I have noticed a difference in myself over the past two months or so: I am not waking up with anxiety, my nervous system feels more regulated, and I genuinely look forward to the work I have to do. I need to document this dramatic shift for myself and others to learn from. So, after reflecting, here are the top changes that transformed my life.

Productive social media use

Yes, we all know excessive social media is bad for us. It overworks our reward system, making natural dopamine much harder to produce, it depletes our attention spans, and it overwhelms us with information. It is so addicting. So while it might be best to give up social media completely, it is hard to go cold turkey. Instead, I deleted the two biggest apps that sucked up my time (Tik Tok and Instagram) and transitioned over to different social media (Pinterest and Reddit). On Pinterest and Reddit, I feel more in control of what I consume. I have focused my Pinterest to be pictures of fashion and my Reddit to be reality TV news. Now, I am not doom scrolling and absorbing all the catastrophic news that Tik Tok and Instagram seem to put out.

Water before food; food before coffee

The first thing my body needs in the morning is water to kickstart my digestive system and rehydrate from all night. Then, when I might want to reach for a coffee to wake me up, I resist. Why? Cortisol is the stress hormone, which naturally spikes in the morning to wake us up. Caffeine also spikes cortisol levels. So, if I would drink a cup of coffee on an empty stomach, a double dose of cortisol sets me up for a high-cortisol kind of day. Instead, I opt for some food before the coffee.

More movement

I find that when I exercise more, I sleep better. On the flip side, when I am feeling sleepy during the day, some light movement usually wakes me up. Exercise also decreases stress. For all these reasons, I try to incorporate more movement into my week as much as possible. For example, I am lucky enough that I can bike to school. Even though it is sometimes cold, it is challenging (how are there hills by the beach?), and it is a hassle to bring all my stuff in a bike basket, I know that biking will help me more in the long run than paying for a parking spot.

Happy thoughts

This has taken me years to master, but dedicated, consistent effort despite ups and downs has gotten me into a happy mental space. I achieved this by changing my philosophy and incorporating positive mantras into my internal dialogue. I already know that I can be my own worst hater from negative thoughts. No one knows that I am internally beating myself up. They only see a girl who is self conscious, stressed, and depressed. So what if, for experimental purposes, I try the opposite tactic? Instead of this unprecedented waterfall of hatred, what if I tried radical self-love? By being my own #1 fan, no one hears my internal kindness. But they see a girl who is confident, sweet, and loving. My energy is much better used toward being an uplifter than a bully. The golden rule of self-love: treat yourself the way you want others to treat you.

Consume less, create more

Since deleting the mind-numbing, time-sucking social medias, I found myself bored for the first time since I forgot to download a movie for a flight. Boredom let my thoughts roam, until I was thinking about the book I had begun writing but never finished, the shells I collected to make into jewelry but never touched, and the closet I add to but never clean. By reconnecting with my creative side, I feel like life is coming from me, not at me.

Habits

Though habits take some time to develop, they are the best “psychology hack.” Habits save us mental time and energy, which means we can divert that time and energy to other things. And who doesn’t love saving time and energy? After days of purposefully sticking to a routine, I now instinctively go for a glass of water when I get up in the morning. It is that simple: commit yourself to a small change in routine and watch as your brain plays along.

I have so much more information on these topics! Comment below what you want to hear more about!

xoxo,

kc