Johnny Belgium

It’s a fine line, isn’t it? One minute you’re a productivity powerhouse, and the next, you’re vibrating at a frequency that allows you to hear through time. While coffee is the "liquid gold" of the modern workplace, overdoing it pushes your brain from alert to alarmed. Here is a breakdown of the mental effects when you’ve had a few cups too many. 1. Caffeine-Induced Anxiety Caffeine mimics the "fight or flight" response by stimulating the adrenal glands. When you drink too much, your brain can't distinguish between "I have a deadline" and "I am being chased by a predator."  * The Jitters: Physical shakiness often translates into mental restlessness.  * Hyper-Vigilance: You become over-sensitive to your surroundings, leading to irritability or a sense of impending doom.  * Panic Triggers: For those already prone to anxiety, excessive caffeine can trigger full-blown panic attacks. 2. The "Tired-Wired" Paradox Caffeine works by blockin...

First of all, huge congratulations on your sobriety. That is a massive achievement. When you're using, emotions are often muffled, numbed, or completely bypassed. Now that you’re sober, it’s like someone turned the lights on and the volume up at the exact same time. It’s overwhelming, but it’s also where the real "leveling up" happens. Developing Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is essentially learning how to be the driver of your emotional car, rather than just a passenger being taken for a wild ride. Here is how you build that skill set from the ground up. 1. Cultivate Self-Awareness (The "Check-In") In early sobriety, emotions can feel like one giant, messy blob of "bad" or "uncomfortable." EQ starts with Emotional Granularity—the ability to name exactly what you’re feeling.  * The "Name It to Tame It" Rule: When you feel a surge of energy, don't just call it "stress." Is it anxiety? Is it shame? Is it loneliness?  * The...

I think it was my midlife crisis. Zingeving (finding meaning) and transformation. Some become a biker. I tried to save the world. I've had obsessions my whole life. I was obsessed with dogs, fish, birds, dioramas, cars, banks, collapse... but my insight remains quite shallow. I am swept up by whatever I'm exposed to. I've also have been compulsivly posting ideas since I've had access to the internet in the late 90ties. If I manage to quit one site, I end up posting on another. Arguing is intoxicating. Even about politically neutral subjects. I think I remember, turning 40 in 2022, I consciously decided to find motivation and meaning in saving the world. The internet is pushing my buttons. And I am pushing buttons on the internet. Humans have always tried to control each other. If it's not religion, it's ideology. We fight over our stories as if we are tribes fighting over hunting grounds. The same patterns keep emerging. The Others are evil, false and stupid. Ou...