I find negative visualization a powerful tool for experiencing gratitude even in situations where it otherwise might be difficult. Such as when you’re in the middle of a global Coronavirus pandemic and each time you switch on the news it’s mostly “bad”.
Read MoreAn Ode to Vagabonding by Walt Whitman
I may not know much about poetry, but one thing I know is that you shouldn’t over-analyze poems. Therefore I shall not fall into that trap when describing Song of the Open Road. Suffice it to say that it’s an ode to traveling and vagabonding. Encyclopædia Britannica goes as far as to describe it “an optimistic paean to wanderlust”.
Read MoreI really miss travelling and vagabonding
After nearly three months of working from home due to the COVID-19 crisis, I’m really starting to miss traveling and spending some time overseas. I even started reading Rolf Potts’ wonderful book Vagabonding once again. I think this is the third time I’m reading it, or actually listening to it, and I highly recommend the audiobook version narrated by the author himself.
Read MoreThe hype of boosting your NAD levels for improved health and longevity
What seems to be clear is that as we get older NAD levels steadily decline. This is probably due to two reasons. First, we start producing less NAD as we get older. Second, we use more of the NAD we have as our aging bodies experience more damage and stress. All of this gives rise to an obvious question: If NAD is so important for us, in particular as we get older, why don’t we just boost our NAD levels?
Read MoreThe relationship between heavy social media use and depression and anxiety
It makes perfect sense that heavy social media use (especially usage bordering to addictive behavior) is linked to negative emotions, but I would have assumed that boys and girls are almost equally affected. Perhaps that just shows how little I understand about teenagers’ psychology. In any case, it brings up the question what can be done about the problem – and what the role of parents, schools, and society in general (including Big Tech) should be in all of this?
Read MoreOn the addictiveness of caffeine
For me there’s definitely an addictive dimension to coffee. It’s not just that I love the smell and taste of it, but in the morning I really feel like I need it in order to get “fully operational”. As said, caffeine is a stimulant and it also taps into the brain's dopamine stores, causing very pleasant feelings. There’s also a habitual, and for me almost ritualistic, part to preparing coffee. It brings me great joy to grind the beans, fill up the portafilter's basket and do the tamping, and then finally extract a shot of espresso at exactly 9 bars of pressure. It’s a beautiful process and feels almost scientific.
Read MoreAging should be considered a disease and we should treat it
What I find inspiring is that Sinclair says it out loud: “Aging should be considered a disease and we should treat it”. He goes on to explain how the science of aging (or rather anti-aging) has developed during the recent years and what can be done to slow down the aging process or to some extent even reverse it.
Read MoreWith AR glasses we truly become Kevin Kelly’s "People of the Screen"
The screen I spend most time with is my phone. But just imagine what happens when AR glasses take over many of the functions of the phone. I’m not talking about those clunky VR headsets that separate you from the surroundings. I’m talking about the sleek and stylish design glasses that Apple is rumored to launch soon. Glasses that constantly provide you with information and interactive content, overlaying it on top of the real world.
Read MoreNot worrying about things over which we have no control
By not worrying about things over which we have no control, we can minimize anxiety and enhance our tranquillity – key desired outcomes in Modern Stoicism. This simple piece of advice has had a stunning impact on me.
Read MoreKicking off 2019 with two weeks on Gran Canaria
The Finnish winter is long, dark, and cold, so it’s no wonder that many Finns dream of escaping it to a warmer place, even just for a week or two. For over 50 years one the most popular destinations has been the Canary Islands.
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