End of the Year Resolutions

As the end of the year gets closer, many of us are have started thinking about the new year’s resolutions (I will definitely upload a post about them). Some goals like changing careers, eating healthier and learning how to code will be the result of effort and struggle. However, in a period of 2 months, there are a bunch of positive practices we can apply to some areas in our life. Some skills are easy to learn and hard to master, but there are some particular stains we want removed from our minds in order to start 2020 as clean as possible.

 

I didn’t make any 2019 resolutions. And today, I can’t say if that was a good or a bad idea, but I have decided to start preparing one for 2020. There are a bunch of skills and areas in my life that I want to improve and master for next year. Right now I have to carry a backpack full of stuff I don’t feel proud of and want to change that as soon as possible. 

 

 

Those are the kind of issues I want to fix as soon as possible and waiting more than 2 months to start applying changes is not something I had in mind.

I thought it was time to make some “End of the Year Resolutions“. You know, the type of resolutions you do in order to end the year feeling better with yourself. That way, when 2020 kicks in, you know you are already on the right path. From learning how to play chess, to limiting the amount of time you spend on Facebook, you can start implementing techniques and improve whatever you feel has been letting you down.

If you are going to make a list, sit down, get a cup of your favourite beverage and relax while you evaluate those areas of your life you don’t feel absolutely happy about. Maybe it is the quality of your sleep, or perhaps is the fact that your caffeine intake has risen to unhealthy levels. There can be very small, little things that annoy you. It’s probably going to be easier to change small patterns in a couple of months than achieving huge goals in a year.

The best way to finish this list is to do some research on how to change those bad habits. For example, if you want to reduce your alcohol intake, write down how you plan on doing it. Maybe you want to quit that glass of wine you enjoy whilst cooking dinner, or you will only drink one cocktail when meeting up with friends. 

 

 

If one of your resolutions is to improve your sleeping quality (like myself!), you will have to investigate which are the best practices to apply to your life. Not using phones and screens before going to sleep or having a hot shower before going to sleep could be an important part of the process.

Do you guys have many areas you want to improve? Any progress makes a difference and hey! It’s nice to have something to better yourself before 2019 closes its doors.

And do challenges! 10 days without coffee… 30 days abs workout… 7 days without eating meat… any challenge you try out and complete could help you to live a better life.

 

SHARING IS CARING, SO HERE I GO WITH MINES!

A challenge: 30 days Yoga with Adrienne

Check my previous post about my experience with yoga and meditation!

As we talked about in the comments’ section, the key for beginners is to find the perfect training. As I mentioned before, some of the exercises we find in normal, generic yoga are a bit too much for those of us who don’t have our muscles ready. 

Instead of jumping to the next training, try to find one that suits your level. 

Even though I still haven’t finished the 30 days, I can tell so far that this particular training is perfect for beginners. 

 

Technology detox

My “By Default” state is me looking at a screen. I have realized I spend too much time in front of the computer because I work with screens the whole time. But the thing is, even when I don’t need to do anything, I will still check my phone and scroll through. I check my phone when I am not at home and my computer when I am back.

I enjoy reading for a few minutes as soon as I wake up. The problem is, I read with an e-reader, which makes me stay glued to the screen from the moment I wake up. 

It has gotten to a point where, when I am waiting for anything, from waiting in line for a coffee to the standing by until light goes green to cross the road, my hand goes unconsciously to my pocket to reach my phone and check whatever unimportant information. 

I have decided to stop looking at my phone when I know I shouldn’t need it. For example, when going to the gym or to buy groceries. Maybe, just maybe I will allow myself to check my phone if I have done the shopping list through an App.

I will challenge myself to stay for at least a couple of days completely “Tech-Free”. I don’t want to challenge myself for a whole week because my job implies using a computer and Internet. Also, considering that some of my hobbies include electronic devices, I might struggle to complete the challenge.

 

Learn to shut down my brain

Some people consider mindfulness the best practise to regain power over your thoughts and improve your attention spam (which helps with productivity).

It’s fairly difficult for me to completely stop my mind from wandering around and, sometimes, that affects negatively my ability to stay focused on a single task for a long period of time.

Let me know if you practice meditation or mindfulness and what’s your favourite method to start. Any tips would be much appreciated.

 

Balance my dopamine levels

A few days ago I saw an extremely interesting video about dopamine and technology addiction. I’m sure that, by now, you have probably heard about dopamine a few times. You probably read some articles about “why we love chocolate” and how it “releases dopamine”. You’ve heard about the pleasurable effect it has in our body and you probably have found it linked to some addictions and impulsive behaviours.

Yes and yes. Dopamine is related to all of that. Because It’s a neurotransmitter, Dopamine plays an essential role in the brain and our body. Sadly, chocolate, drugs and alcohol aren’t the only substances that release dopamine. Eating, checking Facebook, scrolling through Reddit and playing video games can also release loads of dopamine. 

 

 

The problem is, due to be related to our brain and body, our dopamine stability has huge effects on the way we feel and our mental strength. For example, a study with rats showed that effort-based decisions are directly linked to dopamine releases.  As an example, you may feel like you want to get up and drink some water, but you need a physical effort to get up and go to the kitchen…Well It’s not like we are going to die of dehydration for waiting for a few minutes, right?

The irregularity in dopamine levels affect your choices and behaviours and sadly, there are so many bad choices out there that, if they go out of hand, can make us suffer the bad, collateral effects.

When your by-default mode is scrolling through Reddit or drinking/chewing something sweet, your brain will start feeling more numb from the moment you stop giving him the substance that provokes the rush. You may feel like you can’t focus properly if you aren’t chewing gum, or you try to convince yourself that 30 more minutes killing zombies in your computer will give you the strength to focus better on your upcoming test. 

There are hundreds of experiments made both with people and rats that show the side effects of this induced dopamine release. Most of them, as the one I mentioned before, were completed using drugs. However, recent studies show how, despite releasing dopamine on a softer level, it can end up screwing with your brain stimulation.

Because of all those reasons, I am going to apply some changes in my life and try to make those induced dopamine rushes less aggressive. I will do the following:

1. Only 1 cup of coffee a day.
2. No scrolling through Reddit or any other platform whilst on the train. I will allow myself to read some articles from Medium though.
3. No Youtube until 7 pm and no more than 1 episode of whatever show I am watching.
4. No randomly checking the phone to check if I have new messages while I am reading, studying, writing or doing something more important that requires my attention.
5. Reduce the amount of sugar I have by not putting some on my coffee, oats, teas and juices.

 

I would love to know your opinion on this. Which are going to be your End of the Year Resolutions?