A Dopamine Kick (ADHD Without the Filter)

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We've all been there, want to change a habit, tried and  after so long just gave up! So have you ever wondered how you can build a habit and actually stick to it rather than starting and giving up!?
In this episode we discuss all things habits, what are habits, when you need to change them, how they are formed and how you can build habits that you can easily stick to for the long haul! We also discuss our bad habits and have a bit of laugh about them (Because they are so sabotaging it's funny)

This is part 1 of a 3 part block of episodes on habits. We will be discussing so much more about habits over the next few episodes because there is just so much to say on building habits one episode just isn't enough! So don't forget to follow the podcast so we can let you know when they are released!


The Science bit:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330406744_Habit_Formation_and_Behavior_Change

Habit formation and behaviour change - How repetition strengthens the formation of habits and the link between how relying on motivational performance creates a plateau!

https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-018-0270-z - Study of the impact of perceived reward on habit formation and how it helps

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Billions are spent each year by social media tech giants on making social media platforms addictive.  By using social media on a daily basis we get a dopamine rush, that keeps us coming back for more, we spend longer on the platform and we feel like we're rewarded in the process.
Last week, we discussed the dark side of social media and the many negatives of how over using social media  can effect your mental health. In this episode we discuss how we fight our social media addictions so we can get off the platforms altogether or at least spend less time using them (well, Shell anyway!)

We want to make it clear there’s nothing wrong with you if you are overusing social media, or even like using it. It’s perfectly designed to give us dopamine rushes and rewards that keep us coming back for more. However, if you feel that you would like to spend less time on social media or even give it up altogether we believe some of these tips may be useful for you to hear. We even talk a lot about our personal stories with over using social media so hopefully you can identify with our  social media struggle.

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Using social media gives us a HUGE dopamine kick, but as we've discussed many times on this podcast, sometimes you can get dopamine kicks for all the wrong reasons.

Social media gives us a rush of dopamine but just like any other addiction, we need more of it to satisfy our dopamine needs and so it's easy to get stuck in the same repetitive cycle, hooked on our phones, repeatedly checking apps. The problem with social media is although it has many positive reasons for using it, there are also many negative things about it too!
When you find yourself  constantly checking notifications for updates, scrolling news feeds due to the fear of missing out or comparing yourself to others, it maybe time  to take a look at your social media usage and if it could be a contributing factor to a decline in your mental health and low self worth. 

This is a 2 part special on Social Media. In this first episode we look at the positive impacts of social media, as well as the impacts of how social media could be damaging your mental health. We give you some advice and tips on how to regulate your social usage so it's at a healthy level. Part 2 will be centred more around how to fight your social media addiction so you have the tools to put your phone down and beat your social media addiction once and for all.

The science bit:

Social media has been proven to be damaging to mental health
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3919760

Isolation Study:
  https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(17)30016-8/fulltext

Little Kicker: Challenge - Check your social media usage time by using an app on your phone (screen time, wellbeing etc) to see how much time you are actually spending on social media.

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Do you find yourself stressed daily with all the tasks you need to complete and life sometimes just feels overwhelming? In this episode we discuss various techniques that take 5- 10 minutes to help you destress every single day and make life that bit more bearable!


The Science bit!

https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79953659617&origin=inward&txGid=571766d00dac2fdcc9fcb7a960641ebf&featureToggles=FEATURE_NEW_DOC_DETAILS_EXPORT:1

Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!

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Eat that frog is a productivity technique by Brian Tracy, where the frog is a metaphor for your most significant, most important task that you are likely to postpone or delay.
In this episode we discuss what Eat That Frog means, how we have always found it easier starting with simpler tasks, but how doing that can actually lead to diminished self worth and less productivity.
We give you some advice on how to order your tasks  so you can be more productive. If you find yourselves (like us, procrastinating on the harder tasks, such as getting them started) Then this is the episode you need to hear.

Based on the book: EAT THAT FROG - By Brian Tracey

 The Science bit:

We were  delighted to find this specifically testing the Eat that Frog hypothesis

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103120303723

Little Kicker

“One of the very worse uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all” - Brian Tracey

Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!

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Accountability partners are individuals who are willing to hold you accountable. The idea is that, once someone other than yourself knows what you need to do or what you want to achieve, there is a greater incentive to go out and do it to avoid having to explain why you didn't to another person. In this episode, we're discussing why having an accountability partner is great for pushing you towards your goals and keeping you on track, what qualities to look for in an accountability partner and telling you our personal stories and experiences of us both being accountability partners for each other on this podcast.

The Science bit:

Tedx Talk from Eshrak Ahmed on accountability

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUAuvq5xExQ

Our Little Kicker this week is a resource Supporti

https://www.getsupporti.com/

This is an accountability matching service that will let you test out if matching with an online partner is for you. It’s a paid programme of $16 a month, but they have a 2 week free trial. You match with a person and spend a week messaging them, then if they don’t suit you you request a new partner next week. You can try out 2 partners before your trial runs out.


Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!

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Thanks so much to anyone that donates to us, we really appreciate it.

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Being socially awkward is generated by social expectations and our own  worries and fears of what other people think of us. Being socially awkward  can prevent us from fully interacting with others out of fear of being ridiculed. In this episode we discuss the many different aspects of our lives that we are socially awkward and discuss ways you can regain your confidence, and practice self care. Once you realise that everyone is afraid of being socially awkward and that there are various different ways you can manage it,  so you can cope better, you'll be well on your way to embracing social interactions rather than dreading them.

The Science Section
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1030&context=psychhp

Results suggested that the vast majority of individuals experience symptoms of anxiety in social situations from time to time. In addition, individuals who themselves reported elevated social anxiety were more likely than individuals less socially anxious to judge others who appear anxious to have less strength of character and to be less attractive and more compassionate compared to others who do not appear anxious.

Little Kicker

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do” -  Eleanor Roosevelt

Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!

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We all know breathing techniques can make you feel more relaxed, but have you ever wondered about the other positive benefits it can have on the way you are feeling and your overall health?

There are various different breathing techniques that you can use on a daily basis to help calm you down, become less stressed and help reframe your day, if you're struggling to stay positive.
In this episode we discuss how breathing techniques can help you stay calm when stressed and  even improve your mood. Shell even walks Sparky though a step by step breathing technique called the 4-7-8 method, to see if it makes any difference to his state of being.

The Science Section

A sample of university students, deep breathing improve the mood and to reduce the levels of stress.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10072-016-2790-8?correlationId=8806e3e9-7c91-4807-8462-792e593fc8a9&error=cookies_not_supported&code=daa444bd-df80-4b1e-b724-79afe9d38c99

Breathing Exercises

1. 4-7-8 Method. Developed by Dr Andrew Weil
   1. Close your lips and inhale through your nose for a count of four.
   2. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
   3. Exhale completely through your mouth making a whoosh sound for a count of eight. 
   4. This completes one cycle. Repeat for three more cycles.
2. Counting backwards from 17

Premise is, it takes 17 seconds to reset yourself. So the technique is to breath deeply (no particular pattern) and count backwards from 17.

Little Kicker

This week we have a challenge for you!
Do the 4-7-4 method for 3 cycles when you wake up and before you go to bed every day for 7 days.

Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!

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There is so much anxiety in the world right now with what is going on between Ukraine and Russia and all the horror stories of a possible World War 3. We thought we'd take to the mic in a special bonus episode to help in anyway we can. In this episode we discuss how you can help Ukraine and give you some tips and advice on how you can protect your mental health by managing your anxiety. Self care is needed now more than than ever with all this bad news.

Read our whole post here:
https://adopaminekick.com/war-related-anxiety-over-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/

Reputable Charity Sources to donate to:

• https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

Help Irra and support local people from Ukraine
https://www.sunflower.in.ua/

Template to send to your MP drafted by the Ukrainian Institute
(It also has a link to how you can find your local MP)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10TbVCVm5eWghVRWnDKJzBCXdNovePPXk8p8B6I4B2Dc/edit?usp=sharing

Can you offer to host a refugee? https://www.shelter4ua.com/ is taking sign ups from volunteers who have a spare room to offer shelter.

Other episodes you can listen to help manage negative thoughts
Episodes 9-11

Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!

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There are many reasons why we panic and worry in today’s modern society. In this episode we discuss, why we panic and offer various solutions that will help you remain calm in situations where panic starts to take a hold of us. 

The Science Section:

 Fight or flight. We panic to keep us alive

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/000579679390025P

Little Kicker

Additional resource created by the NHS in recognizing and coping with Panic

https://www.mindmate.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Coping-with-Panic-Guide.pdf

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