Self-Trust: The Key to Debugging Your Life

July 17, 2023

Understanding Self-Trust Self-trust is the confidence in our ability to make decisions and face the consequences, positive or negative. It's the belief in our instincts, abilities, and judgments. For us techies, it's the conviction that despite our introverted nature, we can solve complex problems, lead teams, and innovate. Self-trust and self-confidence often go hand in hand. Both are necessary…

Authenticity: Your Secret Weapon Against Burnout

June 27, 2023

Understanding Authenticity What is authenticity? It's about being true to ourselves, embracing our individuality, and aligning our actions with our values. For us tech enthusiasts, it's about acknowledging that yes, we might be a bit nerdy or introverted. And guess what? That's perfectly okay. Our geekiness, our love for coding or sci-fi, our unique way of viewing the world - that’s part of who we…

Understanding Emotional Cycles: Your Roadmap to Beating Burnout

June 19, 2023

The Emotional Cycle and Its Role in Burnout Emotional cycles are the natural ebbs and flows of our feelings. They encompass the entire spectrum of human emotions, from joy and excitement to sadness and frustration. Like the day morphs into night and then into day again, our emotions, too, are meant to cycle completely. Yet, in our race against time, these cycles often get disrupted, which can pave…

Cultivating Resilience: Strategies for Overcoming Setbacks and Challenges

June 05, 2023

Understanding Resilience Resilience is our personal ability to absorb the impacts of life's challenges and deflect them without losing our core integrity. It's about facing a setback, a failure, or a rejection, and saying, "Okay, this happened. Now, how do I learn from it?" Resilient individuals are the ones who, despite multiple obstacles, keep pushing forward, learning from each experience…

Silencing the Inner Critic: Practical Techniques to Combat Impostor Syndrome

May 22, 2023

Recognizing Impostor Syndrome Impostor Syndrome often shows up as a nagging voice in your head telling you that you're not as capable as others perceive you to be. You might feel as if you've tricked everyone into believing your competence, and soon, they'll discover the 'truth'. Take it from me; I've been there, questioning my achievements, attributing them to luck, rather than skill or hard work…

Mastering Small Talk: A Guide for Introverted Tech Professionals

May 15, 2023

Understanding Small Talk Small talk, while often seen as idle chit-chat about seemingly inconsequential topics, serves a much deeper purpose. It's the bridge that connects people, making the social environment more comfortable and less awkward. It’s the initial stepping stone that leads to deeper, more meaningful conversations. Let’s debunk a common myth: small talk is not inconsequential or…

How to Stay Calm and Assertive During Workplace Disagreements

May 08, 2023

The Importance of Calmness and Assertiveness in Workplace Disagreements Staying calm and assertive during disagreements allows for more productive conversations, reduced stress, and improved relationships with colleagues. When we handle conflicts with grace and assertiveness, we create an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding, which can lead to better collaboration and more effective…

Collaborative Projects: Unite Your Nerd Community Through Creativity

May 01, 2023

Choosing the Right Project The first step to launching a successful collaborative project is selecting one that sparks the interests and passions of the community. The key is to find a project that speaks to your shared love of technology, gaming, or any other interests. Some ideas to consider include: Developing a fan-made video game, complete with engaging storylines, unique characters, and…

Breaking Barriers: Strategies for Building Meaningful Mentorship Relationships

April 24, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Another friend of mine at the time, Justin, was a remote software developer and showed me what it was like to work remotely, so that's something that I really aspired to. Because of all these struggles and because he saw how hard I worked, my friend will, who was obviously also my mentor, set me up with his company, where I was able to work remotely. And this…

How can I establish boundaries with colleagues or clients who constantly demand my time?

April 17, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Learn to Say No As a young professional tech, the skill to set boundaries at work is essential to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Here's how to say no to colleagues and managers without compromising the work you get done or how you're perceived. First off, look at everything that is expected of you and how they impact the product and yourself, and the…

Why I Love Meditation

April 03, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Someone who is meditating might not seem to be doing much other than breathing or repeating a mantra over and over again. Inside their brain, however, a lot is happening. Modern diagnostic and imaging techniques, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), show that meditation can have a wide variety of positive impacts…

Create Space In Your Head By Journaling

March 27, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here The idea of starting a journal and thereby setting the expectation of having to write may seem overwhelming at first. But the idea isn't to write an entire chapter every day. It doesn't have to be a beautiful story, and it doesn't have to be polished. The idea is simply to do a "brain dump" and transfer whatever is taking up space in your head to paper in order…

Impostor Syndrome is Just Another Variation of Shame

March 20, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Shame becomes fear. Fear leads to risk aversion. Risk aversion kills innovation. - Peter Sheahan What Impostor Syndrome Looks Like Impostor syndrome isn’t a diagnosis or a medical problem but a pattern of thinking that can lead to self-doubt, negative self-talk, and missed opportunities. According to the Journal of General Internal Medicine, more than eight out…

Understanding Burnout - How Neuroscience Can Help You Develop a Stronger Default Response

March 13, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Stress Buildup Leading to Burnout The stress buildup that leads to burnout is associated with specific patterns of neural activity in your brain. Neuroimaging scans of individuals in a high state of stress reveal less activity in the modern areas of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, and increased activity in the primitive and reactive amygdala. The…

The Dangers Of Loneliness

March 06, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Loneliness Is Serious and Common Being social is encoded in our genes because, during the process of evolution, it increased our chances of survival. Wanting to belong and having to feel needed is in our nature. We are genetically hardwired to respond to inputs from our environment. When you are thirsty, you drink. When you are hungry, you eat. And when you are…

Multitasking Is A Lie

February 27, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Multitasking has become mainstream Because time feels so limited, multitasking has become mainstream as a way to get a lot done at the same time. However, research has shown that while multitaskers think they're succeeding, they're actually performing poorly. Multitasking doesn't work; it is merely a way to do multiple things badly at the same time. While we can…

Maintaining a Healthy Dopamine Balance

February 20, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here What Is Dopamine? Dopamine is a neurotransmitter the nervous system uses to send messages between nerve cells and plays a key role in the brain's reward and pleasure centers. It's responsible for the pleasant sensations we get when we eat a delicious meal, have sex, accomplish a goal, or spend time with people we love. Dopamine plays a role in a variety of…

Achieve Big By Focusing Small

February 13, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Going Small Focusing on one thing each day is what leads to extraordinary success. This feels counterintuitive because we're used to multitasking, but success comes from doing the right things in the right sequence, each action building on the last rather than doing lots of unrelated things simultaneously. You start by creating a big vision for your life and then…

A Balanced Life Doesn't Exist

February 06, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here The Unattainable Ideal A life where everything, such as work, relationships, and health, is perfectly balanced is an unattainable ideal. Trying to perfectly balance your life can actually hinder the progress of significant goals because achieving them necessitates a focus on a specific area at the expense of others, albeit for an appropriate amount of time. Some…

How To Use Intermittent Fasting to Sculpt a Healthier Body

January 30, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Our bodies evolved to go without food for long periods; humans in prehistoric times had to hunt and gather food and survive without eating for extended periods of time. In today's world, it's challenging to maintain a healthy weight due to the availability of food and entertainment around the clock, as well as less physical activity. This can increase the risk of…

The Effects of Blue Light on Health

January 23, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Nowadays, we live in a world where most of our surroundings are flooded with artificial lumens day and night, and we don't even think twice about our easy access to them. The world is filled with electromagnetic energy; it moves around us, and even through us, in the form of waves. These waves vary in length, the longest being radiowaves and the shortest x-rays…

How To Find Peace With the Amygdala

January 16, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here The amygdala's primary function is processing and responding to emotionally charged events and regulating social and emotional behavior, including the fear response. It receives input from various senses, such as sight, hearing, and touch, and helps to identify and respond to emotionally charged stimuli. The amygdala is also involved in the consolidation (e.g…

Why Motivation Is Overrated

January 09, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here Since motivation is a driving force behind all human behavior, understanding how it works and the factors that influence it can be important for a variety of reasons. Understanding motivation increases your efficiency, encourages you to take actions that are in alignment with your goals, and helps you avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as unnecessary risk-taking and…

Why Failure Hurts

January 02, 2023

Listen to the podcast version here When the human species evolved in groups, breaking away from the tribe and going our own way was a difficult and dangerous choice. Social exclusion, banishment, or abandonment had very tangible and deadly consequences. As a result, our brains became very good at monitoring any perceived social threats. This explains why you may worry about a fight you had with a…

Understanding and Identifying Core Values

December 26, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here Why Core Values Matter Most books and courses on self-development place a significant emphasis on setting goals. However, clarifying your values is important if you want to achieve those goals. Values give you inspiration and motivation to persist during times of hardship and keep you on track. If you pursue goals that aren't aligned with your values, it may lead…

How To Feel and Respond to the Emotions of Others

December 19, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here Empathy isn't reserved only for the challenging moments in life; it also allows you to share in the excitement of others and experience joy together. It will enable you to create more meaningful relationships by authentically connecting with what others think and feel and for others to connect with what you're feeling. “Constantly think of the universe as a…

Signs You May Be Self Medicating and What to Do About It

December 12, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here Using substances such as alcohol or drugs in this manner - to manage symptoms of mental health, is known as "self-medicating." Maybe you're perfectly aware you have mental health issues, such as being under too much chronic stress, but you're not aware of any healthier ways to cope. While self-medicating can undoubtedly offer relief from discomfort in the short…

How to Build Confidence by Overcoming Fear and Self Doubt

December 05, 2022

Building confidence requires continuously practicing your skills until they become second nature. Whatever we want to feel comfortable doing, we must put in the effort to practice it. The actions come first, and the feelings of confidence follow as a result of that work. Listen to the podcast version here My Story My own journey of finding confidence started while I lived in a beautiful beach…

The Ultimate Guide to Nutrition and Healthy Eating

November 28, 2022

The nutritional aspect of fitness is incredibly important, and it can either work for you by enhancing your results or against you by causing a plateau in your progress. Proper nutrition does not equal buying the latest supplement fad but rather following a set plan that increases the momentum toward your goals. Listen to the podcast version here My Story I have a lot of gratitude for my parents…

How to Sleep Better and Why It Matters

November 21, 2022

Sleeping properly helps fight inflammation, reduces cognitive and physical disease, and makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Given that one in three Americans sleeps fewer than six hours a night and an estimated 20% of vehicle crashes are linked to drowsy driving, we may want to start paying more attention to the vital activity of sleeping1. Listen to the podcast version here Why Sleep…

How to Focus and Get Shit Done

November 14, 2022

You already spend so much of your energy working for a paycheck. In comparison, setting and achieving your own goals is a small investment in your future with a far greater return than any typical job could give you. Getting shit done also improves your personal life because happiness is the result of realizing what you're capable of and overcoming the limiting beliefs you have about yourself…

The Ultimate Guide to Physical Fitness

November 07, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here You can rest assured that anyone who has the body you aspire to has very specific, actionable, and realistic health and fitness goals and is driven to progressively improve every day. In order to maintain the motivation to put in the work, put some thought into these prompts and write down your answers. What does your ideal body look like? Find pictures of…

The Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health

October 31, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here Those who regularly exercise do so because it gives them an incredible sense of well-being. I exercise regularly because it makes me feel more energetic throughout the day, more relaxed, improves my memory, and makes me sleep better at night. Consistent exercise has a profound impact on your mental health and relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep…

How to Practice Positive Self-Talk

October 24, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here What Is Self-Talk Self-talk is your internal dialogue, or your inner voice. You may not always be aware that you're talking to yourself, but you do so almost every minute of every day. The inner voice is a combination of your conscious and subconscious thought, your beliefs and biases, and cultural programming. Most of us have been negatively programmed…

How to Become Comfortable Socializing

October 17, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here Why Being Comfortable in Social Settings Matters The Confidence Building Benefits of Being Social Confidence is a belief in oneself, the conviction that one has the ability to meet life's challenges and to succeed - and the willingness to act accordingly. Being confident requires a realistic sense of one's capabilities and feeling secure in that knowledge. While…

How to Prevent and Recover From Burnout

October 10, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here If you're finding even the smallest of tasks debilitating you're certainly not alone. Many people suffer from burnout and neither the pandemic nor the rise of technology has helped us become any less overwhelmed. In today's post, let's talk about what exactly burnout is, what causes it, and how to build awareness and habits in order to prevent and recover from it…

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

October 03, 2022

Perhaps you've felt like like you're only pretending to be an adult who's capable of making major financial decisions or raising another human being, even though everyone else seems to have everything figured out. Listen to the podcast version here I remember how much of an imposter I felt like at my first "real" programmer job. I had been hired by Nasdaq to redesign the User Interface for an…

How to Overcome Loneliness With a Morning Routine

September 26, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here The average American is $58,604 in debt, 17 pounds overweight, watches 33 hours of TV a week, reads only four books a year, consumes 11 alcoholic drinks a week, exercises only 17 minutes a day, and has less than one close friend. None of those statistics may apply to you, but my point is that we have been domesticated by society to conform to certain behaviors…

How to Deal With Anxiety and Depression

September 19, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here One may expect the older generations to bear the worst of the brunt. But research has found that compared to all adults, young adults are more likely to report substance use (25% vs 13%) and suicidal thoughts (26% vs 11%). During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, up from 1 in 10 adults the year before the…

The Difference Between Loneliness and Solitude

September 12, 2022

Listen to the podcast version here We can feel lonely even when we're surrounded by others because loneliness indicates a lack of connection, whereas solitude is the state of feeling connected to your inner self and being at peace. How the Difference Shows in My Life The last significant time I felt lonely was about a year ago when I moved to Columbus to buy real estate. I ended up making…

How to Avoid Loneliness Working from Home

September 05, 2022

It's great to be able to set your own hours and avoid the dreaded rush-hour traffic, but remote work has downsides that go beyond domestic distractions and blurred boundaries. Listen to the podcast version here Uncaught dangers I remember having to work on-site for Nasdaq in 2019 and feeling utterly trapped. I would walk to a nearby park or the gym during my lunch breaks just to get outside. Once…

Does technology such as social media cause loneliness?

August 29, 2022

Video Podcast Listen to the Podcast version here The Internet is one thing and its opposite. It could remedy the loneliness of many, but it turns out it has multiplied it; the Internet has allowed many to work from home, and that has increased their isolation. And it generates its own remedies to eliminate this isolation, Twitter, Facebook, which end up increasing it." - Umberto Eco Loneliness…

Can loneliness kill you?

August 22, 2022

When I was younger, I often felt shot down whenever I tried to open up about my feelings. I felt the only person I could actually talk to was my mom. The stoic Dutch culture I grew up in, the military, and my teenage years all seemed to teach me one lesson: Don't be weak. Suck it up and keep pushing forward. I benefited much from this mentality as I ruthlessly grew my career and physical health…
Navigated to the Debug Life