Tabula Rasa
Supreme Overlord of Japsterdam
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The Whitepill
What is the Whitepill?
It is the name given to a system of ideas developed over the years that aim to achieve happiness in our depressive and oppressive 21st century society. It’s an experiment, an amalgamation of ideologies, and a psychological and physical guide for those who feel that they have no purpose in our world.Because let’s be frank: Most people today aren’t happy.
Some enjoy life. They have close loved ones, engaging hobbies, love their job and field of study; maybe they have enough money to skip work altogether. Then some people are okay with life. They study, but lack motivation. They work, but they wish they didn’t have to. They find life lacks a spark, and merely look forward to the next fleeting moment of joy. And then some people don’t enjoy life. They long for loved ones that do not come, have a job they keep only to avoid starving, feel dread at waking up to another day of infernal routine.
The whitepill is aimed for the last group, although hopefully anyone can take away lessons from here. Overall, this is a guide made for people to get out of an endless cycle of depression and despair.
Where does the whitepill come from?
The origin of the “pills” comes from the Matrix: Morpheus offers Neo one of two pills, a red, or a blue one. The red one would allow Neo to see the reality of the world he lived in, while the blue one would take him back to sweet ignorance.Thus, in the early 2000’s two sociological understandings appeared: The bluepill and the redpill.
The bluepill is the belief that when it comes to social interactions, true personality and being yourself are key to success. The redpill claims the bluepill is unrealistic, and that instead certain attitudes and behaviors maximise your impact. Dress this way, talk that way, behave this other way. The blackpill is an extension of the redpill that appeared in the early 2010s. It is based on the idea that appearance is the most important consideration in our society, impacting almost every interaction we have.
The whitepill was created in response to the three pills. In contrast to them, it does not seek to explain our world, but rather tries to use the information already gathered to adapt to it and prescribe behavior.
All in all, I make no promises. My hope however is that the information in this blog helps you, even if just a little.
1 - Desire
Probably the hardest but also most significant idea from the Whitepill is the belief in getting rid of insalubrious desire.
Desire for sugar, for alcohol, for sex, for money, for power. Any desire you aren’t achieving (and even those you are, but that you constantly desire for more, in an obsessive cycle) creates unfulfillment, and therefore anxiety, longing, and pain.
Dharmic religions (e.g., Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism) traditionally hold this view, claiming one should get rid of desire. If desire is gone there is no clinging, when there is no clinging there is nothing but the self – and thus joy, as one already has everything one wants.
Of course, saying something and acting on it are two very different things. Because this is a practical guide, it doesn’t demand such dedication, and it doesn’t dwell in the theory too much. Instead, it asks that you ponder your current desires and aim to rid yourself of the biggest offenders. In time, you can progress to the smaller ones and repeat until you are satisfied.
Do you wish but can’t attain…
Desire for sugar, for alcohol, for sex, for money, for power. Any desire you aren’t achieving (and even those you are, but that you constantly desire for more, in an obsessive cycle) creates unfulfillment, and therefore anxiety, longing, and pain.
Dharmic religions (e.g., Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism) traditionally hold this view, claiming one should get rid of desire. If desire is gone there is no clinging, when there is no clinging there is nothing but the self – and thus joy, as one already has everything one wants.
Of course, saying something and acting on it are two very different things. Because this is a practical guide, it doesn’t demand such dedication, and it doesn’t dwell in the theory too much. Instead, it asks that you ponder your current desires and aim to rid yourself of the biggest offenders. In time, you can progress to the smaller ones and repeat until you are satisfied.
Do you wish but can’t attain…
- A significant other? Find the joy in being alone. Realise that being alone and being lonely aren’t the same thing, and that you can actively be open to new relationships without obsessing over them. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, should you really keep thinking about it endlessly?
- Material things? Notice that you have lived your life without a particular object of desire until now, and that your happiness isn’t dependent on it. If you get the object in the future that’s great, but don’t link your happiness to its attainment.
- A better career? You can be enthusiastic, apply yourself, look for a better job, ask for raises, but don’t let your objectives become you. Going to work being plagued by anxiety and unfulfillment will only harm you.
2 - Animal Companions
Humans are social creatures. Because of this, it is very hard to achieve happiness without interaction with living beings. Unless you are a monk and live in deep meditation, which you likely aren’t.
It doesn’t matter if you currently have a romantic partner or not, or if you have a good relationship with family and friends. A pet is very different from a human being. They help release stress, relax, and give you unconditional love at any time of day, no matter the circumstances.
For most people growing up in our community, loneliness and lack of love are a major problem. Relationships can be a big hassle, especially if your life is already looking not great. Having to deal with a partner’s issues, immaturity (both theirs and your own), and fights between you two can rapidly make you feel worse than before.
Pets are the perfect catalysts for interaction. Cats, dogs, hamsters, rabbits – decide how much responsibility and what kind of personality you are looking for when deciding type and race, and enjoy having someone who relies 100% on you as a friend on demand. While this means you have the responsibility of feeding and taking care of their waste, they won’t ever disagree with you, be picky, be unfair, betray you, or leave you. They’ll love you to death for who you are without caring for race, age, appearance, or ideology.
If you’re depressed, sad, feel like crying, or even feel suicidal, go and seek comfort with your pet. It won’t fix the issue, but you will feel better.
Side note: While adopting is always better (you give a chance to an abandoned poor soul), you will have less issues getting a young kitten or puppy, as they’ll bond with you easily and won’t have trust issues. If you’re in doubt, you can visit an adoption center without compromise if you are doubtful about making a choice.
It doesn’t matter if you currently have a romantic partner or not, or if you have a good relationship with family and friends. A pet is very different from a human being. They help release stress, relax, and give you unconditional love at any time of day, no matter the circumstances.
For most people growing up in our community, loneliness and lack of love are a major problem. Relationships can be a big hassle, especially if your life is already looking not great. Having to deal with a partner’s issues, immaturity (both theirs and your own), and fights between you two can rapidly make you feel worse than before.
Pets are the perfect catalysts for interaction. Cats, dogs, hamsters, rabbits – decide how much responsibility and what kind of personality you are looking for when deciding type and race, and enjoy having someone who relies 100% on you as a friend on demand. While this means you have the responsibility of feeding and taking care of their waste, they won’t ever disagree with you, be picky, be unfair, betray you, or leave you. They’ll love you to death for who you are without caring for race, age, appearance, or ideology.
If you’re depressed, sad, feel like crying, or even feel suicidal, go and seek comfort with your pet. It won’t fix the issue, but you will feel better.
Side note: While adopting is always better (you give a chance to an abandoned poor soul), you will have less issues getting a young kitten or puppy, as they’ll bond with you easily and won’t have trust issues. If you’re in doubt, you can visit an adoption center without compromise if you are doubtful about making a choice.
3 - Hobbies
Free time is a killer for those with low willpower or depression, as it allows you to lose sight of your objectives, fester negative emotions and thoughts, and reinforce a loop of laziness and procrastination.
One should always look for activities to fill in those gaps of free time, as it will not only keep negativity away, but also help form a lifestyle of activity and make you more productive and better at what you do.
Some examples:
Remember, the idea is not to make you into a machine, on the contrary; the idea is for you to enjoy life to the fullest and not let your mind wander into bad thoughts. The more you do, the more you’ll look back and smile at how far you’ve gotten. The skills you pick up will help you later in life too by standing out and impressing friends, associates, or romantic interests.
One should always look for activities to fill in those gaps of free time, as it will not only keep negativity away, but also help form a lifestyle of activity and make you more productive and better at what you do.
Some examples:
- Riding the bus: Instead of looking out the window or browsing social media, read a book or explore new music.
- Taking the elevator up to your apartment: Run up the stairs instead, you’ll gain endurance and get your daily dose of exercise.
- Watching TV: If you insist on watching shows, be sure to pick those that give you moral or social commentary, don’t watch shows for the sake of watching.
Remember, the idea is not to make you into a machine, on the contrary; the idea is for you to enjoy life to the fullest and not let your mind wander into bad thoughts. The more you do, the more you’ll look back and smile at how far you’ve gotten. The skills you pick up will help you later in life too by standing out and impressing friends, associates, or romantic interests.
4 - Light
There are a couple of reasons why getting enough light during the day is important.
One is that a lack of vitamin D can increase risk of depression by up to 75%, and the way one gets vitamin D is primarily from sunshine (if you don’t, you’ll need supplements). Light deprivation also increases risk of mental illness.
Your circadian rhythm also depends upon the amount of light entering your eye throughout the day. This rhythm controls a lot of your bodily functions, and not getting enough light can make you feel disoriented, have poor sleep, and a variety of other problems.
So what can you do?
One is that a lack of vitamin D can increase risk of depression by up to 75%, and the way one gets vitamin D is primarily from sunshine (if you don’t, you’ll need supplements). Light deprivation also increases risk of mental illness.
Your circadian rhythm also depends upon the amount of light entering your eye throughout the day. This rhythm controls a lot of your bodily functions, and not getting enough light can make you feel disoriented, have poor sleep, and a variety of other problems.
So what can you do?
- Activities: Go for a walk, go to the beach, use your balcony or garden (if you have one) to read or listen to music.
- Artificial lighting: Try to use potent light bulbs around your home. You won’t get the vitamin D, but it will help your body self-regulate.
- Natural lighting: Try to position your desk, sofas, and chairs in a way that they are close to windows or under skylights; the more natural light the better
5 - Sleep
Proper sleep in terms of quality and quantity has a myriad of benefits:
This is a problem. As total sleep time is reduced, deep sleep patterns occur less often, REM occurs earlier in the night, waking up mid-sleep is more frequent, going back to sleep after waking up is harder, and waking up irritable and poorly rested in the morning more likely.
In terms of quantity there are some guidelines for how much you should sleep, but every individual is unique, so if you need more or less that’s fine. Approximately:
Lastly, there’s naps. Taking very long ones can make you feel disoriented. Taking too short ones can make you feel tired and sleepy by the time you wake up. Studies show keeping naps to 20 minutes is the optimal length, giving higher levels of alertness and keeping your brain sharp throughout the day.
- Bigger sense of optimism and well-being during the day.
- Increased willpower and energy.
- Better anticipation and analysis of problems.
- Better concentration and sharper memory.
- Better immune system efficacy.
- Lower stress levels.
- Body’s circadian rhythm is more in tune and weight regulation is more efficient.
- Students get better grades among their peers. Workers are more efficient.
This is a problem. As total sleep time is reduced, deep sleep patterns occur less often, REM occurs earlier in the night, waking up mid-sleep is more frequent, going back to sleep after waking up is harder, and waking up irritable and poorly rested in the morning more likely.
In terms of quantity there are some guidelines for how much you should sleep, but every individual is unique, so if you need more or less that’s fine. Approximately:
- Newborns and infants should sleep between 12 and 18 hours per day.
- Toddlers up to 3 years old should sleep 12 to 14 hours.
- Kids up to 10 years old should sleep 10 to 12 hours.
- Teens should sleep 8.5 to 9.5 hours.
- Adults should sleep 7 to 9 hours.
Lastly, there’s naps. Taking very long ones can make you feel disoriented. Taking too short ones can make you feel tired and sleepy by the time you wake up. Studies show keeping naps to 20 minutes is the optimal length, giving higher levels of alertness and keeping your brain sharp throughout the day.
6 - Plants
Happiness sometimes is found in the little things, and plants are one of those things.
How many do you have in your home or workspace? Besides making your environment more cheerful, they:
Where should you place them? The ideal location is wherever you stay the most time, making sure the plants are as visible as possible. If you have just one or two put them on your desk or next to a sofa, somewhere you are able to touch or caress their leaves.
If you’re going to buy one remember that regardless of the type plants need to be watered and have sunlight reach them to some degree – be sure to ask for care instructions before purchasing. Also, fun fact: Plants exposed to human speech grow faster and healthier.
How many do you have in your home or workspace? Besides making your environment more cheerful, they:
- Purify the air around them.
- Increase self-esteem.
- Improve mood and sense of well being.
- Give feelings of calmness and optimism.
- Reduce depression, stress, and anxiety.
Where should you place them? The ideal location is wherever you stay the most time, making sure the plants are as visible as possible. If you have just one or two put them on your desk or next to a sofa, somewhere you are able to touch or caress their leaves.
If you’re going to buy one remember that regardless of the type plants need to be watered and have sunlight reach them to some degree – be sure to ask for care instructions before purchasing. Also, fun fact: Plants exposed to human speech grow faster and healthier.
7 - Reading
Books are one of the pillars of the seeker of purpose and meaning. Its many benefits has made it a favorite choice among doctors to prescribe to depressed patients.
The good thing about reading is that you can do it anytime: on bus trips, before going to bed, in the bathroom, while you eat.
As for those benefits, here are some:
The good thing about reading is that you can do it anytime: on bus trips, before going to bed, in the bathroom, while you eat.
As for those benefits, here are some:
- Expanded vocabulary and overall knowledge.
- Slower progress and prevention of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
- Reduced stress and anxiety.
- Improved memory, analytical skill, focus and concentration.
- Strengthened empathy.
8 - Friends
Like we mentioned before, humans are social animals and need interaction. However, pets can’t hold actual conversations, and family doesn’t have the level of intimate communication with you that you might need.
Therefore, a true, honest friend is worth a lot. Many people say they have dozens of friends, but often these are usually far less close with them than they believe. They certainly may be close acquaintances that talk to each other, tell each other some secrets and share good memories, but it is the amount of time and effort invested in a person which gives it the name of friend. The depth of the friendship is proportional to the time invested.
Aim to have few, but close friends. Most people would be lucky to have perhaps two or three of such a magnitude in their lifetime; most can claim to have either one or none.
Sometimes, a person will call you a friend but try to use you. These people have selfish motives to be close to you, and should be cut from your life as soon as possible.
But what if you have no friends? Well, then you probably feel lonely. Having someone to vent your innermost conflicts, share close experiences with, and be able to rely on is core to being human being – yet not all of us have that luxury.
It is not easy to make friends. Most of the time these connections just happen, may it be while at school, work, or simply enjoying hobbies. The internet is a great place to find friends too, but they usually won’t be close physically, and online is not exactly the same as in person.
Therefore, a true, honest friend is worth a lot. Many people say they have dozens of friends, but often these are usually far less close with them than they believe. They certainly may be close acquaintances that talk to each other, tell each other some secrets and share good memories, but it is the amount of time and effort invested in a person which gives it the name of friend. The depth of the friendship is proportional to the time invested.
Aim to have few, but close friends. Most people would be lucky to have perhaps two or three of such a magnitude in their lifetime; most can claim to have either one or none.
Sometimes, a person will call you a friend but try to use you. These people have selfish motives to be close to you, and should be cut from your life as soon as possible.
But what if you have no friends? Well, then you probably feel lonely. Having someone to vent your innermost conflicts, share close experiences with, and be able to rely on is core to being human being – yet not all of us have that luxury.
It is not easy to make friends. Most of the time these connections just happen, may it be while at school, work, or simply enjoying hobbies. The internet is a great place to find friends too, but they usually won’t be close physically, and online is not exactly the same as in person.
9 - Pain
Here we are not talking about physical pain. For the most part such a type is unavoidable, and we’ll do whatever we can to escape it if exposed to it. Here we mean exclusively mental, emotional, and psychological pain.
When you are in mental pain, is your body hurting? No, you aren’t being attacked, your body is functioning fine. The pain you feel comes from your mind, which regardless of whether you can control it or not, means that you are harming yourself. It is therefore possible to learn to manipulate and stop mental pain to an extent.
If you understand the above, you understand that you need not suffer when you feel lonely, when you are hurt emotionally, when you are rejected, when you are locked in prison, when you are insulted, when you get a low score at school, when you are fired from work.
No, it is absolutely not easy, and perhaps almost impossible for the vast majority of people, but understanding that it is possible is the first step towards control.
The next time you feel any kind of emotional pain, try doing introspection and lessen it. The more you practice, the better you’ll become.
When you are in mental pain, is your body hurting? No, you aren’t being attacked, your body is functioning fine. The pain you feel comes from your mind, which regardless of whether you can control it or not, means that you are harming yourself. It is therefore possible to learn to manipulate and stop mental pain to an extent.
If you understand the above, you understand that you need not suffer when you feel lonely, when you are hurt emotionally, when you are rejected, when you are locked in prison, when you are insulted, when you get a low score at school, when you are fired from work.
No, it is absolutely not easy, and perhaps almost impossible for the vast majority of people, but understanding that it is possible is the first step towards control.
The next time you feel any kind of emotional pain, try doing introspection and lessen it. The more you practice, the better you’ll become.
10 - Nutrition
What you eat is critical in many ways. You spend hours every week deciding what to eat, so what you decide on will be where you get the energy to power your mind and body.
Here is a quick and easy guide to general nutrition.
Here is a quick and easy guide to general nutrition.
- No sodas or sugary drinks: Only drink water, tea, coffee or natural juice (made by yourself, most sold have as much sugar as soda).
- Don’t add extra sugar or salt to foods: This includes to your coffee, tea, rice, salads, etc. Learn to enjoy them as they come. Spices are usually good for you.
- Carbohydrates = sugar: Avoid bread, pasta, cake, etc, outside of main meals.
- Only toasted or baked, never fried: Avoid also processed foods like mayonnaise, cream, and marmalade. Use only olive oil, never the “normal” kind.
- “Light” food is not good: If you have to go the “light” route, you shouldn’t be eating that particular food in the first place.
- No eating after 10pm: Drink only water and, if you must eat, avoid sugar and fat.
- Tea is a great food replacement: Already ate but feel like binge eating? Drink tea, it’ll keep you busy.
- Avoid sugar peaks (e.g., ice cream, cookies, chocolate): Keep it to every other day in small quantities.
- Saturated and trans fats: Check labels when buying products, ideally both should be zero.
11 - Empathy
Let’s start with two definitions:
Empathy is deeper. You feel empathy when you create a simulation of the situation of others in your head. It doesn’t mean you necessarily imagine it, but you can feel the kind of pain or emotions that homeless man must be feeling by spending every day alone and cold. Empathy is what makes people cry in the event of other’s tragedy.
So why is this post about empathy? It is because it:
As for your daily life: Try to understand the deeper aspects of someone crying; why, and how deep? If you yell or insult someone, try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and get what they must be feeling. Look at a homeless man’s face when you pass one; what does it seem he’s feeling?
But not all is pain and suffering. Hug a loved one and mean it, feel the affection. Write a genuine thank you when someone praises you online, maybe praise them back. Give a smile to a random person on the streets. Empathy goes both ways.
- Sympathy: Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune / basic understanding between people.
- Empathy: The ability to deeply understand and share the feelings of another.
Empathy is deeper. You feel empathy when you create a simulation of the situation of others in your head. It doesn’t mean you necessarily imagine it, but you can feel the kind of pain or emotions that homeless man must be feeling by spending every day alone and cold. Empathy is what makes people cry in the event of other’s tragedy.
So why is this post about empathy? It is because it:
- Is a core human mechanic. It’s the antithesis of selfishness and psychopathy.
- Lets you share other’s pain, thus learning from their experiences without having to go through them yourself.
- Helps you understand people by seeing what makes them tick. Call it a sixth sense if you will.
- Creates pleasurable feelings of well being, as it creates connection, bonds.
- Helps you overcome psychological problems like loneliness, alienation, anxiety, and depression. You are not alone in your struggles.
- Is critical to conflict resolution. If you understand others, you can see their motives and reasoning and thus reach consensus.
- Expands your perspective. You have one life and one stream of experiences, but empathy allows for parallel learning through others.
As for your daily life: Try to understand the deeper aspects of someone crying; why, and how deep? If you yell or insult someone, try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and get what they must be feeling. Look at a homeless man’s face when you pass one; what does it seem he’s feeling?
But not all is pain and suffering. Hug a loved one and mean it, feel the affection. Write a genuine thank you when someone praises you online, maybe praise them back. Give a smile to a random person on the streets. Empathy goes both ways.
12 - Social Networks
Social Networks tend to be trouble. On the surface they seem like a great tool for communication and well being, but analyze them and you’ll see they do the opposite.
In a study eighty-two Facebook users were kept under observation for two weeks. Results showed Facebook was causing them to develop depressive feelings, and that they got worse the more time they spent on it. There were also feelings of isolation and jealousy when someone posted photos of positive or engaging activities. Another study in Sweden observed nearly a thousand users, and found that those who spent the most time on Facebook had far lower self-esteem than their peers.
Facebook is but one example. Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitter, any social network can cause similar effects, even mild ones in moderation! While I’m not suggesting you quit these networks or delete your accounts (though you certainly will feel the difference if you do once you get past withdrawal), you certainly should look at your own time investment on them:
In a study eighty-two Facebook users were kept under observation for two weeks. Results showed Facebook was causing them to develop depressive feelings, and that they got worse the more time they spent on it. There were also feelings of isolation and jealousy when someone posted photos of positive or engaging activities. Another study in Sweden observed nearly a thousand users, and found that those who spent the most time on Facebook had far lower self-esteem than their peers.
Facebook is but one example. Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitter, any social network can cause similar effects, even mild ones in moderation! While I’m not suggesting you quit these networks or delete your accounts (though you certainly will feel the difference if you do once you get past withdrawal), you certainly should look at your own time investment on them:
- How long do you spend on these websites?
- Do you have their apps installed on your phone? How often do you use them?
- Analyze your own behavior; do you feel isolated, depressed, sad, or angry when you browse these networks?
- When you’re idle and without anything to do, do you default to browsing these apps immediately?
13 - Meditation
Meditation has spread to the West in recent years. It mainly consists on training the mind or inducing a mode of consciousness, although the main reason most people practice meditation is to either be more productive, or for it is calming and stress-relief effects.
The exact benefits can vary from person to person, but in general you’ll notice:
Try these exercises every day for one month without fail (consistency is key!), and compare yourself now to yourself then to check what changes you see. You can decide whether to continue or not at that point – the important thing is to give it a chance!
The exact benefits can vary from person to person, but in general you’ll notice:
- Prevention and release of stress.
- Decrease of anxiety and panic attack frequency / intensity.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Decrease of tension-related pains.
- Increase of serotonin production (‘happiness’ hormone).
- Boosts to immune system.
- Increased creativity and intuition.
- Insight and development of new perspectives.
- Find a quiet and relaxing environment, perhaps your bedroom.
- Sit comfortably in an upright position. Be sure your back is straight for ease in breathing. You should be comfortable and feel no pain in your posture.
- Close your eyes. Inhale deeply for four seconds, then exhale fully for another four seconds. Focus on nothing but the sound of the air going in and out. Although it will be hard (it is even for experts), try to keep your mind blank and push aside all thoughts.
- Repeat for as long as you want. Ideally try for ~5 minutes a day at least.
Try these exercises every day for one month without fail (consistency is key!), and compare yourself now to yourself then to check what changes you see. You can decide whether to continue or not at that point – the important thing is to give it a chance!
14 - Showers
Specifically, we’ll talk about cold showers.
Now, everyone loves showering with hot water: They relax your body, calm you down, ‘reset’ you after a long day, and even act as a replacement for emotional warmth after a bad experience.
However, cold showers (not freezing – though you can use freezing water if you want to) affect your body in a different way:
And hey, if you need extra motivation to try this out, just think of the money you’ll save!
Now, everyone loves showering with hot water: They relax your body, calm you down, ‘reset’ you after a long day, and even act as a replacement for emotional warmth after a bad experience.
However, cold showers (not freezing – though you can use freezing water if you want to) affect your body in a different way:
- Better blood circulation and lung capacity.
- Release of beneficial hormones into your bloodstream.
- Strengthening of your immune system.
- Overall feeling of regained energy and refreshment.
- Higher resilience to cold weather.
And hey, if you need extra motivation to try this out, just think of the money you’ll save!
15 - Procrastination
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” Buddha said that, and it is important to understand what he meant if you want to beat your biggest obstacle: Procrastination.
Procrastination is the act of postponing or delaying something. You don’t want to study now so you’ll do it later. You want to quit smoking, so you set a date on your calendar instead of quitting right that instant. Your room is messy, but you don’t want to clean it right now, so you promise yourself you’ll do it soon… yet again.
So why is procrastination bad?
As Buddha said, focus on the present. The past is gone; look back too much and you’ll miss what’s in front of you. The future is not here yet, look too far and you won’t be able to steer your life the way you want it. Thus, live moment to moment and you’ll enjoy a pure, distilled life.
And what does living in the moment entail? Well, it means changing the way you think. Why task future you with cleaning your room? Let him enjoy some free time, do him (yourself) a favor and do it now instead. You’ll get it out of the way and feel good once you do.
If you liked that past/present/future idea you can use this as motivation. Thank past versions of yourself for having done work you would have had to do now. Do work now for your future you as a token of kindness to yourself. Silly as it sounds, it will help and make you smile.
Procrastination is the act of postponing or delaying something. You don’t want to study now so you’ll do it later. You want to quit smoking, so you set a date on your calendar instead of quitting right that instant. Your room is messy, but you don’t want to clean it right now, so you promise yourself you’ll do it soon… yet again.
So why is procrastination bad?
- Time lost: Delay things, and when you do get around to doing them they might take more time to do, and more effort.
- Anxiety: You might have delayed a task, but you’ll feel guilty you didn’t do it when you had the chance, and will feel anxious.
- Stress: Had to study but waited until last second? Now time is pressing and the test is tomorrow. Stress can pick up fast.
- Health: Procrastinators are less healthy, less happy, have lower self-esteem, and poorer decision-making ability than their peers.
As Buddha said, focus on the present. The past is gone; look back too much and you’ll miss what’s in front of you. The future is not here yet, look too far and you won’t be able to steer your life the way you want it. Thus, live moment to moment and you’ll enjoy a pure, distilled life.
And what does living in the moment entail? Well, it means changing the way you think. Why task future you with cleaning your room? Let him enjoy some free time, do him (yourself) a favor and do it now instead. You’ll get it out of the way and feel good once you do.
If you liked that past/present/future idea you can use this as motivation. Thank past versions of yourself for having done work you would have had to do now. Do work now for your future you as a token of kindness to yourself. Silly as it sounds, it will help and make you smile.
16 - Fasting
Fasting is generally done due to health issues or religious reasons. But as it turns out it can have tremendous benefits for the body:
Here is a simple method that I use: Pick a day of the week that you aren’t going to be doing any hard work. During that day and until the very next morning, don’t eat anything. You can drink water, tea, or coffee, as long as you don’t add sugar or chemicals.
The next morning have a good breakfast (eat slowly!) and resume your normal eating patterns. If you are unable to last a full day or if you are not feeling well, definitely do eat and stop fasting, this isn’t supposed to be painful but an enjoyable introspective trip. If you’re still uneasy about this experiment, consult your doctor, he can give you more details and keep an eye on you.
Always be open to new experiences!
- Improves blood sugar control.
- Fights inflammation of the body.
- Improves blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Betters self-discipline.
- Encourages introspection.
- Aids weight regulation and ‘resets’ your metabolism.
- Improves brain function and prevent neurological problems.
- Makes food taste amazing when the fast ends.
- Delays aging.
- Seems to prevents certain types of cancer.
Here is a simple method that I use: Pick a day of the week that you aren’t going to be doing any hard work. During that day and until the very next morning, don’t eat anything. You can drink water, tea, or coffee, as long as you don’t add sugar or chemicals.
The next morning have a good breakfast (eat slowly!) and resume your normal eating patterns. If you are unable to last a full day or if you are not feeling well, definitely do eat and stop fasting, this isn’t supposed to be painful but an enjoyable introspective trip. If you’re still uneasy about this experiment, consult your doctor, he can give you more details and keep an eye on you.
Always be open to new experiences!
17 - Exercise
We all know exercise is good, and we all know that starting out is the hardest step to take. But there is a specific type of exercise that can help you get motivated far more than a gym membership. It’s called High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Those suffering from depression and low willpower especially know that they should workout, but they just feel like crap. When your life sucks, you hardly want to go and make your muscles hurt. HIIT can help. It’s an exercise strategy that alternates intense short exercise with small breaks. The exercises are a bit demanding, but they last far less than your usual workout. The standard set lasts seven minutes, but you can make it as short as four!
Some of the benefits:
The actual set is online, or you can download an app (just search ‘7 min’). The set includes jumping jacks, wall sits, push-ups, abdominal crunches, step-ups, squats, triceps dip, planks, high knees, lunges, push-ups with rotation and side planks — in that order.
Those suffering from depression and low willpower especially know that they should workout, but they just feel like crap. When your life sucks, you hardly want to go and make your muscles hurt. HIIT can help. It’s an exercise strategy that alternates intense short exercise with small breaks. The exercises are a bit demanding, but they last far less than your usual workout. The standard set lasts seven minutes, but you can make it as short as four!
Some of the benefits:
- Better athletic capacity and condition.
- Improved glucose metabolism.
- Improved fat burning.
- Better blood circulation.
- Increased release of serotonin, the happiness hormone.
The actual set is online, or you can download an app (just search ‘7 min’). The set includes jumping jacks, wall sits, push-ups, abdominal crunches, step-ups, squats, triceps dip, planks, high knees, lunges, push-ups with rotation and side planks — in that order.
18 - Lucid Dreams
Dreams are wonderful. It is doubtful anyone who has experienced a sweet dream would say that they would prefer to have a dreamless night.
Fly far above the clouds, find the perfect girl, be the hero of the city, travel to Mars – anything is possible when asleep. And so, it’s not strange to find that lucid dreaming is quite popular with those who have heard about it.
Lucid dreaming happens in those occasions where one is conscious of being in a dream, and thus is able to manipulate it in any way or form. No need to let your mind choose the plot, you can set the course yourself.
For some lucid dreaming comes naturally, for some it comes with practice. I’m sadly not too versed here to offer much advice, as this also intersects the area of OBE (out of body experiences), and there’s too much material to cover for an article intended to barely touch the topic.
What I can suggest as a small tweak to your routine is that the first thing you do when you wake up is to write down on a notebook / laptop whatever you remember from your dreams, if anything. Do it every single day. Write down as much detail as possible, no matter if you don’t intend to ever read the notes again. This will help train your mind and make you start remembering your dreams with more fidelity, as we generally forget all about them after the first five minutes of waking up.
Eventually, your brain will let you be conscious while on REM sleep (when you dream), letting you lucid dream.
Fly far above the clouds, find the perfect girl, be the hero of the city, travel to Mars – anything is possible when asleep. And so, it’s not strange to find that lucid dreaming is quite popular with those who have heard about it.
Lucid dreaming happens in those occasions where one is conscious of being in a dream, and thus is able to manipulate it in any way or form. No need to let your mind choose the plot, you can set the course yourself.
For some lucid dreaming comes naturally, for some it comes with practice. I’m sadly not too versed here to offer much advice, as this also intersects the area of OBE (out of body experiences), and there’s too much material to cover for an article intended to barely touch the topic.
What I can suggest as a small tweak to your routine is that the first thing you do when you wake up is to write down on a notebook / laptop whatever you remember from your dreams, if anything. Do it every single day. Write down as much detail as possible, no matter if you don’t intend to ever read the notes again. This will help train your mind and make you start remembering your dreams with more fidelity, as we generally forget all about them after the first five minutes of waking up.
Eventually, your brain will let you be conscious while on REM sleep (when you dream), letting you lucid dream.
19 - Notes
Perhaps something you’ll want to start doing very early on is to start your own notes.
These notes have a double purpose: First, they allow you to keep track of the objectives in your life, both short term and long term, and how far you have progressed in each of them. Second, it lets you write down your thoughts, feelings, and ideas as you get them.
Let’s talk objectives: When you read each of these articles, you might or might not decide to give each idea a try. Cold showers, different diet, new hobbies – it’s all great, but most people will try these things once or twice and then stop. By writing down what your short term, medium term, and long term objectives in your life are, you’re assured to keep yourself in check and keep motivation flowing. You’ll know that today your aim is to do, say, three of these things, and so when you go to bed at night you’ll be able to tick them off as done and pat yourself in the back. You’ll see progress and keep yourself motivated.
Then you have free writing: During each day you get ideas, thoughts, and emotions that you generally brush off after a few minutes, or move on and forget about. These things are important, and in a week, month, or year, when you look back and read your entries for the day detailing these things, you’ll see what your thought process was at the moment and how far you’ve gotten since. You’ll read about your struggle to cut sugar from your diet, and see how now you effortlessly drink water every meal. How you used to do 4 minutes of exercise and feel exhausted, and how you now do 7 every day. Your pain and effort won’t be lost, and it will have been worth it.
Thus, keep a small notebook (one that fits in your hand, no bigger), and carry it with you everywhere. A cellphone is not the same, but it works. Whenever you feel like writing, write. If you don’t want to, write down exactly that in a line. Force yourself to make it a habit, and you’ll see that you’ll grow to enjoy it. Say whatever you want to say, vent if you want, complain, reward yourself.
These notes have a double purpose: First, they allow you to keep track of the objectives in your life, both short term and long term, and how far you have progressed in each of them. Second, it lets you write down your thoughts, feelings, and ideas as you get them.
Let’s talk objectives: When you read each of these articles, you might or might not decide to give each idea a try. Cold showers, different diet, new hobbies – it’s all great, but most people will try these things once or twice and then stop. By writing down what your short term, medium term, and long term objectives in your life are, you’re assured to keep yourself in check and keep motivation flowing. You’ll know that today your aim is to do, say, three of these things, and so when you go to bed at night you’ll be able to tick them off as done and pat yourself in the back. You’ll see progress and keep yourself motivated.
Then you have free writing: During each day you get ideas, thoughts, and emotions that you generally brush off after a few minutes, or move on and forget about. These things are important, and in a week, month, or year, when you look back and read your entries for the day detailing these things, you’ll see what your thought process was at the moment and how far you’ve gotten since. You’ll read about your struggle to cut sugar from your diet, and see how now you effortlessly drink water every meal. How you used to do 4 minutes of exercise and feel exhausted, and how you now do 7 every day. Your pain and effort won’t be lost, and it will have been worth it.
Thus, keep a small notebook (one that fits in your hand, no bigger), and carry it with you everywhere. A cellphone is not the same, but it works. Whenever you feel like writing, write. If you don’t want to, write down exactly that in a line. Force yourself to make it a habit, and you’ll see that you’ll grow to enjoy it. Say whatever you want to say, vent if you want, complain, reward yourself.
20 - Motivation
The Whitepill aims to be approachable. It takes important lessons from life and showcases them in their simplest form.
But even such small requests can be too much for some. It’s not that the requests are unreasonable or those trying them out are lazy, but rather their reserves of motivation and willpower are used elsewhere. Perhaps you already are exhausted after a long day of work, or barely have any energy after a few hours of strenous study. In that case, you just wanna get over the routine and go relax, watch TV, take a nap.
But without new experiences there is no change, so we have to replenish or maintain those reserves. Here are a couple ideas to do so:
But even such small requests can be too much for some. It’s not that the requests are unreasonable or those trying them out are lazy, but rather their reserves of motivation and willpower are used elsewhere. Perhaps you already are exhausted after a long day of work, or barely have any energy after a few hours of strenous study. In that case, you just wanna get over the routine and go relax, watch TV, take a nap.
But without new experiences there is no change, so we have to replenish or maintain those reserves. Here are a couple ideas to do so:
- Look forward to events: Keeping routine is okay, but you have to look forward to things in your future to keep your mood up. For example, it may be Tuesday, but this Friday you’re going bowling with friends, and you can’t wait! Keep rewards always around the corner, no matter how small. Going to the cinema, visiting a friend, going to the beach. These things keep excitement in the air and break the routine of the day.
- Find excitement in experiences: The first time I tried fasting I had no idea what would happen to me. Would I be shaking after a day without food? Would I be pleading for food? The thought made me nervous, certainly, but it was also somewhat fun, and kept me on my toes looking forward to what would hapen next.
- Make days memorable: The reason older people have worse memory in general is not that their brain is slowing down (though for many it does as well), but rather that days blend and become monotonous. When you experience eating breakfast for 50 years straight, there is little reason for your brain to keep the memory of today’s. When you’re a kid though, the memory stays, because the experience is different still every time. With this analogy, make every day different in order to have more memories and enjoy your days more. Take different routes to school, walk instead of using a bike, drink tea instead of coffee, drink soup in the morning instead of cereal – weird, but why not? Again, this will give you more energy every day as you don’t stay within one routine.
- Reward yourself: You won’t find yourself keeping to a schedule or experience if you aren’t getting anything out of it short term.. Long term rewards (e.g. a longer lifespan by doing exercise) are too separated from the present to influence you to keep doing things today. So, give yourself a treat when you do something new. Order food instead of cooking, watch a movie at the cinema instead of at home, eat some candy after finishing a book. Be creative.
21 - Astral Projection
While very much related to lucid dreaming, astral projection is a separate activity involving out-of-body experiences, where what is known as the “astral body” separates from the physical body.
When out of the physical body, one is able to fly, pass through walls, teleport, interact with other beings in the astral plane, explore the universe, and more. However, these abilities take time to learn, and are certainly seen with skepticism by most people not familiar with astral projection.
Regardless of whether you believe in it or not, there is nothing to lose in trying out some exercises. At worse, you’ll indirectly help yourself learn to focus, relax, and meditate, and you’ll learn about a new topic. At best, you’ll get to literally escape your body. If you hate your life, there’s no better escapism.
While I can’t say I personally have managed to do astral projection, I’ve met enough reputable people who have, and whose stories and details of the experience support the idea of the astral body being quite real, or at least of the experience feeling real.
The easiest way to learn about the topic is to read Journeys out of the Body, by Robert Monroe. It touches the topic from scratch, and is a great introduction to what this is all about. You can find the book on Libgen.io if you are unable to purchase it for whatever reason.
The easiest way to try astral projection yourself is to listen to the “Gateway Experience”, an audio guide on how to astral project, recorded by Monroe himself. The guide consists of a variety of ~30 minute tracks where you relax and follow a set of commands in your head. You can find the full tracks on torrent sites or reddit easily, if you are unable to purchase them.
At the end of the day, even if you think all of this is trash and not worth your time, I insist you at the very least try the first 30 minute “Introduction” track of the Gateway Experience. Surely spending half an hour to put a topic that has been the interest of humans for thousands of years to rest is a worthy investment.
When out of the physical body, one is able to fly, pass through walls, teleport, interact with other beings in the astral plane, explore the universe, and more. However, these abilities take time to learn, and are certainly seen with skepticism by most people not familiar with astral projection.
Regardless of whether you believe in it or not, there is nothing to lose in trying out some exercises. At worse, you’ll indirectly help yourself learn to focus, relax, and meditate, and you’ll learn about a new topic. At best, you’ll get to literally escape your body. If you hate your life, there’s no better escapism.
While I can’t say I personally have managed to do astral projection, I’ve met enough reputable people who have, and whose stories and details of the experience support the idea of the astral body being quite real, or at least of the experience feeling real.
The easiest way to learn about the topic is to read Journeys out of the Body, by Robert Monroe. It touches the topic from scratch, and is a great introduction to what this is all about. You can find the book on Libgen.io if you are unable to purchase it for whatever reason.
The easiest way to try astral projection yourself is to listen to the “Gateway Experience”, an audio guide on how to astral project, recorded by Monroe himself. The guide consists of a variety of ~30 minute tracks where you relax and follow a set of commands in your head. You can find the full tracks on torrent sites or reddit easily, if you are unable to purchase them.
At the end of the day, even if you think all of this is trash and not worth your time, I insist you at the very least try the first 30 minute “Introduction” track of the Gateway Experience. Surely spending half an hour to put a topic that has been the interest of humans for thousands of years to rest is a worthy investment.
22 - Education
Learning is perhaps one of the true core teachings of the Whitepill. It is a necessity if one is to stay healthy, active, and content.
However, there are two mistakes made by most people regarding education:
First, that education equals going to highschool / college / any type of educational institution. These places certainly offer knowledge, but it is very particular to the type of career or path that you pick, and as many know, they are usually more interested in your grades than how much you actually learn; not to mention that they tend to be stressful places where one must force oneself to memorize things instead of understanding them.
Second, that education is limited to young people, before they manage to get a diploma or stable job. This belief stems from the idea that people study to get a job, and that there is no purpose beyond that. This idea is flawed and should be cast aside.
What’s the use of studying then? If we leave aside the obvious fact we will be more knoweldgeable, we could mention the health benefits for our brain, the preventive measures to stop Alzheimers and other diseases from taking over, and the overall general knowledge we will have to respond to everyday queries in social situations or work/educational environments.
Educating oneself is for all people of every age, and there is no need to go to a university to do so. Simply picking a topic of interested and diving into it is enough to start our curiosity and let ourselves enjoy the process; not everything we learn needs to have a practical use. For example, have you ever been curious about what happened at the Dyatlov Pass Incident? Was it perhaps infrasound that tore their insides out? What is infrasound and how does it work? Don’t let yourself be satisfied by some one liner on reddit: Find out about things yourself. Be critical. Learn.
However, there are two mistakes made by most people regarding education:
First, that education equals going to highschool / college / any type of educational institution. These places certainly offer knowledge, but it is very particular to the type of career or path that you pick, and as many know, they are usually more interested in your grades than how much you actually learn; not to mention that they tend to be stressful places where one must force oneself to memorize things instead of understanding them.
Second, that education is limited to young people, before they manage to get a diploma or stable job. This belief stems from the idea that people study to get a job, and that there is no purpose beyond that. This idea is flawed and should be cast aside.
What’s the use of studying then? If we leave aside the obvious fact we will be more knoweldgeable, we could mention the health benefits for our brain, the preventive measures to stop Alzheimers and other diseases from taking over, and the overall general knowledge we will have to respond to everyday queries in social situations or work/educational environments.
Educating oneself is for all people of every age, and there is no need to go to a university to do so. Simply picking a topic of interested and diving into it is enough to start our curiosity and let ourselves enjoy the process; not everything we learn needs to have a practical use. For example, have you ever been curious about what happened at the Dyatlov Pass Incident? Was it perhaps infrasound that tore their insides out? What is infrasound and how does it work? Don’t let yourself be satisfied by some one liner on reddit: Find out about things yourself. Be critical. Learn.
23 - Ignorance
One of the worst things you’ll find out there in your everyday life is ignorance. A simple proof of this is that on average 50% of the world is less intelligent than you, simply due to a bell distribution where the average person (i.e., you) is in the middle.
Moreover, not everyone who is smarter than you is necessarily mature, knowledgeable, wise, or have certain experiences that come with age. Therefore, chances are you are often surrounded by people who for one reason or another are unable or unwilling to make optimal choices, help you properly, understand logical arguments, or make proper arguments on their own.
This may sound harsh or even arrogant to believe, but think for a minute and you’ll see you have encountered this before. Think of that person who refused to accept an argument no matter how many facts you threw in his face. Or that person who used fallacy after fallacy when arguing about something, and still thought they were being clever. Or that time your boss or teacher scolded you over something you did, despite the fact they were obviously wrong in doing so.
Something you can notice yourself however is that, actually, there is no such thing as stupid people (barring those with mental deficiencies). Instead, what we usually call stupidity is veiled ignorance – we just call it like that because it’s more direct and easy to understand. People do stupid things because they are immature, too young to understand, lazy, greedy, or just plain human – even our memory and coordination aren’t infallible. Ignorance is the real source of stupidity in our daily life.
And you’ll find plenty of stupid – ignorant – people out there. Every day. You will have to learn to accept this, because it won’t change anytime soon. Whenever you find yourself in an unjust situation, ask yourself if you aren’t dealing with an ignorant – stupid – person, and if so move to accept the situation or help the person surpass his ignorance in the moment, instead of getting angry over it. After all, you can’t change the past.
At the same time, accept you yourself are ignorant to some extent, and others will think that way of you at times. Identify those moments of ignorance and try to self-improve to avoid them in the future. Sounds easy, right? It won’t be.
Moreover, not everyone who is smarter than you is necessarily mature, knowledgeable, wise, or have certain experiences that come with age. Therefore, chances are you are often surrounded by people who for one reason or another are unable or unwilling to make optimal choices, help you properly, understand logical arguments, or make proper arguments on their own.
This may sound harsh or even arrogant to believe, but think for a minute and you’ll see you have encountered this before. Think of that person who refused to accept an argument no matter how many facts you threw in his face. Or that person who used fallacy after fallacy when arguing about something, and still thought they were being clever. Or that time your boss or teacher scolded you over something you did, despite the fact they were obviously wrong in doing so.
Something you can notice yourself however is that, actually, there is no such thing as stupid people (barring those with mental deficiencies). Instead, what we usually call stupidity is veiled ignorance – we just call it like that because it’s more direct and easy to understand. People do stupid things because they are immature, too young to understand, lazy, greedy, or just plain human – even our memory and coordination aren’t infallible. Ignorance is the real source of stupidity in our daily life.
And you’ll find plenty of stupid – ignorant – people out there. Every day. You will have to learn to accept this, because it won’t change anytime soon. Whenever you find yourself in an unjust situation, ask yourself if you aren’t dealing with an ignorant – stupid – person, and if so move to accept the situation or help the person surpass his ignorance in the moment, instead of getting angry over it. After all, you can’t change the past.
At the same time, accept you yourself are ignorant to some extent, and others will think that way of you at times. Identify those moments of ignorance and try to self-improve to avoid them in the future. Sounds easy, right? It won’t be.
24 - Fear of Failure
If motivation is what propels us forward, fear of failure is what keeps us back. For instance, we may be very motivated to enter a burning building to save someone, but the fear of failing to save them and us dying can be enough to stop us in our tracks.
In our everyday lives, this fear is constantly at odds with our desires. Asking someone out, discussing a raise with our boss, start going to the gym; as much as we might want something, if our fear is bigger than the desire nothing will happen.
How do you beat this? In short, you just do it. Yes, easier said than done, but you don’t have to plunge into the pool – take one step at a time. Start with small actions that are outside of your comfort zone, and take gradual steps towards those big, life changing events.
In our everyday lives, this fear is constantly at odds with our desires. Asking someone out, discussing a raise with our boss, start going to the gym; as much as we might want something, if our fear is bigger than the desire nothing will happen.
How do you beat this? In short, you just do it. Yes, easier said than done, but you don’t have to plunge into the pool – take one step at a time. Start with small actions that are outside of your comfort zone, and take gradual steps towards those big, life changing events.
