Issue #205: It's Getting Louder
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 27th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: All the Noise
Speed Read: It Starts With Your Feet
Tuesday QR: Protein Smoothie
“To be everywhere is to be nowhere.”
Studies show that when we have negative self-talk it’s at a rate of 4,000 words per minute - 10x the speed when we actually say the words out loud. That’s a lot we throw at ourselves.
From the Lab
I woke up at 6:30am - threw on my stonewashed jeans, put some mousse in my hair, inhaled a bowl of Raisin Bran and ran out to catch the bus. Just another day of middle school.
Despite the chaotic morning - life in the early 90’s was quieter than it is today.
It’s kind of amazing how much has changed in just 30 years - how much more “noise” exists today. Noise that stimulates our brain and keeps us from ever being alone with our thoughts, from being able to focus, from being able to well…just be.
📺 TV: Back then, if we missed Fresh Prince of Bel-Air at 8pm on Monday’s, here’s hoping that NBC runs a repeat episode in a few months. (Get a little nostalgia with the weekly TV schedule from the 90’s).
Today, we can’t even make sense of all the streaming options. On Friday night, my wife and I sit through all the home screens of the many streaming services - Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, Apple, Max (why it’s not still HBO is a marketing mystery), etc. After 45 minutes we get decision fatigue and go to bed wondering why we still waste time trying to find something worth watching.
🎧 Music: Sure, I listened to my Discman on the bus. But there were definitely days I forgot it or would turn it off to…I don’t know, talk to my friends. Then came the iPod, followed by the iPhone. Today the entire worldwide library of music, books, and podcasts is available in our pocket at all times. It’s rare when we see someone running or walking without headphones.
🎰 Gambling: I wasn’t hitting up the casinos until 2003, but even then you had to get on a plane to Vegas or New Jersey to play poker, blackjack, or “legal” sports betting. Now it’s all available on your phone 24/7 and most states let you gamble online all the time.
👎 Comparison: Our benchmark for success used to be our neighbors. We’d see who had the biggest house (in my experience they were either doctors or owned car dealerships) and move on.
Envy was still all around with no shortage of “dreams” of becoming a famous celebrity in Hollywood or a professional baller on the basketball court (hand raised). But again, now we’re able to see and compare ourselves to the billions of people on social media all the time. We’re seeing the best “staged” version of everyone’s life while sitting in our own living room.
This noise gives us a hit of dopamine (Issue #18) and keeps us coming back for more.
But it also keeps us from not only living in the present, but from the essential nature of solitude.
Cal Newport - an expert in “Digital Minimalism” defines solitude as -
A subjective state in which your mind is free from input of other minds.
You no longer react to information created by others - instead, focus on your own thoughts and experiences.
When’s the last time that happened for you??
It’s essential for us to hit this reset button and clear out all the garbage that’s filled our brain and cells - otherwise we’ll hit the burnout button and live in a world filled with massive mental anxiety.
But it’s not just in our minds. All the noise builds as stress in our bodies and we live in a state of constant low-grade inflammation.
Without a sense of calm to get rid of the inflammation we’re setting ourselves up for massive health problems sooner rather than later.
Our evolution hasn’t caught up with our technology. We simply weren’t meant to live in a world of this much noise.*
Make time for solitude where you proactively decide to be alone.
Go for a walk and leave your phone at home
Take a break from reacting to other’s thoughts/opinions and let your own mind wander for a few minutes without the invasion of others - whether that’s just sitting or maybe writing
*It’s not just technology noise - but real noise too (see Speed Read below). Modern fire engines are 123 decibels at 10 ft. Back in the 70’s it was only 114 decibels at 11 ft. Doesn’t “sound” like much of a difference, but this is a logarithmic scale so that’s nearly 10x louder.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
It All Starts with Your Feet: Have problems in your lower body? Then look at your feet. Weak local muscles in the foot lead to faulty biomechanics and compensation by global muscles (calf, quad, hamstring). Those muscles aren’t meant to take on this burden and their reaction time is much slower - leading to injury. Check out these exercises to improve your “foot core.” (Outside)
Staving Off Cognitive Decline: Big news from our mouse friends. Increasing glutathione levels with GlyNAC (a supplement that combines glycine and cysteine) significantly reversed age-related cognitive decline in mice in one study. This is the first study to prove this out by analyzing the brain directly. GlyNAC targets oxidative stress which is a precursor to several aging processes, like inflammation and cellular dysfunction. (Lifespan.io)
All the Noise: We’ve discussed noise pollution a few times (Issue #81, 122, 191), but check out this cool interactive piece from the NYTimes. An unpleasant noise enters through the ears, heads to the amygdala and triggers a series of adverse reactions in our body. (NYTimes)
Tuesday QR | Protein Smoothie
Revamp your smoothie game with this must-try recipe! Packed with a powerhouse of nutrients and antioxidants, it's the ultimate way to kickstart your day. And for the perfect protein boost, look no further than Momentous' vanilla whey protein (it’s next to my blender right now).
Max added strawberries to this recipe yesterday, and the energy lasted all day long. Take on your day with this simple smoothie sensation!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.