Life Update 🌟

One or two years ago I got a spam email with these two sentences in them and they’ve been a part of my vocabulary ever since

brain rot makes me angry

brain rot, according to newport institute, is a slang term used to describe the silly or less valuable content online, the negative effects that can come from spending too much time online, and the negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by excessive exposure to low-quality internet content, especially in niche communities. it highlights how exposure to low-quality or superficial content can impact our thoughts and language.

in the short term, brain rot can lead to decreased cognitive function. when we consume too much low-value content, it can make it harder to concentrate on more demanding tasks. emotionally, silly or trivial content might lead to a less engaged or emotionally flat state, affecting your mood and overall mental well-being. additionally, constant scrolling and exposure to pointless content can result in mental fatigue, leaving you feeling mentally drained and less motivated to tackle more meaningful activities.

over the long term, brain rot can have more severe implications. a steady diet of low-quality content can erode critical thinking skills, making it harder to engage in deep and meaningful analysis. spending too much time in specific online communities can also alter your perceptions, warping your view of the world and normalizing certain behaviors or opinions that might not be healthy. furthermore, constant exposure to bite-sized content can reduce your attention span, making it more difficult to engage with longer, more complex material. this can impact your ability to learn and be productive, as you may find it challenging to focus on tasks that require sustained attention.

it's important to balance your digital diet with high-quality and meaningful content to maintain a healthy mind. by being mindful of the content that we consume and taking steps to limit exposure to low-value material, we can protect our cognitive and emotional well-being.

let me leave you with these: ndtv article, stopdoomscrolling-cafe

have you noticed these effects in your own experience or observed them in others?

❤️nene

Today’s Exhibit of the Day? It’s one of the largest amethyst geodes in the world! At about 13 ft (4 m) tall and 9,000 lbs (4,082 kg), this giant weighs about as much as three compact cars. It was born when molten magma poured from the Earth’s crust some 135 million years ago. While its dazzling purple crystals might catch your eye, this geode would have originally been composed of colorless quartz—its distinctive amethyst color deriving from millenia of natural radiation, heat, and trace contaminants. 

You can spot this geode, and other sparkly specimens, in the Museum’s Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. We're open daily from 10 am-5:30 pm! Plan your visit.

Photo: D. Finnin/ © AMNH

Mark Twain in the lab of Nikola Tesla, spring of 1894. Twain is holding Tesla's experimental vacuum lamp, which is powered by a loop of wire which is receiving electromagnetic energy from a Tesla coil. Tesla's face is visible in the background.

Something that schools don't teach you but is much needed: how to have a work/life balance that works for you.

As someone who works fulltime and does classes and attempts a social life and hobbies, this gets very hard and stressful. But here are some tips I have for helping:

Learn to say no and not feel guilty. Picking up that extra shift when you had plans? Politely decline. Your friend is begging you to take ANOTHER class when your plate is full so you can have one together? Just be honest and say you can't.

Prioritize your sleep and eating. You can't function well if you don't sleep and eat enough. These are not things you can just push aside and do when you get the time. These are basic things you need to survive. These are literally basic needs. Don't throw them to the side. Your body does its best to take care of you. Make sure you take care of it too.

Have boundaries and be firm with them. If you tell your manager you can only work x, y, and z, don't let them add a or b to it. Respectfully but firmly let them know that you can't take on those things and if they have you do a or b, your work overall is going to majorly decrease in quality. Schedule time for yourself. For studying. For going out. And treat those set aside times just like you would if they were work or school times or appointments. You are the most important part of your life.

Understand that some weeks are going to be absolute hell. You're not going to have enough time. You're going to be exhausted and cry and throw things and want to quit everything. You got this babe. Take breaks and remind yourself how amazing you are and treat yourself after.

Prioritize things and adopt better habits. Wash your dishes right after using them. Get a set bedtime. Get easy breakfast things. Take a walk.

Your friends will understand if you just need time alone. I promise. They love you and don't hate you because you're overwhelmed. I PROMISE. And if they don't, maybe they aren't really your friends.

Not everyone is a friend. Some people are acquaintances. Some people are a 5 minute smoke break at work for your sanity. Some people are drinking buddies. Some people are library study date friends. And that's ok! Not everyone has to be your bestie. And trying to put that much energy into that many people will drain you.

SAT prep.

i was thinking this morning about how things get old and the new self love habits i'm cultivating will lose their freshness. once that happens, i tend to forget about their importance and the habit gets harder to maintain. but once again this must come down to presence. sure, we want habits to become something we think less about, but we also should probably remember to thank ourselves for the work we do. so i guess what im getting at is maybe next time you do something for yourself you do every single day, like brushing your teeth or making a meal, really try to appreciate yourself for it. and maybe come up with a bunch of examples of little ways you take care of yourself. and then thank yourself for those too.

a quick “why is my life so bad” checklist

how’s your sleep schedule

have you eaten or drank anything besides sugar and caffeine

how long have you been sitting in one spot

have you gone out in public recently

have you taken a shower/brushed your teeth/groomed yourself properly

have you spent time doing an activity that doesn’t involve a screen

etc