Some ideas for future Power Packs!
Thank you for making Superbetter! It has had a significant and visible positive impact on my life. While playing several of the power packs currently available, I thought of a couple other general power pack topics that would certainly help me and likely other folks as well.
- Outsmart Procrastination:
I struggle constantly with procrastination, even on tasks and projects I genuinely enjoy, like calling loved ones and reading for fun, not to mention unpleasant chores or challenging work. Some kind of power pack with power ups and quests that taught and encouraged strategies for getting things done, breaking down seemingly impossible or undesirable tasks into manageable steps, and reframing the thoughts and self-sabotaging mentality that accompany procrastination would be incredibly awesome to have as part of Superbetter.
- Winter Wonderland
As someone who recently crawled out of a bout of depression during a very snowy Minnesota winter, I would love to see some kind of power pack that specifically targets the potential pitfalls of living in a place where you cannot rely so easily on getting outside and running into people in person for social connection, physical activity and mood boosting. Strategies and exercises for making the most of indoor activities and keeping negative thoughts in check when it's cold and dark would be a major boon for me next winter!
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shared this idea
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JulesyTiger
commented
Love the idea of winter wonderland. I live in Sweden and I get through winter by doing as the Danes do - hunkering down at home with candles and mood lighting, and like J says use a SAD lamp.
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J
commented
I can offer workarounds to these 2 issues.
1. Regarding #1 (procrastination):
* There is a New York Times article about how procrastination is an emotional problem, not a self-control problem (google for this title: "Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control)"). Looking at procrastination in that way, just using SuperBetter will help, given that it builds up your emotional resilience. Or you can go specifically for emotional resilience / stress management power-packs.
* There is an interesting article, "How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation", on Buzzfeed - it touches the topic of selective procrastination, provides some valuable research findings and explanations.
* I can really recommend "Make it Epic" power-pack from SuperBetter - it guides you through the process of formulating epic wins (aka goals) properly. What's offered is much better than the famous SMART approach. The only issue, there will be an evaluation scale mentioned - you will need to google for it (it's found easily), because the suggested links are broken. Or check out Superbetter book.
* How much sleep you are getting? If I don't get at least 6.5h, my ability to get things done and self-control decrease by 80-90%. And the tricky thing with not getting enough sleep is that you get accustomed to it, you feel like you are OK, but as soon as you get a night with 7h+ of sleep, you notice a major difference in your behavior during the day.
* Are you getting enough of good protein (i.e. not via baked goods, for example)? Are you staying away from refined carbs as much as possible? It's actually the two main recommendations for nutritional changes for people with ADHD. Protein is needed to produce dopamine (our brain's fuel for getting things done) and refined carbs make you impulsive. Personally, I noticed a big difference after I started eating eggs (+ a carrot) for breakfast. Was able to cut down wheat consumption because of that, and avoid refined carbs in general for breakfast because I was full enough - those two changes have made me more productive during the day.Regarding #2: I saw people on reddit recommending lightboxes as a way to beat dark-seasons depression/loss of motivation.
I'm yet to try it myself, but the feedback seems very promising. A direct quote from the comment I bookmarked: "they help, A LOT, but you need to make sure you get a decent one. I use a Lumie Brazil, which gives out white light at 10,000 lux at a distance of 35cm from your eyes. 10,000 lux for 30 mins is the minimum therapeutic 'dose' for brightness, and the distance is VERY important- cheaper ones only give that level at 15cm. Some lightboxes use blue light to mimic the same effect at longer distances , but blue light can strain your eyes, which is bad for certain types of work (such as office work, or precision manufacturing). I use mine for an hour each morning, and I get to feel not dead for the entire day :)"