Productivity enhancing drugs
- Thread starter rusvik
- Start date
This might solve some of your problems:
https://www.modafinilcat.com/
I'm not affiliated, and have never ordered myself. But they have a subreddit: ModafinilCat: sooper smooth Modafinil shopping experience (=^
The consensus on reddit seems to be that US customs has more important things to do
than worry about modafinil, which is apparently only a schedule IV drug (is this true?) Some users on reddit had shipments seized, and received a letter from customs advising them of the hazards of ordering drugs from online marketplaces. It seemed benign and non-disciplinary but still, I would rather not receive a letter like that.
https://www.modafinilcat.com/
I'm not affiliated, and have never ordered myself. But they have a subreddit: ModafinilCat: sooper smooth Modafinil shopping experience (=^
The consensus on reddit seems to be that US customs has more important things to do
than worry about modafinil, which is apparently only a schedule IV drug (is this true?) Some users on reddit had shipments seized, and received a letter from customs advising them of the hazards of ordering drugs from online marketplaces. It seemed benign and non-disciplinary but still, I would rather not receive a letter like that.
Daily exercise, lots of water, 8+ hours of sleep each night, and caffeine once or twice a week when I need it most.
I've been messing around with this for a few months, here are my findings and opinions:
Natural stuff that works great:
diet/exercise - pretty much explains itself, if you eat like shit you're going to feel like shit and be as productive as shit. The best brain drug you can give yourself is eating clean, doing some morning cardio, and getting enough sleep. If you can't fix that then even the best drugs will only lift you up for a few hours until you come crashing down later in the day and your body/mind will punish you for it.
Diet: find what works for you, for some it's low carb - high fat, others it's low carb low fat, and for some it will be high carb - low fat. Try a few different eating styles for a week or so each and see which one leaves you with the most energy and mental clarity, everyone is different so there is no universal answer.
Exercise: 15 minutes of cardio is more than enough if you just want something to give you a mental edge. This is your brain when you get out of your chair:
Every couple of hours get up and walk the dog, wash some dishes, or whatever. Just get up and move.
Vitamin d: being hunched over your desk for 16 hours a day means you miss out on a lot, like sunlight. For a while everyone thought as long as you got 500-600 IU's a day that you were fine but recent research shows otherwise. You really should go for 3,000 - 5,000 IUs, if you're overweight then you can go ahead and jack it up to 10,000 IUs because your fat will suck up a good chunk of that vitamin d. It's dirt cheap so there's no excuse to not take it.
sleep: everyones needs are going to be different but if you clean up your diet you'll find out that you'll need a lot less of it. What matters isn't how many hours but how deep your sleep is. Get some ZMA tablets and you'll see that you get a much deeper rest. It's also important that you block out any light sources, no going to sleep with the lights on or your cell phone next to your head otherwise you'll never get a true, deep rest. If you're procrastinating and want to waste some time this is a good interview on the matter of sleep:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS-SkALrMN8[/ame]
Off the shelf supplements:
DMAE: $8 for 100 capsules on amazon, it's not adderall but it does give a nice boost that lasts about 4-6 hours.
Acetyll-carnitine: very good for eliminating the morning dread and waking you up
Ginko: also good for waking you up
altoids: yes those peppermint breath mints, it's the peppermint. So far it's been the best bang for the buck because its like $1.50 for a little box full of them and it works better than ginko IMO. Maybe a little bit under DMAE in terms of waking you up. Not a whole bunch of research on this for the brain yet but several anecdotal reports have popped up.
rhodiola rosea: adaptogen, not just for the brain but good for energy, stress, and anxiety which can be bad for your health and productivity:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYG0ZuTv5rs[/ame]
Supplements that are good for your brain, but aren't exactly "get up and go" type supplements
bacopa: it's supposed to help with memory, I've been on it for 2 months and i do feel like it's helping. Apparently it takes 3 months to get the full effects from it so I can't say "yes go buy it" but it's showing promise. Anecdotal testimonials for it are also positive. I used himilaya pure herbs but nutrigold is also good.
lion's mane: this one is more complicated because there is so much conflicting info on it. Some say you need a alcohol extraction process in order to get the brain benefits, others say you need a water extraction, others say it doesn't help at all. So I went with a 50/50 extract from nootropics depot. Like bacopa it takes a few months so I can't suggest spending your last $10 on it but it's cheap enough to be worth it even if the only benefit is a placebo. Be warned though nootropics depot only sells it as a powder so you'll have to put it in capsules yourself, but you can buy a "capsule machine" for $15 on amazon that makes it easy to do a bunch of them at one time.
nootropics - Note: a lot of these aren't fully researched, so use with caution.
noopept: a better version of DMAE, i get mine from liftmode it does put you in a better mood. If you're not doing something because you're afraid of failure this is a good one because it gives you a nice "fuck it" vibe while at the same time wanting to get things done.
Semax: shady ass chemical from Russia that you spray up your nose, what's not to love? a nice mood lift, everything is easy, and it eliminates brain fog. Better than noopept and it lasts longer but it's more expensive. There are many sources, but it's best to stick to ceretropic.com
prescriptions:
modafinil: hyped up but decent. It's not like adderall because that will let you just plow through barriers, modafinil and it's brand name cousins kind of just lift barriers away. Not a bad choice and most of you here probably wouldn't have a hard time getting a legit prescription since your working hours are unpredictable. But for me I would rather get enough sleep and take some noopept or semax.
My advice:
Eat good, sleep well, work out for 20 minutes, go with DMAE, noopept, maybe some semax every now and then if you're brave enough, maybe get some house plants, try some meditation, and if you ultimately want to improve your producivity start outsourcing. Great VA's can be hired for $100 a week or less and I have yet to meet anyone that says "VA's are a waste of money" unless they just shoved busy work onto them or expected them to run the entire business while they sat around browsing reddit.
If you really want to see how productive you are, open up a google spreadsheet, list your 3 most important tasks that will bring you money, get yourself a stopwatch or a stop watch app, and time yourself to see how long it takes you to complete each of those 3 things. Not only does quantifying time give you some motivation to get things done but you'll probably be surprised how little you actually work throughout the day. Once you know that it becomes a lot easier to eliminate the junk that doesn't matter and takes up all your time.
Another tip: learn to say no. Everyday people are bombarded with new oppertunities and they chase them but they chase too many and accomplish nothing. Mark Cuban puts it nicely:
http://blogmaverick.com/2006/12/11/success-and-motivation-drowing-in-opportunity-winning-the-battl/
As does Darren Hardy:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rRnTgkQ_1s[/ame]
sorry for killing everyones productivity with all these supplements to research, articles to read, and videos to watch.
Natural stuff that works great:
diet/exercise - pretty much explains itself, if you eat like shit you're going to feel like shit and be as productive as shit. The best brain drug you can give yourself is eating clean, doing some morning cardio, and getting enough sleep. If you can't fix that then even the best drugs will only lift you up for a few hours until you come crashing down later in the day and your body/mind will punish you for it.
Diet: find what works for you, for some it's low carb - high fat, others it's low carb low fat, and for some it will be high carb - low fat. Try a few different eating styles for a week or so each and see which one leaves you with the most energy and mental clarity, everyone is different so there is no universal answer.
Exercise: 15 minutes of cardio is more than enough if you just want something to give you a mental edge. This is your brain when you get out of your chair:
Every couple of hours get up and walk the dog, wash some dishes, or whatever. Just get up and move.
Vitamin d: being hunched over your desk for 16 hours a day means you miss out on a lot, like sunlight. For a while everyone thought as long as you got 500-600 IU's a day that you were fine but recent research shows otherwise. You really should go for 3,000 - 5,000 IUs, if you're overweight then you can go ahead and jack it up to 10,000 IUs because your fat will suck up a good chunk of that vitamin d. It's dirt cheap so there's no excuse to not take it.
sleep: everyones needs are going to be different but if you clean up your diet you'll find out that you'll need a lot less of it. What matters isn't how many hours but how deep your sleep is. Get some ZMA tablets and you'll see that you get a much deeper rest. It's also important that you block out any light sources, no going to sleep with the lights on or your cell phone next to your head otherwise you'll never get a true, deep rest. If you're procrastinating and want to waste some time this is a good interview on the matter of sleep:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS-SkALrMN8[/ame]
Off the shelf supplements:
DMAE: $8 for 100 capsules on amazon, it's not adderall but it does give a nice boost that lasts about 4-6 hours.
Acetyll-carnitine: very good for eliminating the morning dread and waking you up
Ginko: also good for waking you up
altoids: yes those peppermint breath mints, it's the peppermint. So far it's been the best bang for the buck because its like $1.50 for a little box full of them and it works better than ginko IMO. Maybe a little bit under DMAE in terms of waking you up. Not a whole bunch of research on this for the brain yet but several anecdotal reports have popped up.
rhodiola rosea: adaptogen, not just for the brain but good for energy, stress, and anxiety which can be bad for your health and productivity:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYG0ZuTv5rs[/ame]
Supplements that are good for your brain, but aren't exactly "get up and go" type supplements
bacopa: it's supposed to help with memory, I've been on it for 2 months and i do feel like it's helping. Apparently it takes 3 months to get the full effects from it so I can't say "yes go buy it" but it's showing promise. Anecdotal testimonials for it are also positive. I used himilaya pure herbs but nutrigold is also good.
lion's mane: this one is more complicated because there is so much conflicting info on it. Some say you need a alcohol extraction process in order to get the brain benefits, others say you need a water extraction, others say it doesn't help at all. So I went with a 50/50 extract from nootropics depot. Like bacopa it takes a few months so I can't suggest spending your last $10 on it but it's cheap enough to be worth it even if the only benefit is a placebo. Be warned though nootropics depot only sells it as a powder so you'll have to put it in capsules yourself, but you can buy a "capsule machine" for $15 on amazon that makes it easy to do a bunch of them at one time.
nootropics - Note: a lot of these aren't fully researched, so use with caution.
noopept: a better version of DMAE, i get mine from liftmode it does put you in a better mood. If you're not doing something because you're afraid of failure this is a good one because it gives you a nice "fuck it" vibe while at the same time wanting to get things done.
Semax: shady ass chemical from Russia that you spray up your nose, what's not to love? a nice mood lift, everything is easy, and it eliminates brain fog. Better than noopept and it lasts longer but it's more expensive. There are many sources, but it's best to stick to ceretropic.com
prescriptions:
modafinil: hyped up but decent. It's not like adderall because that will let you just plow through barriers, modafinil and it's brand name cousins kind of just lift barriers away. Not a bad choice and most of you here probably wouldn't have a hard time getting a legit prescription since your working hours are unpredictable. But for me I would rather get enough sleep and take some noopept or semax.
My advice:
Eat good, sleep well, work out for 20 minutes, go with DMAE, noopept, maybe some semax every now and then if you're brave enough, maybe get some house plants, try some meditation, and if you ultimately want to improve your producivity start outsourcing. Great VA's can be hired for $100 a week or less and I have yet to meet anyone that says "VA's are a waste of money" unless they just shoved busy work onto them or expected them to run the entire business while they sat around browsing reddit.
If you really want to see how productive you are, open up a google spreadsheet, list your 3 most important tasks that will bring you money, get yourself a stopwatch or a stop watch app, and time yourself to see how long it takes you to complete each of those 3 things. Not only does quantifying time give you some motivation to get things done but you'll probably be surprised how little you actually work throughout the day. Once you know that it becomes a lot easier to eliminate the junk that doesn't matter and takes up all your time.
Another tip: learn to say no. Everyday people are bombarded with new oppertunities and they chase them but they chase too many and accomplish nothing. Mark Cuban puts it nicely:
http://blogmaverick.com/2006/12/11/success-and-motivation-drowing-in-opportunity-winning-the-battl/
As does Darren Hardy:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rRnTgkQ_1s[/ame]
sorry for killing everyones productivity with all these supplements to research, articles to read, and videos to watch.
I would, but most health insurance providers don't cover nootropics. Without insurance, that shit is ridiculously expensive when you take the legal route.
This is good stuff.
I do 10,000 a day without even being overweight.
Probably the most effective thing in the thread. We evolved for millions of years being in the sun all day, transitioning to the cave/night-owl lifestyle we lead now is a huge unhealthy jerk to the system.
I would chill on the markets for a little while. There was recently some drama involving some market closures, and it's definitely not over yet I'm guessing.
I quit all drugs, nootropics ect. Quit smoking and drinking (never really drank anyway). Get a full 8 hours sleep, workout every morning, meditate. Also a comfortable chair like the aeron has helped me alot. I get alot more work done now and I feel amazing.
Low dose LSD has interesting potential. Low enough dose to not induce psychedelic effects. Plenty of reading available on it if you google.
I've tried a quarter of a 150ug tab which just made me feel great, a third was getting into psychedelic territory.
From my experimentation with a third, it massively enhanced my pattern recognition, I was looking at geometric trippy patterns and if I focused on a particular shape say a triangle, then all the triangles in the picture would appear to just pop out at me, likewise with a square etc. That's an obvious example, but I'm sure it has the same effect on other mental thoughts. Unfortunately a third was getting too trippy for me to focus on anything. A quarter is probably a safer dose.
I'm quite sure that's what LSD does to your visual cortex, it's like now if you look up at a cloud your mind will try and find a pattern in it, then you say 'oh it looks like a WF member coning himself'. LSD increases that massively (depending on your dosage). If you go far enough with the dosage, like I did when I first tried it... I saw ancient aztec carvings in the woodgrain pattern of my floorboards. That's too far to be useful unless you're an artist or something. If you're trying to find a pattern in your shitty 'you won't believe what this 5th grader makes a week' ads or make obscure connections between thoughts, a sub-perceptual dose could be an interesting boost.
I've tried a quarter of a 150ug tab which just made me feel great, a third was getting into psychedelic territory.
From my experimentation with a third, it massively enhanced my pattern recognition, I was looking at geometric trippy patterns and if I focused on a particular shape say a triangle, then all the triangles in the picture would appear to just pop out at me, likewise with a square etc. That's an obvious example, but I'm sure it has the same effect on other mental thoughts. Unfortunately a third was getting too trippy for me to focus on anything. A quarter is probably a safer dose.
I'm quite sure that's what LSD does to your visual cortex, it's like now if you look up at a cloud your mind will try and find a pattern in it, then you say 'oh it looks like a WF member coning himself'. LSD increases that massively (depending on your dosage). If you go far enough with the dosage, like I did when I first tried it... I saw ancient aztec carvings in the woodgrain pattern of my floorboards. That's too far to be useful unless you're an artist or something. If you're trying to find a pattern in your shitty 'you won't believe what this 5th grader makes a week' ads or make obscure connections between thoughts, a sub-perceptual dose could be an interesting boost.
Had a similar thing happen importing Jack3d in to Australia (which is illegal in Oz and in the same class as methamphetamine).
Customs open the box, looked at the 2 bottles of Jack3d and then sealed it up again (without removing the Jack3d) with a note apologizing about opening the box but explaining that it was their duty to stop the illegal importation of drugs.
Apparently, according to Australian customs, if its not a kilo of raw it's fine.
The basics for me lately:
Step 1. Eat well (no sugar/starchy carbs)
Step 2. Exercise
Step 3. No fap (only sex)
I listened to this podcast today on Nootropics. L-Theanine is one I had heard about to calm the nerves (I deal with anxiety): Andrew Hill: Hacking Your Brain for Success in Life & Business
Step 1. Eat well (no sugar/starchy carbs)
Step 2. Exercise
Step 3. No fap (only sex)
I listened to this podcast today on Nootropics. L-Theanine is one I had heard about to calm the nerves (I deal with anxiety): Andrew Hill: Hacking Your Brain for Success in Life & Business
Kratom makes me wanna work like a motherfucker but I stopped taking it since I have a bad history with opiates.. It's a really good substance in general though, for social situations and working IMO
