Currently in the process of a decision detox. For almost three years, since moving to Salt Lake, I've chosen to make several small decisions about how to operate in my new life. For example, how I want to live, what kind of products I want to buy, what stores to support. Last winter, I moved out of a less than ideal living & job situation.
It would be an understatement to say that I've experienced a bit of burnout. In fact, it's a little much. Too much.
Especially because I am shaking up my life again, by studying & skill-learning.
For the past week, I've implemented a number of dopamine & decision detox practices...
Finishing one material/task/project before moving onto another. This looks like finishing one show before starting another one [Hulu's “The Great”], finishing one audiobook before starting another [right now it is romance/vacation-minded/foreign setting rom-coms], reading one paper book [just fiction right now because I read non-fiction before]
Task-switching is off limits. No switching between podcast topics/shows, switching between unrelated tasks, switching between projects
Focusing on sustainability-related/green skills/green jobs content & reading one blog at a time[no article reading unless it relates to this]
Honing in on learning the skill of copywriting while ignoring others' successes [the main reason why I am off of social media for the summer]
Choosing to listen to audiobooks on Libby and not Apple Books right now
Choosing to read only the books that I have currently purchased/checked out from the library before starting others
Keeping the phone on 'do not disturb' & 'airplane mode' until 11 am ['do not disturb runs from 7-11 am but I'm still testing this schedule out]
Sleeping longer [and jumping into bed right when I come home from my 8-hour shift], taking a watermelon CBD tincture to calm myself, performing breathwork for 2 minutes [implementing 'the 2 minute rule']
Choosing to only have 'bulletproof coffee' at home [instead of making a decision to go a nearby coffee shop and then having to choose a drink based on what I feel like]
Not having many tabs open on my browser as before
Already deciding my 'offline activities'
Already deciding the products I will buy locally & online & the brands I will support
Not having certain apps on my phone to avoid information overload
Hoping that these practices will seep the stress out of my brain, reset my dopamine levels, and assist me in getting into the state of being laser-focused.