Biohacking and self-development

2021-12-18 00:50:16 Hacking Emotions

Emotions should not be "logically dealt with" when they are just a product of your stress, lack of sleep, illness, i.e. a reflection of a "weak" state with low cognitive control and inadequate perception of reality.

If we react seriously to "weak" thoughts, we perceive our weakness after an acute cold as weakness, a hostile perception of another person cause of lack of sleep as his real evaluation, a fear of starting a project because of low testosterone as his innate inability to compete. The brain becomes colored by negative perceptions and there is a desire to react impulsively to negative emotions.

What to do?

You don't have to believe all your thoughts at such moments!
The skill is needed to distinguish between "weak" thoughts caused by stress and reactions to emotion from my "strong" real thoughts that reflect reality and my personal attitudes. Awareness, journaling allows you to notice how much your thoughts differ depending on your energy level. Open / Comment

2021-12-16 23:49:51 Neurohacking: Using Scents

Smells can activate the brain activity associated with love, play a role in identification and transmission of emotions. Moreover, some of them improve concentration, information assimilation, efficiency and memory!

How to use the power of scent for better efficiency

Accustom yourself to the same scent you will use at the beginning of the work or study process. These associations will trigger, sending a command to your brain: "Attention! You need to concentrate! Work is about to begin!"

This also works as the olfactory centers in the brain are the most superficial, which allows scents to excite brain cells immediately.

Cedar, peppermint, sandalwood, basil and pine are the best oils you can use to improve productivity. Open / Comment

2021-12-15 20:00:50 Why Do You Feel Like Quitting Halfway Through?

Each of us has encountered a kind of resistance when learning something new.

The Bandura curve reflects the real course of the learning process, not the one we originally expect to see, and explains why we want to quit halfway through.
This phenomenon applies in absolutely any field where development and learning are possible.

When just starting to learn something, you feel motivated and energized.

After a few weeks, problems emerge. One realizes the magnitude of the task started and if it doesn't work out — willing to give up.

If the person did not surrender at the second stage, it will be even more difficult at the third stage. This is the time when one comes to realize how long it really takes to become a TOP in any business. The drop in self-esteem, depression, and desire to quit everything intensifies. Open / Comment

2021-12-13 22:51:03 Read REMEMBER

Font that improves text memorization.

The new Sans Forgetica font is a collaboration between neuroscientists and typographic design experts. The letters of the font contain gaps that keep your attention, allowing your brain to perceive the sign a bit longer.

Just another confirmation of the importance of visual perception for memorization. Creating attention-delaying obstacles can also be used in the production of infographics. Open / Comment

2021-12-12 23:07:14 The One Minute Kaizen Rule

If the prospect of spending a whole hour on sports makes you sad and depressed at the mere memory, then 60 seconds of squatting is quite doable, don't you think?

This is the essence of the Japanese kaizen method. The author of this concept of combating procrastination psychologist — Masaaki Imai.

The practice of this principle is perfectly simple (and ideal for lazybones). You just need to do a certain thing for just one minute.

When time is limited to one minute, exercise does not seem like a burdensome duty, but, on the contrary, brings joy and satisfaction.

And, as you know, when take small steps, you improve and achieve great results. Open / Comment

2021-12-11 20:53:41 How to Memorize the Names of New Acquaintances?

It happens that you met a person, and 5 minutes later his name is gone from your head. Ever had that experience?

Then take the techniques of mnemonic technique

1. Association with a famous person. As a rule, remembering a celebrity with the same name as a new acquaintance is not hard. To solidify the result, you can find commonalities between the two and make a more logical connection.

2. Matching modifications. To remember a person's name, you can think of many variations of his name and mentally call the new acquaintance each of them. After that, it will be difficult to forget how to address him. Open / Comment

2021-12-10 21:37:15 What is the Humorous Picture Concerning?

In our brains, a special substance, the neurotransmitter known as dopamine, is responsible for motivating us to act.

Dopamine is the main reason why you put off your work in the evening until the morning and run off to a TV series/computer game. It's also the major cause of why you climb up the career ladder, achieve your goals and make money:)

Basically, it's a natural drug in our brain, we can get it while reaching an important goal, you anticipate the pleasure of food, sex or something else. Being aware of its mechanisms, you can skillfully manage your willpower and motivation. Open / Comment

2021-12-09 22:41:36 You Can Feel an Unprofitable Offer With Your Gut

In one study, participants were divided into pairs. One of them had to offer a deal and the other had to accept or reject it. Both received money only if they could reach an agreement.

Logically, it would have been advantageous for the second subject to accept either option in order to get something. However, the people in this group rejected half of the offers that involved small amounts of money.

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for complex decisions. It was the one that worked when participants heard how much they could get. But if the offer was unfair, the activity affected the insular lobe, which is responsible for emotion

Importantly, it has the same cells as the stomach.

And this digestive organ often responds when strong emotions are involved. So you can feel the injustice of the deal with both your brain and stomach at the same time. Open / Comment

2021-12-08 22:10:05 Why are we born with a small brain?

All human babies are born underdeveloped, literally premature compared to cubs of any other species. No animal has a childhood as long as humans, and no offspring is born with such a small brain relative to adult brain mass: a human newborn has only 30% of it.

All researchers agree that we are forced to give birth to immature human beings due to the impressive size of their brains. The classic explanation is the midwifery dilemma, that is, a history of conflict between uprightness and a large head.

Anthropologist Holly Dunsworth calculates that to give birth to more mature babies, it would have been enough to increase the width of the birth canal by only three centimeters, although evolution at some point stopped the expansion of the hips anyway. We probably have to be born prematurely for our brains to develop in interaction with the external environment, because there is rather little stimulus in the uterus in general. Open / Comment

2021-12-07 23:18:26 Thinking Game: The Absurd

This game easily and effectively stimulates brain to work, moreover this is a good way to have a plenty of fun.

How to play:Imagine some absurd situation that is complicated to make it real, and develop its plot. Become a screenwriter for a moment! Usually, time intervals are intertwined, objects from one century pass to another, people from the one timeline meet with their ancestors or future generations (for example, granny with a smartphone has transported to the 19th century on a date with Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov). Think about the details of the situation, you can think over the dialogue, act it out with friends or family. Fantasize!

Modifications: you can set certain parameters, for example, time, scope of interaction, etc.

Workout of:
- creativity,
- the ability to fancy the situation,
- imagination. Open / Comment