A High Serotonin Society | Morning Routines, Self-Improvement, Habit Tracking

[DANIEL]

I was watching a funny video an hour ago, about a 'rich' young guy who has a picture-perfect morning routine which sounded like it was inspired by this famous scene from American Psycho:

I don't remember where I heard it, but isn't the desire to track everything, obsess over routines, and have a rigid way of living a sign of high serotonin?

Because, speaking from experience, I only sought to live that way when I was REALLY suffering health-wise (I've still got some issues to take care of, but don't we all?)

If so, the scale of global health problems is rising astronomically, more and more people are trying to police their way of living rather than focus on the root cause of their dissatisfaction

It's not entirely a bad thing—yes, some structure is absolutely for sanity and overall health, but the extremes people are going to are quite comical because it's all a shell game

The puppet masters are doing everything to drive us insane, it's become quite clear at this point

Extended lockdowns, constant fear-mongering, "Dark Winter" warnings which probably have some merit, the (sub)conscious disturbance of seeing people in masks when you leave your house

Add all of that to the stress of deteriorating or non-existent relationships, and constant information overload from social media + news sources

Serotonin is probably at a global all-time high

'Self-Improvement' becomes an outlet, and while it's inherently aimless, it's a much better outlet for your health than being a porn addict, playing video games all day, sleeping all day, or turning to drugs

How have you been staying sane during these times? What have you noticed from the people around you?

 

[CoconutEffect]

I was watching a funny video an hour ago, about a 'rich' young guy who has a picture-perfect morning routine which sounded like it was inspired by this famous scene from American Psycho:


I don't remember where I heard it, but isn't the desire to track everything, obsess over routines, and have a rigid way of living a sign of high serotonin?

Because, speaking from experience, I only sought to live that way when I was REALLY suffering health-wise (I've still got some issues to take care of, but don't we all?)

If so, the scale of global health problems is rising astronomically, more and more people are trying to police their way of living rather than focus on the root cause of their dissatisfaction

It's not entirely a bad thing—yes, some structure is absolutely for sanity and overall health, but the extremes people are going to are quite comical because it's all a shell game

The puppet masters are doing everything to drive us insane, it's become quite clear at this point

Extended lockdowns, constant fear-mongering, "Dark Winter" warnings which probably have some merit, the (sub)conscious disturbance of seeing people in masks when you leave your house

Add all of that to the stress of deteriorating or non-existent relationships, and constant information overload from social media + news sources

Serotonin is probably at a global all-time high

'Self-Improvement' becomes an outlet, and while it's inherently aimless, it's a much better outlet for your health than being a porn addict, playing video games all day, sleeping all day, or turning to drugs

How have you been staying sane during these times? What have you noticed from the people around you?

Responsible use of psychedelics + Jungian analysis twice a week. Fortunately my industry here in NYC hasn’t crashed completely.

 

[Inaut]

I was listening to yesterday nights live stream with Danny and Georgi and Danny was talking about cutting back on social media exposure and feeling better. I’ve just realized I am addicted to YouTube and the RPF as I check both far too frequently duri the day/night... Any suggestions on how I can quit this addiction? One thing I’ve come up with is to put my phone in a location where it’s inconvenient to pick up... I find I have a 5 minute attention space before reverting to phone...

 

[Nomane Euger]

I was listening to yesterday nights live stream with Danny and Georgi and Danny was talking about cutting back on social media exposure and feeling better. I’ve just realized I am addicted to YouTube and the RPF as I check both far too frequently duri the day/night... Any suggestions on how I can quit this addiction? One thing I’ve come up with is to put my phone in a location where it’s inconvenient to pick up... I find I have a 5 minute attention space before reverting to phone...

Hi Inaut,i share you my experience:I do put my phone in airplane mode as i dont want to get blast by it 24/7,it prevent me from staring at it all day long,i download the videos and musics i want to listen,and i use it to communicate,if i wish to do some internet research or play video games i go on my computer,and as soon as i realise that my researchs are not productive anymore and that i witness my self scrolling facebook i turn off the computer.phone is addictive,but so are video games,scrolling netflix...Etc,to stop these addictions easyly you need to replace them with things that provide you pleasure,this winter it was cold and wet outside,grey sky no sun,and i played back video games alot,and got addicted to it,but i knew it was going on,and i accepted it,there was no ***t to do,and it was pretty hard to stop when i wanted to,as soon as the sun came back,i uninstalled the video games i played to,i started to walk alot,take the sun while listening to audios,going out and i didnt play video games once since,as the things that i do actually prodive me way more pleasure than video games.If when you stop staring at your phone you realise that your life is boring and want to stare at it back,then find things that provide you pleasure and that you find valuable for your person,basics things are sun exposure,walking,street work out,sports,chillling with family and mates,series,reading,focusing on your sleep quality(dreaming can become so good that you are impatient to fall as sleep at night and you absolutly do not want to waist time on your phone doing shits)and when you experience boredom exploit it to think and reflect on what has value and what you should be focus on doesnt matter how hard it is,and step by step act toward it

 

[Belsazar]

What would be a good approach in terms of improving / getting better at something without turning it into a routine? To "frame it into a play"? Would this work in context of work as well - has anyone tried it?

How can can someone implement "routine breaking" into something that became a routine without stopping it?

Would journaling / (keeping a diary) be a good routine without having a "routine like character"? - Because we would constantly make us think about something we perceived -(& later act based on it)? Would you guys have more ideas of such activities (or recommendations from peat)? I know he talks a lot about art because it has the ability to always create/learn something new (heavily routine breaking).

Peat puts emphasis on using the "non-verbal brain" - does it mean language "per se" is a "routine" since we always use "pre-formed" words/sentences/phrases? Would meditation be a good "routine-breaker" for stopping the language focused thinking? Or would it be better to do activities that occupy our mind on a "low level"?

 

[Mauritio]

I agree ,serotonin drives habit forming. And telling other people what to every morning is pretty authoritarian as well .
But I do think the willingness for self improvement/change is actually a good sign, whether it's all the different diets that have become popular in the last decades (vegan, carnivore, etc) or the the general daily life improvement . I'm not saying the things and diets they do are great ,but people feel that something is seriously wrong and they want to change it. That's a good thing .
It would be way worse if they just accepted defeat and didn't make an effort to change , that would be sign of really high serotonin .

 

[Nomane Euger]

What would be a good approach in terms of improving / getting better at something without turning it into a routine? To "frame it into a play"? Would this work in context of work as well - has anyone tried it?

How can can someone implement "routine breaking" into something that became a routine without stopping it?

Would journaling / (keeping a diary) be a good routine without having a "routine like character"? - Because we would constantly make us think about something we perceived -(& later act based on it)? Would you guys have more ideas of such activities (or recommendations from peat)? I know he talks a lot about art because it has the ability to always create/learn something new (heavily routine breaking).

Peat puts emphasis on using the "non-verbal brain" - does it mean language "per se" is a "routine" since we always use "pre-formed" words/sentences/phrases? Would meditation be a good "routine-breaker" for stopping the language focused thinking? Or would it be better to do activities that occupy our mind on a "low level"?

Hi belsazar,to improve something with out turning it into a routine,not forcing it to much if you do not feel to do it(of course its context dependant,sometimes forcing yourself once into something that then give you energy and provide you pleasure can be beneficial),doing it when you have the energy and the wish to do it,focusing on the aspect of of the subject that interest you the most at a very moment in time,and not learning it in a linear systematic way despit not being interested.there is a lot of nuances in the way you can do something,just trying new nuances/variations of this same thing can be routine breaking and stimulate you(per exemple if you play a video games,just changing your keys and fingers posture change everything,you can almost relearn from 0).Dancing with out an expected choregraphy,just feeling the music and let your instinct express it self through your body(better to do it alone if you are not confortable when toward others),walking in nature or in a parc and going where your attention stop on,talking to new peoples while feeling relax enough to freely express yourself if you wish to and to perceive it as a social game specifically with the opposite sex,letting the random musics that come next to the ones you was listening on youtube and not listening the same musics over and over,trying new foods.trying anything that catch your interest with out fearing and thinking that not being focus on one single thing is detrimental.Any skill that you can learn,any form of art

 

[Belsazar]

Hi belsazar,to improve something with out turning it into a routine,not forcing it to much if you do not feel to do it(of course its context dependant,sometimes forcing yourself once into something that then give you energy and provide you pleasure can be beneficial),doing it when you have the energy and the wish to do it,focusing on the aspect of of the subject that interest you the most at a very moment in time,and not learning it in a linear systematic way despit not being interested.there is a lot of nuances in the way you can do something,just trying new nuances/variations of this same thing can be routine breaking and stimulate you(per exemple if you play a video games,just changing your keys and fingers posture change everything,you can almost relearn from 0).Dancing with out an expected choregraphy,just feeling the music and let your instinct express it self through your body(better to do it alone if you are not confortable when toward others),walking in nature or in a parc and going where your attention stop on,talking to new peoples while feeling relax enough to freely express yourself if you wish to and to perceive it as a social game specifically with the opposite sex,letting the random musics that come next to the ones you was listening on youtube and not listening the same musics over and over,trying new foods.trying anything that catch your interest with out fearing and thinking that not being focus on one single thing is detrimental.Any skill that you can learn,any form of art

Sounds a bit like Charles Bukowsky's "don't try" or maybe like Taosim aka "go with the flow, becoming one with the way".

Aren't we naturally drawn to constant novelty seeking? I mean most of us can't stick to routines anyway.

 

[johnwester130]

https://banned.video/watch?id=60749570a498cb1a9e90b2cb

It's obvious when someone is overly obsessive and a control freak and makes their life a routine.
It's certainly more noticeable in a country like Britain and Germany compared to Brazil.

 

[MetabolicTrash]

How have you been staying sane during these times?

If you read some of my older posts, "sanity" hardly would come to mind....

But anyways, going off on the whole controlled-essence to lifestyle and habits, isn't the stereotype of the "control freak" also manifested in this same light as high serotonin perhaps? You know people who have to possess a strong hold on everyone/thing around them -- or you can just feel this energy even from some people like that who are super-routine, robotic, rigid or just overall have this "air" about them it seems where they have this guard, barrier, or front up about them/their "character."

Some people/jobs I think that might be more likely to possess this could be soldiers/military, police, some in the medical field, politicians, and just generally traumatized/etc. individuals that can't otherwise remedy it and succumb to that nature of strictness/"cocooning"/etc. What better way to appear more protected than to take some inward approach, enveloping, or otherwise rigidness that embodies a protective suitability to harm, danger, or the general outside world/life itself? Even in non-humans you can see this: bugs freezing/the "freeze response" or such; puffing up chests/etc. of certain animals in the face of danger (humans included); and just locking up/hiding away and/or going in some torpor-like form. I just see it as a balance maybe -- when that which way of life you live requires functionality rather than retreat one can possess a form of "character armor" that renders one functionally equivalent yet suggests a similar pathophysiology or such anyways.

I notice this in some people -- like there is an invisible sort of guard or wall around them where some can even tell this from signs like body language, posture, way of speaking/behavior/tone, etc. even outside of just an unfortunate physicality about some which may heighten or lessen this perception. I gather that some people put up this front or energy as a result or consequence of their metabolism, physiology and such. Ultimately it's like I can notice something about some certain people with these strict, rigid, controlling or fearful/overly evident defense or "front" or such in their presence, whereas some people just do not come across that way, even trying to filter out looks/physicality solely as a bias. Some people seem to quite literally paint a picture of who/what they are based on just being in their vicinity briefly.

 

[Brandin]

I was watching a funny video an hour ago, about a 'rich' young guy who has a picture-perfect morning routine which sounded like it was inspired by this famous scene from American Psycho:

I don't remember where I heard it, but isn't the desire to track everything, obsess over routines, and have a rigid way of living a sign of high serotonin?

Because, speaking from experience, I only sought to live that way when I was REALLY suffering health-wise (I've still got some issues to take care of, but don't we all?)

If so, the scale of global health problems is rising astronomically, more and more people are trying to police their way of living rather than focus on the root cause of their dissatisfaction

It's not entirely a bad thing—yes, some structure is absolutely for sanity and overall health, but the extremes people are going to are quite comical because it's all a shell game

The puppet masters are doing everything to drive us insane, it's become quite clear at this point

Extended lockdowns, constant fear-mongering, "Dark Winter" warnings which probably have some merit, the (sub)conscious disturbance of seeing people in masks when you leave your house

Add all of that to the stress of deteriorating or non-existent relationships, and constant information overload from social media + news sources

Serotonin is probably at a global all-time high

'Self-Improvement' becomes an outlet, and while it's inherently aimless, it's a much better outlet for your health than being a porn addict, playing video games all day, sleeping all day, or turning to drugs

How have you been staying sane during these times? What have you noticed from the people around you?

Well morning routine and self improvement is dopaminergic and antiserotonergic if its done through dopaminergic interest. If it is done through forcing stronger and more painfull than seing the acumulative or results or progress then yes its going to be serotonergic. Learned helplessness so increases serotonin infinitely more than a routine does so if a routine stops this than thats also a huge plus.