, and social. It's not your fault.

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The "Good Enough" Relationship Podcast

finding "the one" just causes anxiety

at the beginning of relationships we we need to stop pushing so hard to figure out if they are "the one" because then we miss out and really getting to know who they are

everyone will annoy us or disappoint us at some time. This doesn't mean it is a red flag- we need to embrace our partners limitations and honor them as human beings

friendly reminder: you are not entitled to anything in love - we have to do the hard part, not just expect it to happen (we need to practice tolerance and forgiveness)

one reason we might be obsessed with not settling is because of intergenerational trauma (seeing the stories of our parents)

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Caring What You're Sharing Podcast

shared experiences amplify our experiences whether by making the bad worse or by making the good better 

“Our obsession with capturing moments means not just missing them ourselves, but causing other people to miss them too”

Taking so many photos just ruins the moments 

In one study conducted, they found that when people go into museums and take photos, they are much better at recalling the visual aspects on the museum. However, they were not able to remember other important facts the audio portion of the tour.

This tells us that taking photos can help us remember the visual aspects better, but it is at the cost being able to recall other aspects.

What happens when you combined shared experiences with photo taking?

The benefits you get from capturing photos is diminished or undermined when you take photos to share (on social media. Things with the intention of showing an audience)

It decreases how much enjoyment we get out of it  

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Mistakenly Seeking Solitude Podcast

the guy who invented the ATM machine’s wife has never used an ATM

We prob spend about 7,000 hour in our lifetime waiting in lines 

Research shows that computers who talk to strangers on a bus or train have more positive feelings after the interaction rather than being silent and doing their own thing 

This is better even for introverts too, not just extroverts.

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Moving to A New City Podcast

Asks the question "can moving to a new city make you happy?" The answer is that moving to a new city grants us a new start but our happiness kind of returns to its base line as before we moved. Therefore, we should not just move to a new city for new reason, only if we are kind of seeking a fresh start/ new beginning, but don't necessarily to it just because you think it will bring you happiness.

By moving to a new city though, you can gain perspective. However, it is not just about distracting yourself from internal turmoil.

6 month rule of moving (anecdotal, not scientifically verified) 

it takes about 6 months to adjust and feel settled 

Do not make any drastic decisions 

It takes time to build community 

The first 2 months is exciting and novel and the next few months is the adjustment time - loneliness happens here

Tips for moving cities

Join sports communities

Keep outdoor schedules- regularly scheduled coffee shop working, working at the office, runs, etc. so you can find other people too 

Say yes to everything

Bumble bff 

Don’t seriously date- it can then discourage you from getting out there more for the first 6 months. You can also grow a reliance on this partner's group of friends and you may struggle to find your way separately from your partner.

Try housesitting rather than finding an apartment immediately so you can get a feel of where you might want to live