REBUILD (WEEK 2)
DAY 9: SELF REFLECTION
On Day 9 in your workbook, identify your top three permission giving thoughts for your favorite source of synthetic dopamine.
DAY 9 MICRO-SCIENCE
Emotional Forecasting
Humans are really bad at guessing what is going to make them happy in the long run. This is due to our inability to be very good emotional forecasters. What this basically means is that when trying to predict what will make us happy we tend to grab for the closest dopamine branch, whether that’s high calorie food, smartphones, or alcohol. Our brains associate dopamine with survival so we believe that everything that gives us a quick dopamine surge will help us to survive. However, in today’s world, advertisers and companies exploit this fact and get us to jump for whatever they want us to buy. However, the stronger branch that will actually increase our happiness are experiences that result in a serotonin increase in our bodies: social time, exercise, personal touch. So in an nutshell, our brains are always programmed to go for the quick fix even if it negatively effects our long term well-being.
- FACT: Our brains run off of a “scarcity principle” meaning that our brains think all resources, including food will not always be accessible.
- TAKEAWAY: The human species is really bad at saying “no” and we have evolution to blame for it. Our engrained programs tell us to eat as much high calorie food as often as possible. Our ancestors learned and passed along the knowledge to us that resources might not be there tomorrow if we “delay gratification.”
DAY 9 MEDITATION
Mindful Eating
In today’s world faster seems like it is always better, so we apply that philosophy to everything that we do, eating included. If we can learn to slow down when enjoying a meal hopefully we can learn to slow down in all aspects of life. Mindful eating won’t only help your mind, it will also help your waistline.
- FACT:Your stomach takes 20-30 minutes after eating to feel full even if it has already reached its limit earlier
- TAKEAWAY: If you slow down your eating then you will slow down the number of calories you intake, by feeling full faster
DAY 9 MEDITATION
The task for one of your meals today is to truly enjoy every bite. Think about what your doing while your eating. Place your fork down between each bite of food and slowly eat each bite as if it was truly your last meal. Savor each bite and try to eat each bite in the slowest fashion possible (think sloth like slow) and ENJOY!
DAY 9 MOVEMENT
Fighting Ego Fatigue
It turns out that it is much easier to change your environment then your thoughts. Impulse control has a limited supply, this is one reason why it’s easier to stop yourself from temptation in the morning instead of the afternoon. The impulse control center in your brain is located in the upper regions of your brain and when your brain goes through its glucose levels its “feeds” the lower levels of your brain first, so impulse control goes out the window first and foremost.
- FACT: Ego Fatique – Your brain’s impulse control center runs off of glucose and only has so much “battery life” which eventually runs out.
- TAKEAWAY: If you’re around something you want to have long enough you will eventually reach out for it, regardless of your good intentions.
DAY 9 MOVEMENT
The task for today is to remove one item from your food cupboard that you would like to cut back on and put it someplace that its harder to find, or better yet throw it away. Out of sight usually means out of mind. Then the next time you go to the grocery store, just don’t buy it. Remember it’s easier to change your environment then your thoughts (or desires)!