I just started writing my first post for Substack! And working on projects w/ you, plus new location for one of the cafés I barista at. Girlfriend and I also just got an apartment, so will be moving in soon. Reading 'The Attention Merchants' by Tim Wu and some books on Shinto. Lots of things!!

I had a similar journey when it comes to both eating habits as well as compulsive phone/social media/quick dopaminergic behaviors. Eating/fitness has always been a really strong parallel to me. You can't go from someone who eats badly and doesn't work out to someone who's healthy by watching or learning from other people, or by going on week-to-month long kicks of exercise and diet. It comes from a true lifestyle change. Though I wish it would, no amount of choice architecture, systematic changes, or even epiphanies will rewire your brain entirely. It has to be a genuine shift in who you are, more than what you want. To continue with the analogy, if you begin dieting out of insecurity/discomfort/fear, that is a very quick way to develop an eating disorder and it simply will not last. Similarly, if you read and study and 'be productive' (whatever that means for you) purely out of fear of wasting time, it will not stick and you will fall back into the path your brain has been conditioned to crave. That said, if you can find it in yourself to truly shift your identity - become someone who enjoys the work and finds scrolling repulsive - the actions that follow that lifestyle will become automatic. Obviously, this takes time. It's not practical to wake up and say 'Ok, I'm a completely different person than I was yesterday'. So how can you make that transition? Here are some practical strategies I've used myself or seen used to great effect - As mentioned, choice architecture is huge. It's pretty difficult to scroll when you don't have access to the internet, or delete your social media account, or any number of other less extreme measures you can find. For me, the habit was important enough to break that I was willing to pay some pretty severe costs, but that's an individual decision and depends on your responsibilities. Do know that no matter how heavy those responsibilities may be, there are effective strategies to use, and your first and most important responsibility is to yourself. - Just say what you're doing out loud. When you pull your phone out, say out loud, 'I'm about to scroll'. Set a timer so you can actively watch the minutes go by. After every video/article/post, remind yourself out loud that you have the ability to stop at any time, and that you are choosing to continue. - Create accountability. Someone you trust, preferably someone who feels the same way about scrolling as you do. Set deadlines for yourself, tell them when you have the urge to scroll (like an AA sponsor, I'm not joking), etc.. Someone who you can loan a prefrontal cortex from when yours turns off.

@Mohd Raza No worries!!! The most important thing is that you genuinely care about changing - you're on the right path. Just keep going :)

the massive bar being 35 minutes instead of like 7 hours is so funny

Hey guys :) Excited to work with Alex and spread the word. Always down to chat and would love to hear your stories and the kinds of messages you think are important to talk about!!