Friends and readers, thanks for being out there! I’m so glad to be writing this newsletter and interacting with lots of people in the community. Here’s our 10th roundup of community notes, featuring reader comments, links, and more.
Most posts have the option to comment—and it’s so fun to see readers jumping in!
In this section I’ll highlight a few recent comments that were upvoted the most by the community. (These are edited lightly for brevity, without changing the tone. Read the full comments and many more on each post’s page.)
From Catherine Baab-Muguira , on the post Don't “Eat the Frog,” Practice Structured Procrastination Instead:
I think I've been practicing this sort of structured procrastination without knowing it, though my (less good) version involves taking on something even bigger than whatever I'm avoiding, and then to start procrastinating on THAT by doing the earlier, smaller thing I was dreading. Obviously, this snowballs in a bad way, even though it does work as a system. Going to make some adjustments based on the advice here.
From Bella Vaananen on the post Why Is It So Hard to Do Small Things?:
Ahhh I’m so excited for this series—as someone who is able to hyper-focus for long stretches of time on specific projects, it is so difficult to explain to others how small seemingly insignificant admin things are near impossible for me to get done…I believe humans were not designed for the number of emails and messages that we receive daily and the amount of content that we have access to (curse and a blessing). So to make it easier, I usually need to disconnect for a day or two to re-prioritize - it’s difficult to do this when I feel like I need to be available for everyone 24/7.
And from Tanya Mozias:
I also have ADHD and I find it hard not to beat myself up for procrastinating on things I don't want to do. That's the thing: If the task is something I'm enjoying, I have no problem starting it. I'm learning languages now and it's never a problem to start learning (it's a bit of a problem to stop) because I like it but also because for me it's a dopamine inducing activity. But chores? Or admin? Oh my god. It's a torture. I have not figured out how to start doing these things that I have no choice but to do eventually without first procrastinating for two hours (or years 🤦♀️).
From Eileen on the post Executive Functioning and the Limits of Hyperfocus:
Thank you for sharing your insights on working with a timer. I can see a timer as really helping with the time blindness issue, but nobody ever really talks about the importance of the rest period in the ability to maintain your intellectual activity. The neuroscience I’ve been reading really emphasizes that our brains have limited capacity and that when we keep violating those limits we suffer for it in all kinds of ways.
From Sarai Mitnick on the post "I’m better when I am still": A Conversation with Ryan Holiday:
The bit about not following someone who is on a different path really hit home, because it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot as a business owner. There’s so much advice out there, given with so much damn certainty. Most of the people dispensing it don’t seem to consider that what worked for them may not work for everyone, so it’s my responsibility to sort through it and take what I need.
From David Spinks on the post “Bad with Money?” Maybe There’s More to It:
I have this theory that people (myself included), especially solopreneurs, have a number in their head that they’re able to make and that becomes their ceiling.
Once they approach that ceiling, they start self sabotaging in some way in order to not surpass it. But even getting close to the ceiling is hard because all of their ideas for how to make money is limited by what they perceive their ceiling to be. If it’s $200k for example, they’ll only take on projects that can make up to $200k. Projects that could making $500k won’t even be considered.
Curious if there’s truth to this idea of an income ceiling.
From Carol Szymanski on the post The Importance of Talking to People Who Understand You:
Whenever I’m going through something, I tend to “awfulize” the situation and grow it into an even bigger monster. Sharing the burden almost always makes things better. It’s not that friends tend to say the “right” thing, it’s the mere fact that they’re willing to show up at all during a rainy day as opposed to a free meal, awesome day trip or other purely fun time.
Note: if you like any of these images, be sure to click through on the links. What’s included here is just a small selection of the full work.
In addition to my regular browsing, every couple of weeks I do a public call for submissions. I’ll share many of the links that people send me in future posts.
Here are a few posts I’ve enjoyed recently:
Note: if you’re publishing a newsletter, feel free to comment in this post with the name of your publication so that other readers can find you.
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We’re now 29 weeks into the year. So far we’ve covered:
Introduction, It Was Going So Well, Unhelpful Life Advice, From Rejection to Reflection, Overthinking, A Couch Can Make You Happy, “I Wish I’d Made That Change Later,” Why This Now?, “Your Voicemail Isn’t Working,” Your Last 40 Minutes, Imposter Syndrome Isn’t What You Think, Consider the Opposite of What You’re Worried About, How I Use (and Don’t Use) Adderall to Focus, You Can Be Better than You Are, Is It Always Best to "Do What Makes You Happy"?, A Tale of Two Yoga Teachers, The Felt Sense, No One Teaches You How to Breathe, The Trauma of Adult Undiagnosed ADHD, “What matters to me right now?”, Lessons From Your Six-Year-Old-Self, Try This When You Aren’t Sure What To Do, Time Anxiety: Can You Take a Quick Survey?, If You Can't Learn Math It's Not Your Fault, Consider this if you like taking care of people, Time Blindness, The Perks of Being Misunderstood, You’re Always Going to Lose at Something, Election Anxiety Is Real, So Make a Plan to Disengage, Attention Has a Cost, What Is "Demand Avoidance"? A Case Study, Can You Be Much Happier than You Thought?, Do You Have a “Granny Hobby”?, 15 Ways to Self-Sabotage, Why Is It Hard to Be Different?, Why Do I Put Off Seeing My Friends?, Exposure Therapy, You Are Not the Failure Point, Antidepressants Save Lives, Who Should Read “A Year of Mental Health”?, “Everything changes as long as you keep moving.”, What If You Could Work Only One Hour a Day?, Unlearning, Gentle Productivity: 5 Tips for Neurodivergent-Friendly Work Habits, “What matters to me right now?”, Take Moderate Risks Every Day, The Myth of Laziness, A Year of Mental Health Is Now 100% Free, Don't “Eat the Frog,” Practice Structured Procrastination Instead, Why Is It So Hard to Do Small Things?, Executive Functioning and the Limits of Hyperfocus, “Bad with Money?” Maybe There’s More to It, The Importance of Talking to People Who Understand You, A Short List of Things I Never Learned to Do
Also! A set of simple activities that can each be completed in 15 minutes or less:
As well as an interview series, featuring people with something to say that the world needs hearing:
"The world is a better place when I take up space": A Conversation with Marc Typo
“Wellbeing is about capacity”: A Conversation with Emma Gannon
"There’s no one life script for everyone": A conversation with Sari Botton
“Laziness Doesn’t Exist:” A Conversation with KC Davis
"Uncertainty is the gateway to possibility": A Conversation with Jonathan Fields
"Am I truly paying attention to my life?": A Conversation with Nora McInerny
"Minimalism is not about restriction.": A Conversation with Shira Gill
"I’m better when I am still": A Conversation with Ryan Holiday
I’m looking forward to seeing these lists expand as the year progresses.
As promised, most content on A Year of Mental Health will be completely free. Paid subscribers make this possible.
Even though most posts are freely available at the time of publication, many of you have already upgraded your subscriptions—and I am grateful! Thank you. 🙏 🙏 🙏
Whenever someone upgrades, the platform offers subscribers a chance to write a note to the creator, which can be shared with the subscriber’s permission.
Here’s one that I received this week from Jana
"I support your work because I've been reading your books for years and found them truly inspiring. I should have joined A Year of Mental Health ages ago. Keep up the great work. "
Again, I want this project to be helpful and valuable to you. We’re just getting started, and there’s much more to come.
What if you want a paid subscription but can’t afford it? It’s all good, we’ve got you covered! 🤝
Specifically, we now have a scholarship plan where you can pay whatever you can afford. These scholarships are covered by our Founding Members—thank you, Founding Members!
If you’d like one, just send a note to team @ chrisguillebeau .com with the word “Scholarship” in the subject line. We’ll help you get whatever option you need.
That’s it for now, but I’ll be back Monday at 7am Pacific time. Upcoming topics include: ADHD and creativity, ketamine therapy, and more on executive functions.
And maybe a surprise guest or two! Like I said, there’s much more to come. 🎁
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