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Looking for a leg up? You’re not alone. People are microdosing to boost their careers and their mood during the pandemic
Lockdown has given us all reasons to start looking for something- anything- to ease the mental discomfort and total brain fog that we’ve all been living with. On top of being legitimately fearful for our health, and the safety of our friends, families, and neighbors; we’ve also had to contend with the fear of losing our jobs or becoming redundant. So pretty much every single aspect of our lives has been put on tenterhooks while we all have to just wait and see what happens next.
Because of this near constant, low key anxiety, or because many are now starting to re-enter the workforce as measures ease, we’re all seemingly looking for performance boosters. Whatever it takes to maintain our position, or push forward despite the intensity of our present situations. This constant drive for improvement, specifically at this point in history- can be exceptionally taxing on our mental health, but some believe they’ve found a solution.
Citing loads of anecdotal evidence and a fair few studies, people across the world are starting to sing the praises of microdosing. Particularly that of magic mushrooms. Canada has recently revealed that it will be allowing scientific studies to be conducted using the substance, as well as for psilocybin to be integrated into some traditional healthcare regimes. Reddit, one of the internet’s largest anonymous social media outlets has entire communities based solely on discussing microdosing and its effects. And the mind-trusts in California’s famous Silicon Valley are using it to improve their work lives, while simultaneously improving their real ones.
Looking for a Boost With Microdosing
This is largely because reports suggest that microdosing psilocybin offers a number of positive benefits to our perception and mood, which can then provide any number of fringe benefits, both in the workplace and at home- even if there’s not much of a divide between the two. The following represent some of the best researched and most often reported benefits to microdosing psilocybin.
Improved Mood
Many users, both those in public forums discussing their response to self-regulated microdosing schemes and those being systematically observed and studied in controlled settings, describe positive experiences. Many participants in either group report feeling more happy, blissful, or just plain content. This improved sense of calm allowed many to better focus on tasks at hand and helped them feel more energetic and alert.
Increased Productivity
Perhaps largely influenced by the renewed sense of positivity and focus, many users have also reported higher levels of productivity. This can also be attributed to reported increases of self-confidence, efficiency, and better time management; despite having less chrono-spatial awareness. It could be this complete disregard for time that helps, as people tend to feel less pressure if they’re not constantly aware of the clock.
Ego Dissolution
One of the most recent excitements coming from the study of psychedelics is psilocybin’s ability to interact with dopamine receptors, something few traditional drugs do while simultaneously interacting with serotonergic systems. This new found interaction, discovered using MRI brain scans, is leading some researchers to believe that microdosing psilocybin could be the key in helping transform some mental issues like depression and anxiety. While useful, this shift in sense of self could also help people become more expansive and empathetic, which would allow for greater degrees of creativity and effectiveness.
Mental Flexibility
Mental flexibility, in both convergent and divergent thinking capabilities, is vastly improved among those who microdose psilocybin. Convergent thinking refers to the mental problem solving capabilities of one’s brain when faced with a straightforward and close-ended question. This is often related to finding solutions to well-defined problems or being able to brainstorm in an empirical fashion. Whereas divergent thinking involves internal problem solving skills directed at more expansive tasks. The “think outside the box” skill.
Creative Energy
Because of this dual wielding skill when it comes to mental flexibility, coupled with the dissolution of ego, many people are much more likely to indulge in their creative efforts. Lacking the judgement of self-consciousness that has a tendency to stifle creative willingness and creative process. They also have been found to more likely search for pragmatically creative ideas- perfectly melding the two thought processes.
Psilocybin Microdosing is Gaining Momentum
Largely because of the positive response gained this far, and because evidence continues to bolster the suggestion that these claims indeed hold water- more people are considering, and starting, to microdose psilocybin. While a huge number of microdoser’s are definitely indulging- largely in hopes of taking the painful edge off of the crippling anxiety the pandemic has brought them; many say they are microdosing with the aim of curbing their current depression, anxiety, or demotivation in order to actually give them a leg up when it comes to performing well in the job market.
Choosing to prioritize a career over your mental health is a risky decision to make, but one that has been made millions of times in the past, however it’s rare that any new ‘productivity hack’ is actually beneficial to both sides of the candle we’re all burning. But it appears that mold may be broken by magic mushrooms. Canada shows us what the US does not, as the Silicon Valley reports often center around job performance, what we’re hearing from up north is a different story. While most still report boosted mood and higher levels of creativity, Canadian’s tend to discuss feelings of emotional clarity and a more spiritual experience.
Finding a Shroom Dispensary
Finding a shroom dispensary can prove to be fairly difficult, or even just a place to buy shrooms. Canada offers its citizens a number of online options, particularly ones that sell predosed capsules, making it much more simple to take precise amounts. Which is something that’s really helpful when Microdosing on your own. Taking consistent amounts over consistent periods of time can oftentimes illicit better results and keep you from feeling high or out of sorts, something that no one really wants to deal with at the office.
Your shroom dispensary of choice should also have a microdosing guide, or be able to point you in the direction of one. While most favorable regimens vary from person to person, it’s still important to have a solid idea of what you’re doing and what the overall goal of microdosing is before you start. Then you’ll be able to adjust as necessary in a safe and beneficial way.
