improvementedward

Mushrooms not LSD, but I had a really insightful trip by myself with just a pen, notepad, and music. I recommend being intentional about these thoughts (which it sounds like you are) and focusing on them as you come up. Write down any insights that you have on paper and try to capture it as best you can (but don't get wrapped around the axle with this, as some things just can't be put into words). I did the above and am really glad I did, because I have some great notes I can look back on now that really help me refocus when I start to drift in life.

This Psychedelics are a tool, and like anything can be used for pleasure or growth. It sounds like you might be leaning more towards using them for pleasure. And there is nothing wrong with that! But if you want to grow, I recommend dosing less and integrating more

I'm almost done with Nassim Taleb's Antifragile, and really appreciate the idea of not only surviving volatility/challenges, but actually getting better because of them. When you face challenges in life, what strategies do you use to benefit from them? How do you not only get through them but actively improve yourself and get closer to self-actualization because of them? Really interested in hearing your thoughts!

I really like this. To accomplish anything of merit, you need to be willing to do whatever it takes.

@Charlotte Thanks for sharing this. As someone who struggles with OCD/Anxiety this is really helpful.

I just finished reading Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal. It's all about the power of "ectasis"/finding flow. In particular, they define a "flow state" as any activity that is Selfless (ie dissolves the ego), Timeless (no sense of time), Effortless (it should feel effortless), and Rich (vivid and revealing). I've definitely found flow doing outdoor adventure sports like snowboarding and mountain biking. I'm trying to find some new ways to incorporate flow into my life though, especially throughout the day in normal situations. How do you find flow? What activities or mental states help you get into that zone? I'm really eager to hear some new ideas!

I would encourage you to just do something. It doesn't have to be big and grand, it can be as simple as cleaning your room or taking the trash out. But by doing something productive and good for yourself, you can build up from there and adjust your tactics/strategy as time goes on. I'll share a little story with you from my own life: I spiraled into a depression my senior year of college, and spent the next two years or so just getting worse and worse. I gained and lost two jobs, lost a great relationship of over two years, and ended up moving back to my parent's house and just stagnating. The depression hit its lowest point over these past holidays (2018). I was pretty hopeless and barely functional. After reading about the positive experiences other extremely depressed people have had with psychedelics, I decided to try them for myself and bought and took some mushrooms alone in my room at my parents house one Friday night in January. I had a life-changing trip in so many ways, but there is one lesson in particular that I think is especially applicable here. I went into my bathroom at one point during the trip. It was super messy and honestly kind of disgusting, and I wasn't happy with the way it was. I had a really simple insight at that moment - "If you don't like something in your life, just do something to change it." Now at this point, I hadn't done anything for months - I could barely get the motivation to get out of bed in the morning. But at that moment, I grabbed a roll of paper towels and some cleaner and just started cleaning my shower. Over the rest of the night, I finished cleaning my bathroom. Then I cleaned and organized my room over the weekend. Then I started noticing other areas of my life that I was unhappy with, and I started doing things to change those. Now, about 2.5 months later I've joined a copywriting firm and have started doing some freelancing work. and have even built a website and launched my first iteration of a product for my first business. And it all started with grabbing some paper towels and cleaning my shower. So I would say that you should just do something. Don't worry if it's the exact right thing to do, but just pick something small that you're unhappy with, and take a little bit of action to improve your situation in that facet of your life right now!

This is the only thing that worked for me. I was super depressed for years, did all the meditation/CBT/journaling/counseling/everything else under the sun. And I learned a lot of things on an intellectual level. But I didn't truly internalize the stuff I was learning about and the paradigm shifts I was trying to make until I took mushrooms.

I 100% agree with this. It's one thing to recognize that you have social anxiety because you care too much about what other people think, and to see that it's not a successful mindset. It's a completely different thing to actually internalize new beliefs around social anxiety, and the only way to solve that is to get the reps in.

@now is forever I've always wanted to get into yoga but never really did it. Maybe I'll give it a shot, thanks for the recommendation!

I'm starting a business and have been working super long hours in pretty stressful situations, so I've been feeling a lot of anxiety and stress recently. I started doing the following routine for the past couple nights, and it's helped me decompress a TON: -Stop all work for the day no later than 7:30pm, preferably earlier, put the phone on do not disturb, and eat dinner. -Take a long, hot shower and just pay attention to how I'm feeling/what's worrying me/stressing me out. -Make a hot cup of chamomile tea, and process these stressors/anxieties by journaling. -Read a non-fiction book in bed. -Lights out with at least 8 hours of rest time before my alarm. What do you all do to decompress in the evenings? I'm always looking for new ideas that could potentially be more effective, so I would really appreciate any input! Thanks in advance

@Michael569 Thank you for the specific and detailed advice! I'll definitely start applying these action steps.

I struggled with this too. What's helped me has been working in a coffee shop several days a week and being intentional about being social/friendly there. Some other potential solutions I've thought of have been doing some volunteer work and renting a co-working space.

@JohnnyBravo I really like the idea that seriousness is a disease on the planet. For me, it's more about perspective than anything too. It's not about staying out all night partying, but about the attitude you bring with you in your day to day life. It's just about enjoying the journey!

I agree that you're overthinking it. All of these questions are something only you can answer for yourself. I know it's cliche but just listen to your feelings. If it feels right, say it.