Mindfulness
Meditation, presence, calm, slowing down. 54 links, newest first. Page 1 of 2.
Links 1 to 50
Unlock Deep Work: Free Background Focus Music
Tool · unlockdeepwork.com · Issue #245
Unlock Deep Work offers free focus music designed to be unobtrusive, with no lyrics and nothing catchy.
Summary
Unlock Deep Work offers free focus music designed to be unobtrusive, with no lyrics and nothing catchy. The music is meant to fade into the background, so noticing it means it is too loud.
A daily quiet gap beats overstimulation
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #244
Scrolling feels like rest, but emotions swing with every few swipes
Summary
The creator says feeling fried by evening comes from scrolling and constant noise, and a daily gap of quiet is the fix.
The speaker names three sources of overstimulation: scrolling, including quick phone checks in lines or at stoplights, constant audible input, and rushing through everything. Scrolling feels like rest, but the rapid shifts of emotion wear the brain out, and putting the phone down first brings irritability, sadness or anxiety. The fix for all three is a daily gap of quiet, which gets easier with practice.
Key points- Scrolling feels like rest, but emotions swing with every few swipes
- Putting the phone down can feel irritable, sad or anxious at first
- Constant audible input and rushing share the same fix: a gap of quiet
Cognitive shuffling to quiet worry loops
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #244
Pick a neutral word and take its first letter
Summary
The creator suggests cognitive shuffling for worry loops: naming unrelated things by letter until the mind slows and you doze off.
Cognitive shuffling breaks a worry loop when you cannot get up, such as in bed or on a plane. Pick an emotionally neutral word like 'boats', take its first letter, and picture unrelated things starting with that letter for a few seconds each. When you run out, move to the next letter. The randomness keeps the brain from circling back to worries.
Key points- Pick a neutral word and take its first letter
- Picture unrelated things starting with that letter, a few seconds each
- The randomness keeps interrupting the brain, and the creator dozed off while filming
Dispenza on rehearsing the worst case
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #233
Anxious people imagine worst-case futures and feel the fear before it happens
Summary
Dr. Joe Dispenza argues that living in survival means rehearsing the worst case, and anxiety can ease by catching that loop and sitting with yourself.
Joe Dispenza says people living in stress and survival tend to picture the worst case, which conditions the body to feel anxiety before anything has happened. He cites brain scans of people, including CEOs, engineers and mothers, who eased severe anxiety and depression by noticing when they rehearsed the worst case and bringing attention back to the present. He argues the fix is awareness and training the body.
Key points- Anxious people imagine worst-case futures and feel the fear before it happens
- Catching the loop and returning to the present takes effort and awareness
- He cites brain scans of CEOs, dentists and parents who healed anxiety by sitting with themselves
BrainDump: A Daily Reflection Prompt App
Tool · braindump.club · Issue #233
BrainDump is a daily reflective writing app that offers one prompt a day, with streak tracking, awards and AI coaching.
Summary
BrainDump is a daily reflective writing app that offers one prompt a day, with streak tracking, awards and AI coaching. It is built around a community of reflective writers.
The Real Reason the Years Feel Shorter Now
Read · brainhealthdecoded.com · 5 min · Issue #233
Dr.
Summary
Dr. Dominic Ng argues that time seems to speed up with age because of attention rather than age itself. He cites a PLOS ONE study showing that people over 40 recall most of their memories from roughly ages 10 to 30. Novelty, strong emotion and undistracted attention make experiences stick, while routine blurs days together. Suggestions include counting remaining opportunities, seeking awe and limiting split attention.
Reacting creates ripples that drain focus
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #231
Whatever you resist or cling to keeps moving and eventually comes toward you
Summary
The speaker says reacting to things, whether liking or disliking them, creates ripples that drain energy away from your goal.
Shaolin master Shi Heng Yi uses the image of ripples on water to describe focus. Things you grasp at slip away, and things you push away eventually come back. Each time you react by liking or disliking something along the way, you create ripples that pull energy away from your goal, so he advises not touching the water.
Key points- Whatever you resist or cling to keeps moving and eventually comes toward you
- Like touching water, each reaction sends a ripple through your surroundings
- Stay on the goal path, since extra likes and dislikes drain your energy
Be forgiving of yourself to stay present
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #228
Replace regret over embarrassing moments with forgiveness, to the point of humor
Summary
The speaker says being delusionally self-forgiving about past mistakes keeps you present and stops you dwelling on the past.
The speaker advises being so forgiving of yourself that it becomes almost delusional, so that past embarrassments and mistakes stop producing regret and shame. The speaker says this makes it easier to stay in the present rather than stuck in the past. The speaker adds that thinking about the future still works alongside this practice.
Key points- Replace regret over embarrassing moments with forgiveness, to the point of humor
- He pairs concern for the future with gratitude for the past
- Staying forgiving keeps attention in the present, he says
Silence is where healing happens
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #227
Some days they feel lonely, and other days they want to be alone and rest
Summary
The speaker says living alone is a work in progress, and silence, though not easy, is where healing happens.
A spoken reflection on living alone describes learning to deal with silence. Some days the speaker feels lonely, some days they want solitude, and some days they enjoy the quiet. The speaker realises their therapist meant the silence in the mind rather than in the room, and says silence is part of healing.
Key points- Some days they feel lonely, and other days they want to be alone and rest
- They make coffee for two and leave the door unlocked, hoping someone comes home
- Silence creeps in unasked, and without it they would not be healing
Journal what you noticed each day
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #225
Use it when thoughts loop in bed or feel heavier than the day really was
Summary
The speaker recommends a one-line nightly journal, 'Today I noticed,' to let the brain file away experience instead of looping.
The speaker recommends a one-sentence journal for nights when worries replay, using a line that begins "Today I noticed," such as a quiet morning or a friend's voice note. This kind of cognitive reappraisal, the speaker says, helps the brain file the day away instead of looping it. The point is paying attention to small moments, not fixing life.
Key points- Use it when thoughts loop in bed or feel heavier than the day really was
- Examples include a friend's laugh on a voice note or the first sip of tea
- Noticing won't fix your life, but reminds you it is already happening
Nervous system healing can feel messy
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #223
Anger and tears surfacing are buried emotions finally moving through
Summary
The speaker says nervous system healing feels messy, with more emotion, less hustle and body changes, and these are signs it is working.
A speaker who says they healed from 20 years of chronic anxiety lists signs of nervous system healing that feel like setbacks. The first is feeling more, as suppressed emotions like anger and irritability surface. The second is losing interest in hustle, since stress hormones and quick dopamine hits stop working. The third is craving solitude and becoming more selective about people and stimulation.
Key points- Anger and tears surfacing are buried emotions finally moving through
- Losing taste for hustle and stress-fuelled highs marks a shift to real energy
- Pausing before reacting lets the body unwire symptoms, the speaker says
Happiness comes from removing stressors
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #221
List the things causing stress and remove them, rather than listing what brings happiness
Summary
Happiness comes from removing what causes stress, because life is judged against what you want, not on its own.
In a clip from Simon Sinek's account, a speaker argues that happiness comes from removing what causes stress, not from adding things. Nothing outside us has inherent happiness value, since rain can make one person happy and another unhappy. Unhappiness comes from the gap between what life gives and what we want, so we can choose how to perceive events and set realistic expectations.
Key points- List the things causing stress and remove them, rather than listing what brings happiness
- Rain makes you happy or unhappy depending on whether you want rain
- Choose how you perceive each event and set your expectations realistically, the speaker says
Morning breathing with 30 breaths and holds
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #215
Start lying in bed on an empty stomach and do 30 breaths per round
Summary
The speaker describes a morning breathing method of 30 breaths on an empty stomach, followed by breath holds.
Wim Hof describes a morning breathing routine done on an empty stomach. Each round starts with 30 deep breaths, followed by holding the breath after exhaling, and the holds grow longer in later rounds, reaching about two minutes in round two. He presents the practice as activating the adrenal axis and boosting the immune and lymphatic systems.
Key points- Start lying in bed on an empty stomach and do 30 breaths per round
- The speaker says you may feel light-headed and tingly in the fingers
- He says the first breath hold lasts about a minute or more
How to regain your focus
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #211
A short TikTok on how to regain your focus.
Summary
A short TikTok on how to regain your focus.
Imagined perfect days can come true
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #208
Close your eyes for 10 to 30 minutes and imagine a perfect day with no limits
Summary
Imagining your perfect day with no limits can bring about some of the things you picture, the speaker says.
The speaker describes a perfect day exercise: sit or lie with eyes closed for 10 to 30 minutes and imagine an ideal day with no limitations. He says several things he imagined have come true, and he has repeated the exercise many times. He sends the written result to a friend, who sends a notification when such a day happens.
Key points- Close your eyes for 10 to 30 minutes and imagine a perfect day with no limits
- The speaker says several imagined elements later became reality
- He has people write their ideal day down, then report back when it happens
How to Stop Doing and Finally Rest
Read · self.com · 14 min · Issue #207
A short guide on why many people struggle to switch off, especially when they feel guilty for not being productive.
Summary
A short guide on why many people struggle to switch off, especially when they feel guilty for not being productive. It explains how to give yourself permission to do nothing without guilt.
Ten minutes of night thoughts calms racing minds
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #204
Stretching or deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic system
Summary
Spend about 10 minutes each night processing your thoughts outside bed in dim light to calm a racing mind.
A speaker who works with athletes recommends spending 10 minutes each night outside bed, in dim light, processing thoughts. Options include stretching or deep breathing to shift the nervous system toward rest, or journaling and writing a to-do list. The speaker says even five minutes a day is a useful start.
Key points- Stretching or deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic system
- Journaling or writing a to-do list works if stretching is not your thing
- Start with five minutes if 10 feels like too much
Breathing and meditation loosen reactive stories
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #203
A conscious breath lights up the frontal lobe, where choices are made
Summary
Conscious breathing and meditation help you move from reactive stories to deliberate choices, the speaker argues.
The speaker says breath links the conscious and subconscious mind, and that a deliberate pause lights up the frontal lobe, where conscious choices are made. The speaker cites a study in which non-meditators did 20 minutes of meditation a day for eight weeks, and brain scans showed a smaller amygdala and more gray matter in the frontal lobe.
Key points- A conscious breath lights up the frontal lobe, where choices are made
- The speaker cites a Harvard study: 20 minutes a day for eight weeks
- The study reportedly shrank the amygdala and grew gray matter
Forcing an outcome like sleep reduces it
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #203
The harder you consciously will something, the less you succeed
Summary
Trying too hard to force an outcome, like sleep, reduces your chances of getting it, per Huxley's law of reversed effort.
The speaker explains the law of reversed effort, an idea named by Aldous Huxley that echoes older ideas in Stoicism and Daoism. The more someone consciously forces a result, such as falling asleep, the less likely it is to happen. Using examples like picking at a mosquito bite, the speaker suggests that relationships, jobs and new homes sometimes need letting go rather than harder effort.
Key points- The harder you consciously will something, the less you succeed
- Sleep comes to those who focus on anything but sleep itself
- Proficiency comes from the paradoxical art of doing and not doing
Day One: Journaling App
Tool · dayoneapp.com · Issue #197
Day One is a journaling app for recording thoughts, moods, and memories, with photos, videos, drawings, or audio in each entry.
Summary
Day One is a journaling app for recording thoughts, moods, and memories, with photos, videos, drawings, or audio in each entry. An On This Day view resurfaces past entries, and the app offers passcode and biometric locks, end-to-end encryption, automatic backups, and data export. It is free to download, with an optional paid Gold plan. Day One is part of the Automattic family.
Angry feelings are often empty boats
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #195
In the parable, anger vanishes once the rower sees the boat is empty
Summary
Most things that anger you are like empty boats, drifting with their own problems rather than aiming at you.
The speaker retells the parable of the empty boat. A man rowing through fog is struck by another boat and becomes furious, but when the fog clears he finds the boat empty and drifted loose, so his anger fades. He argues that most things that crash into us, such as a careless driver or a missed deadline, are like empty boats.
Key points- In the parable, anger vanishes once the rower sees the boat is empty
- Traffic cut-offs, missed deadlines and forgotten calls are rarely personal
- Before getting angry, ask whether you are angry at an empty boat
Mindfulness changes your relationship to now
Short · youtu.be · Issue #194
Calm may be a side effect, not the goal, the speaker says
Summary
Mindfulness is not about calming the mind; it changes your relationship to whatever is happening right now.
The speaker argues that a common myth holds meditation is about calming the mind. Calm may be a side effect, but the real practice is changing your relationship to what is happening, such as frustration about being late or trouble sleeping. Watching your own reactions teaches you about yourself, which builds wisdom and makes you less affected by events over time.
Key points- Calm may be a side effect, not the goal, the speaker says
- Most of us try to control things we cannot control, such as being late or sleeping badly
- Watching your reaction teaches you about yourself and makes you less affected by events
Letting go of offence frees energy
Short · instagram.com · Issue #191
Choosing not to be offended by gossip keeps your energy on eternal things
Summary
Dying to offence and gossip frees your energy for what is eternal, the speaker argues.
The speaker argues that true enjoyment comes through dying to self, meaning letting go of selfishness, taking offense and the weaknesses that limit you. Refusing to take offense at gossip frees energy for what is eternal. He says finding life in negativity means you have not died to self enough, and cites Paul's words "I die daily" from 1 Corinthians 15.
Key points- Choosing not to be offended by gossip keeps your energy on eternal things
- The speaker says finding life in negativity means you haven't died well enough
- He quotes Paul, 'I die daily,' citing 1 Corinthians 15:31: the more life, the more dying
It is all internal
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #188
A short TikTok making the point that it is all internal.
Summary
A short TikTok making the point that it is all internal.
Most people stall at stage three of maturity
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #187
Stage one is newborn awareness, before words and a sense of self
Summary
Most people never get past stage three of human maturity, living on programmed conditioning without noticing.
The speaker describes eight stages of human maturity, from unconditioned awareness at birth, through childhood conditioning and routine adult life, to a turning point, a search for who one is, the discovery of innate awareness, and living in alignment with life. Most people, he says, stay in the third stage, where choices are shaped by early programming.
Key points- Stage one is newborn awareness, before words and a sense of self
- Stage two is programming, with useful and dysfunctional conditioning mixed
- Stage three is a robotic existence where childhood programming shapes choices
A reminder to be grateful
Short · instagram.com · Issue #186
A short Instagram post serving as a reminder to be grateful.
Summary
A short Instagram post serving as a reminder to be grateful.
WindowSwap: Views From Around the World
Tool · window-swap.com · Issue #186
WindowSwap is a site where people share live camera views from their windows, and visitors can open a window somewhere in the world.
Summary
WindowSwap is a site where people share live camera views from their windows, and visitors can open a window somewhere in the world. Users can contribute their own view to the community. The site describes itself as the calmest place on the internet.
Meditate and prioritise in your thirties
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #171
Choosing a life partner is among the most important decisions, the speaker says
Summary
The 30s bring work, partner, kids and parents at once, so meditate for calm and prioritize, since you cannot have everything.
The speaker calls the 30s the stage when work, family, and a life partner become serious. Choosing a partner and deciding on children are among the most important decisions, alongside caring for kids, work, and aging parents. The speaker recommends meditation for calm, accepting that you cannot have everything and setting priorities, and seeking advice from people who have faced the same trade-offs.
Key points- Choosing a life partner is among the most important decisions, the speaker says
- Meditation brings equanimity to calm stress during demanding years
- Seek advice from people who have faced the same trade-offs before
Early morning is quiet, with just enough light
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #168
The speaker says they are not commuters, marathon runners or insomniacs, yet the hour suits them
Summary
5:00am is the best hour for the speaker, because the world goes quiet and gives just enough light to find things.
The speaker says 5 a.m. is an unforgiving hour for people with hard circumstances, such as commuters, marathon runners, and parents of newborns. The speaker does not see themselves in those groups, since their deadlines are self-imposed. They prefer the hour because the world falls quiet and there is just enough light to find what you're looking for.
Key points- The speaker says they are not commuters, marathon runners or insomniacs, yet the hour suits them
- Their deadlines are self-imposed, and they are not into life optimization
- Other hours have their own light, sound and scent, but this one is quieter
How to stay calm
Short · instagram.com · Issue #166
A short Instagram reel on how to stay calm.
Summary
A short Instagram reel on how to stay calm.
StressBuddy: Calming Stress Relief App
Tool · stressbuddyapp.com · Issue #166
StressBuddy is a free app for Android, iOS and Kindle with light, calming activities such as breathing exercises and playing with colors.
Summary
StressBuddy is a free app for Android, iOS and Kindle with light, calming activities such as breathing exercises and playing with colors. It is presented as suited to anxiety and as a break from social media scrolling, and it works offline with no ads or in-app purchases. The site also recommends the Reflective app for people who use an app alongside their therapist.
A Moving Story About Stephanie Peirolo
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #163
A short video telling the moving story of Stephanie Peirolo.
Summary
A short video telling the moving story of Stephanie Peirolo. It is meant to make viewers stop and reflect on life, and it suggests that growth is not always about hard skills, new knowledge or interesting tricks.
Visualise goals as true, then feel gratitude
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #157
Picture the goals in detail, seeing, feeling, tasting and hearing them as real
Summary
Spending five minutes vividly visualising your goals as already true, then feeling gratitude, shifts the brain from fear to trust.
The speaker suggests being clear about what you want, then spending five minutes visualizing those things as already true. They advise seeing, feeling, and even tasting and hearing the scene, then giving gratitude for it. In their view, this moves the brain from a fear state to a trust state, which is the gateway to making changes.
Key points- Picture the goals in detail, seeing, feeling, tasting and hearing them as real
- Stay with it for five minutes or longer, then be grateful for all of it
- The speaker calls this the gateway to making the changes you want
Five daily habits help when you lack motivation
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #155
Meditation shuts off overstimulation and is the first step to regaining control of your mind
Summary
Five daily habits, meditation, affirmations, gratitude, exercise and reading, help you do what you don't feel like doing.
The speaker presents five habits that help people act on things they don't feel like doing: meditation, affirmations, gratitude, exercise, and reading. Meditation helps quiet an overstimulated mind, affirmations shift self-talk, gratitude focuses attention on what one has, and exercise lifts mood. Books are presented as better sources of information than social media.
Key points- Meditation shuts off overstimulation and is the first step to regaining control of your mind
- Affirmations should use words for yourself, not against yourself
- Gratitude focuses on what you have instead of what you lack
Breathe in four, hold seven, out eight
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #151
Breathe quietly in through the nose to a count of four, then hold for seven
Summary
Breathe in for four, hold for seven and exhale for eight, repeated four cycles, to access a strong relaxation response.
The speaker describes 4-7-8 breathing: inhale quietly through the nose for a count of four, hold for seven, then exhale forcefully through the mouth for eight. Repeat four cycles, up to eight, at least twice a day. The speaker says regular practice for four to six weeks produces the strongest effects, which include a rapid shift into a relaxed state and reduced anxiety.
Key points- Breathe quietly in through the nose to a count of four, then hold for seven
- Blow out through the mouth to a count of eight, twice a day, four cycles
- The speaker says the real effects come after four to six weeks of practice
Body cues can create and reverse anxiety
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #148
Darting eyes, a tense body and shallow breathing trigger anxiety, the speaker says
Summary
Anxiety can be created and reversed through body cues, so slow your breathing, fix your eyes, and relax your body.
The speaker describes three body signals that create anxiety: erratic head and eye movement, a tense body and shallow breathing. Doing the opposite reverses the feeling, by breathing slowly, fixing the eyes on one point and relaxing the body. The speaker says anxiety responds to these cues automatically in both directions.
Key points- Darting eyes, a tense body and shallow breathing trigger anxiety, the speaker says
- Reverse them by slowing breath, fixing your eyes on one thing, and relaxing
- The speaker says he wishes he had learned this much earlier in life
Treat an overactive mind like a dramatic child
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #146
The speaker says thoughts drive feelings, so constant thinking brings unease
Summary
Treat your overactive thinking mind like a dramatic child, and quieten it gently with attention and kindness.
The speaker suggests picturing the thinking mind as a dramatic child and quieting it by bringing attention to the thoughts and saying shh with kindness. Because thoughts drive feelings and worry often threatens without doing anything, the speaker says the mind usually slows down once it is calmed this way.
Key points- The speaker says thoughts drive feelings, so constant thinking brings unease
- Say shh to the voice in your head, as you would calm a child
- Worry does not accomplish anything, so calm attention can slow the mind
Insomnia is revenge for avoided thoughts
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #134
Thoughts you avoid during the day return at 3 am
Summary
The speaker says insomnia is revenge for thoughts you avoid by day, so have a deeper talk with yourself before sleep.
The speaker describes insomnia as thoughts avoided during the day returning at 3 a.m. because they want to be heard. The suggested fix is a more in-depth conversation with yourself before sleep, which the speaker says allows a deeper rest.
Key points- Thoughts you avoid during the day return at 3 am
- Says a more in-depth conversation with yourself before bed allows deep rest
Ambiphone: Ambient Sounds for Work and Relaxation
Tool · ambiph.one · Issue #129
Ambiphone is a sound app offering ambient music and environmental sounds for work, study and relaxation.
Summary
Ambiphone is a sound app offering ambient music and environmental sounds for work, study and relaxation. Users can combine the sounds with one another. It is described as useful when you want to escape from reality for a while.
How to End a Workout to Improve Recovery
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #124
A Huberman Lab clip from the guest series, episode 5, published October 2023, in which Dr.
Summary
A Huberman Lab clip from the guest series, episode 5, published October 2023, in which Dr. Andy Galpin and Dr. Andrew Huberman discuss how to end a workout to improve recovery. Techniques include slow-paced music and down-regulation breathing, with box breathing presented as a way to manage stress and aid recovery.
Slow five-second breaths improve sleep
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #120
Biofeedback apps show the breathing rhythm so you can match it
Summary
Breathing at about four to seven breaths per minute, roughly five seconds in and five out, improves sleep, the speaker says.
The speaker calls resonance frequency breathing the top way to improve sleep: breathe at four to seven breaths per minute, about five seconds in and five seconds out, optionally with a biofeedback app. The speaker says this improves heart rate variability, deep sleep and how quickly you fall asleep, by shifting the nervous system from fight-or-flight toward rest.
Key points- Biofeedback apps show the breathing rhythm so you can match it
- Claims it improves heart rate variability, deep sleep and REM sleep latency
- Says you should fall asleep within 10 minutes of your head hitting the pillow
The Quiet Place
Tool · thequietplaceproject.xyz · Issue #88
The Quiet Place is a short interactive relaxation experience by Amitay Tweeto that asks users to silence their phones and step away from constant notifications.
Summary
The Quiet Place is a short interactive relaxation experience by Amitay Tweeto that asks users to silence their phones and step away from constant notifications. It includes a 30-second relaxation prompt, a linked 90-second exercise, a clean version for kids and background music from the series Lost. It links to app store listings.
Brain Breaks: Why Stepping Back Helps Learning
Watch · youtube.com · 12 min · Issue #79
Jim Kwik argues in this 12-minute video that brain breaks matter as much as learning itself, because stepping back to reflect helps connect ideas and consolidate them.
Summary
Jim Kwik argues in this 12-minute video that brain breaks matter as much as learning itself, because stepping back to reflect helps connect ideas and consolidate them. The lesson includes three tips for brain breaks, juggling and movement for brain health, a 'super brain yoga' exercise, and an assignment.
Fill afternoons, empty evenings, create mornings
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #77
Afternoons: books, learning and socialising fill your mind
Summary
Structure your day so afternoons fill your mind, evenings empty it, and mornings use it for creative output.
The speaker proposes a daily formula. In the afternoon, fill the mind with books, learning and socializing. In the evening, empty it with journaling, planning and meditation. In the morning, use it for creation, output and focus. The speaker says this balance of clarity, productivity and creativity makes for a fulfilling day.
Key points- Afternoons: books, learning and socialising fill your mind
- Evenings: journaling, planning and meditation empty it out
- Mornings: creation, output and focus put the mind to use
A neck routine that ends in a yawn
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #74
Clasp hands behind your head and move only your eyes to one side until you yawn
Summary
Turning your head and eyes until a yawn or sigh, the speaker says, resets the nervous system and eases neck and head pain.
The speaker demonstrates a neck routine said to reset the vagus nerve and ease headaches, migraines and neck, shoulder or back pain. Turn the head as far as possible each way, clasp the hands behind the head, keep the face forward, and move the eyes to one side until an involuntary yawn or sigh. The head then turns farther, and the speaker says the routine has cleared their own headaches.
Key points- Clasp hands behind your head and move only your eyes to one side until you yawn
- Repeat the other side, then turn the head again, which now turns farther
- Claims this relieves headaches, migraines, and neck, shoulder and back pain
Enjoy each wave like a surfer
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #68
A surfer knows the wave will crash, so they enjoy the ride while it lasts
Summary
Enjoy each wave like a surfer, since challenges and highs are two parts of the same experience and more waves always come.
The speaker says happiness comes from what they call the surfer's mentality. A surfer enjoys riding a wave without assuming it will last, knowing another is always coming, and prepares for the waves that crash over them. The speaker argues that the challenging moments and the highs are two parts of the same experience of being alive.
Key points- A surfer knows the wave will crash, so they enjoy the ride while it lasts
- There are always more waves coming, so prepare for the ones that crash over you
- Enjoy the challenging moments as much as the highs, the speaker says
Your purpose is what you do now
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #65
You are life itself, not something that starts at birth and ends at death
Summary
Your life's purpose is whatever you are doing right now, because life only happens in the present.
The speaker argues that people search for a life purpose because they see life as a span between birth and death. Life is only happening here and now, so the purpose is whatever you are doing in the present, such as walking your dog or working on a project. Looking for a purpose outside the present means missing your life.
Key points- You are life itself, not something that starts at birth and ends at death
- Walking the dog or working on a project is your life's purpose in that moment
- Looking for purpose outside the present means missing your entire life
Stop labeling feelings and predicting outcomes
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #58
Resisting a feeling makes it persist, so fully accepting it lets it pass
Summary
Two practices reduce anxiety: stop labeling feelings as bad, and stop assuming you know the best and worst outcomes.
The speaker says two practices have eased anxiety, fear and worry more than anything else. The first is to stop labeling feelings and situations as bad, since resisting a feeling tends to prolong it, while full acceptance lets it pass. The second is to accept that no one can predict the best or worst outcome, so a feared result may open a better path.
Key points- Resisting a feeling makes it persist, so fully accepting it lets it pass
- Anxiety comes from assuming you know the best and worst case outcome of a situation
- A failed interview may set you on a better path, since the future cannot be predicted
Decide your path, do not react to provocation
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #57
A yogi heard abuse on the street, then said he had a show and would return later
Summary
Don't react to provocation, because reacting hands control to others, while a person who decides his own path goes where he wants.
The speaker tells the story of a yogi who was verbally abused on a street and calmly replied that he had a show to attend and would return later. The point is that reacting hands control to other people, while a response is a deliberate choice of where to go. The speaker argues that people who react to every pressure rarely achieve what they want.
Key points- A yogi heard abuse on the street, then said he had a show and would return later
- If you react, others will steer you their way, and you will not achieve what you wish
- The speaker says the master of his destiny keeps his own direction regardless of others
If Your Attention Span Has Been Hijacked, Here's How to Take It Back
Watch · youtube.com · 5 min · Issue #56
A 2022 Big Think video by Dr.
Summary
A 2022 Big Think video by Dr. Amishi Jha, a psychology professor at the University of Miami. The description argues that attention shapes thinking, feeling and connection, and that because the environment holds more information than anyone can process, people should be deliberate about where they direct it. Some qualities of human experience can disable attention, according to the video.
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- Start journaling7
- Build a workout routine7
- Find your purpose8
- Fix posture and neck pain7
- Focus and stop procrastinating10