Our lives are a collection of chaotic events all colliding together in a 24 hour period. Nevermind that we spend 8 hours of it sleeping (most of us probably only sleep 4-6 hours anyways). This really means that during the 16-20 waking hours, we do our best to navigate our days with whatever fuel we have in our tank. We’re expected to refuel and recharge everyday (at least our employers do) during our hours of rest, but let’s face it, sometimes the chaos never stops. Even when we should rest, we can’t because our minds are too busy thinking, planning, worrying, etc.
The amazing thing about microdosing is that even during all the chaos, there are very beautiful and serene moments of peace and calm. It’s like taking a moment to pull yourself out of the hustle and bustle, and just be in the present moment. When we stop thinking about the project that’s overdue, the deadline that’s looming, the tasks we keep putting off, what we’re left with is this time in space where we simply exist. When our minds start to wander to the past and future ahead, that moment of clarity disappears and we return to our hamster wheel.
I think it’s time to get off this hamster wheel, or at least control how often we get on it. Here are some ways that microdosing will help you achieve this.
Being Present
This term “being present” gets thrown around a lot today. But it’s for a damn good reason, how often do you find yourself distracted by the thought of something and miss an important detail, question, or moment? I can say from my experience, I do this very often. My phone and my work are the biggest influences that lead to my distraction. I’m either scrolling on social media or busy in my own world planning ways to grow this business.
Do you know how many times, I’ve missed the opportunity to make a beautiful memory with my friends and family because I just wasn’t there? It’s so many that my partner had to record these moments for me and shows them to me before we go to bed at night. Sure, I got to see what happened, but I will never get to experience that moment. Ever.
How does this relate you? Well, do you have all sorts of obligations and things going on in your own life? Are you constantly worry or thinking about something, either the past, the future, or what’s going on in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s trial instead? Are you at peace at the end of all that? Be honest, it’s probably a no. You can only find peace in the moment, and it’s in the moment that you let go of what was, is, and will become will you find true peace. That’s what microdosing does for you, it shows you that despite it all, the only thing that matters is this moment right now.
Be Aware Of Your Thoughts
6,200 thoughts per day. That is how many thoughts an average person has during their waking hours and many of them are repetitive, according to this study in 2020. What I’ve found through my journey with depression is that many of my repetitive thoughts were negative, often involving self loathing, fear of embarrassment, anger and resentment, and a lot of shame. Suicidal thoughts were also common. I know for a fact that I’m not alone.
While our brains are immensely complex organs capable of extraordinary things, most of us can’t seem to break the vicious cycle of negative thought loops. We ride an endless merry-go-round of emotions, past traumas, and future worries and fears.
What causes this vicious cycle is known as your Default Mode Network (DMN). Imagine muscle memory for your brain. Constant repetition of thoughts, reactions, and responses that lead to you acting almost instinctually rather than consciously.
Microdosing helps me quiet down my DMN so that I have less of these repetitive thoughts. Instead, I’m more aware of the thoughts in my head, allowing me to slow down my reaction to certain triggers. This has helped me immensely because once I started becoming aware of my thoughts, I was able to combat the negative self talk with more positive and uplifting truths. Your thoughts become feelings and feelings become energy, and if you always put out negative energy, you will attract negative outcomes.
Have compassion for yourself
How do you respond to triggers? If you’re like me, your first instinct is a negative thought, something like “why did they do this?”, or, “Who did this?” In the past, what usually follows my reaction is anger, frustration, resentment, and a bunch of words that start with “F”.
I’ve bene working on controlling how I react to triggers in my life for many years now. I’m no angel, and I still find myself losing control and reverting to my old reactive habits.
Microdosing has taught me that time is a limited resource. It showed me these moments are precious and once they’re gone, they’re gone for ever.
Microdosing can change your life. Don’t believe it? If you look on the popular subreddit r/Microdosing, you’ll come across ten’s of thousands of posts that prove that statement. It’s incredible that something so small, is able to create dramatic improvements in people’s lives. How does this
