10x your mind

10x Your Mind focuses on enhancing cognitive functions, decision-making, and emotional well-being through understanding and combating cognitive biases, improving lifestyle habits, embracing emotional intelligence, and promoting brain health. It merges scientific insights with practical advice to foster mental clarity, resilience, and productivity.

Cognitive Biases Brain Health Emotional Intelligence Lifestyle Improvement Decision Making Mental Clarity Productivity Techniques Well-being

The hottest Substack posts of 10x your mind

And their main takeaways

How you say matters more than what you say 😎 — Framing effect

99 implied HN points • 30 Jun 22
  1. How you say things is more important than what you say, known as the framing effect. It influences how others perceive your message.
  2. Using positive framing is effective in decision-making - people are more inclined to focus on benefits rather than losses.
  3. Loss aversion plays a role in decision-making - people are more averse to losses than they are attracted to gains.

Off the top of my head 💭 — Availability bias

99 implied HN points • 23 Jun 22
🔬 Science Psychology Media Investing Decision-making Research
  1. The availability bias influences decision-making by making us rely on easy, quick examples that come to mind, rather than considering a full range of options.
  2. People tend to overestimate their own contributions while underestimating others'. Understanding this bias can help in recognizing and diffusing tension in teamwork.
  3. Personal experiences and media significantly impact the examples that come to mind, affecting our perceptions and decision-making processes. Being aware of this bias is key to making more balanced judgments.

Low frequency, high impact

19 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mindfulness Communication Emotions Relaxation Connection
  1. Low frequency waves have a high impact, like gentle waves in an ocean that create a soothing effect.
  2. Speaking in a lower frequency can create an emotional connection with the listener, while high frequency speech can lead to lack of connection and understanding.
  3. Using low frequency music and speech can help relax and focus individuals, and even influence plant growth positively.

Making the best of the past ⏳ — Fading Affect bias (FAB)

79 implied HN points • 25 Aug 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Memory Emotions Psychology Mindset Optimism
  1. Our tendency to remember pleasant emotions better than unpleasant ones is called the Fading Affect Bias (FAB), helping our brain maintain a positive self-image by fading negative emotions faster.
  2. Psychologists focusing on positive emotions with the broaden-and-build theory by Barbara Fredrickson found that ample positive emotions lead to resilience, creativity, and better health.
  3. People usually fall into two categories: past positive or past negative, affecting how they recall memories; sharing events with others, especially positive ones, can help lighten emotional intensity.

I like how things are 🍽 — Status Quo Bias

79 implied HN points • 11 Aug 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Physical health Self-Improvement Healthy Habits Wellness Practices
  1. The status quo bias makes us prefer keeping things as they are and avoid change, even when it might benefit us to try something new.
  2. People tend to be more averse to losing something they own rather than gaining something new, known as the Endowment Effect.
  3. By developing a mindset of a forever learner, being open to new skills and experiences, we can break the status quo and continue progressing in life.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Are you truly happy?

59 implied HN points • 27 Oct 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Happiness Personal Development Relationships Emotional Well-being Family
  1. Finding happiness is not just about engaging work, but also about enjoying life, finding satisfaction, and having a sense of purpose
  2. The three macros of happiness are enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose - strive to balance these for true happiness
  3. To foster long-term happiness, focus on nurturing relationships, whether with a spouse or close friends, and redefine success beyond money and fame

Mastering doing nothing

59 implied HN points • 06 Oct 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Behavior Stress Productivity Creativity
  1. Mastering 'doing nothing' is essential for achieving a balanced and productive mind. Taking time to be non-busy and still is crucial for creative thinking.
  2. Boredom and tech guilt are common issues faced by modern adults and children. Constantly turning to screens to avoid boredom can lead to a lack of satisfaction and meaningful accomplishments.
  3. Encouraging 'doing nothing' time, especially for children, can foster innovation and creativity. Allowing space for boredom and unstructured activities is vital in a world that values innovation over following instructions.

Happy times ahead 🌈 — Optimism Bias

79 implied HN points • 16 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Psychology Self-Improvement Decision-making Wellness
  1. The optimism bias is when we tend to overestimate good things happening to us and underestimate bad things.
  2. Optimists tend to overestimate their abilities and the role of their capabilities in success, and they hate the feeling of not being in control.
  3. Understanding the optimism bias can help us make better decisions, stay motivated during tough times, and be more realistic about our plans.

Dealing with the urgent and important

39 implied HN points • 05 Jan 23
💼 Business Productivity Time management
  1. It's crucial to differentiate between urgent and important tasks in order to prioritize effectively.
  2. The Eisenhower Matrix is a useful tool for categorizing tasks based on urgency and importance, helping in decision-making and time management.
  3. Tasks can be classified into categories like 'Do', 'Schedule', 'Delegate', and 'Delete' based on the Eisenhower Matrix, enabling efficient task management.

More I learn, the more I suck 😫— Dunning-Kruger Effect

59 implied HN points • 04 Aug 22
🚌 Education Metacognition Expertise Problem Solving Skill acquisition
  1. The Dunning-Kruger effect highlights the tendency to overestimate or underestimate expertise based on awareness.
  2. Learning a new skill involves phases: feeling great at the beginning, struggling in the middle, then finding enjoyment and expertise in the end.
  3. Recognizing the 'I suck' phase as a crucial period of progress can help avoid underestimating your growth potential.

The human side of AI

19 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Empathy Patience
  1. AI can have human-like qualities like empathy, patience, and emotional intelligence, making it a valuable companion in various aspects of life.
  2. AI shows potential to reduce bias in areas like hiring and provide consistent, personalized experiences in fields such as customer service, education, and healthcare.
  3. AI possesses superior abilities such as infinite patience, constant learning and adaptability, superior memory, and logical yet emotionally intelligent decision-making.

VO2 max — The key indicator to longevity

39 implied HN points • 22 Sep 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Longevity Mental health Physical health Exercise
  1. VO2 max is a key indicator of longevity, measuring the maximum volume of oxygen your muscles can use per kg of body weight in one minute.
  2. Improving your VO2 max through exercise can enhance brain health by increasing blood flow, contributing to overall fitness and longevity.
  3. Maintaining or increasing your VO2 max, depending on your current level, can significantly impact your risk of all-cause mortality and overall health.

Bad ending ruined it all 😤 — Peak-end rule

39 implied HN points • 28 Jul 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Happiness Self-care Physical health Human behavior
  1. The peak-end rule affects how we remember experiences, focusing on extreme moments and endings rather than duration.
  2. We tend to prioritize memories over current experiences, leading to flawed perceptions of happiness and decision-making based on past events.
  3. To be happier, focus on active leisure, spending time with loved ones, being present in the moment, and maximizing activities that bring joy while minimizing those that don't.

Holiday break 🏖

39 implied HN points • 21 Jul 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-care Personal Development Mindfulness
  1. There are two selves we live with: the experiencing self and the remembering self. The experiencing self lives in the present moment, while the remembering self focuses on what to remember and what to forget, following the peak-end rule.
  2. The peak-end rule means our memories are influenced by the peak moment and how we felt at the end of an experience, rather than the duration. It's about cherishing significant moments that stand out.
  3. Holidays provide a unique opportunity to create happy memories for both our experiencing self and remembering self. Whether you're on a break or working, it's essential to live in the moment and make happy memories.

I'm figuring it out

1 HN point • 14 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth Motivation Self-Acceptance
  1. It's normal to feel like you're still figuring things out, even as an adult. The pressure to have everything sorted out at a certain age is unrealistic.
  2. No one has everything figured out - everyone has their own challenges and areas they are still working on. Social media often portrays a false sense of perfection.
  3. It's okay to be in the 'I'm figuring it out' zone no matter your age. Embrace the journey of discovering and don't be too hard on yourself.

The rebel in us 😈 — The reactance bias

0 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
  1. When we're told not to do something, we're more likely to do it due to the reactance bias - a desire to restore our freedom.
  2. Reactance can manifest as defiant or independent behavior, where people act against advice or strongly prefer their own choices.
  3. To counteract reactance bias, avoid overemphasizing commands, offer choices, and give others the freedom to say no using the 'But you are free' approach.