u/Intelligent-Slide556

I visited a conference because of my PhD I'm doing. Even though I was doing fine socializing and building new connections, it always left me emotionally, mentally and physically drained afterwards, like I went straight to sleep after going to my hotel. And even now when I came back home I keep sleeping for 12-13 hours a day (I kid you not) just to charge my batteries back.

Networking is essential if you want to do a PhD and work in academia. But how should I as an introvert (specifically INTJ) be able to do it?

At the conference, I was basically putting up a show for everyone, "masking" so to speak. I was an actor, who was trying to get new connections and it worked. So being shy is not the issue here, I can easily initiate a conversation and even give a short talk at a conference.

So objectively, conferences are very beneficial for me and my work, but subjectively, they feel so draining that I just can't think of doing it again. And I need to overcome this somehow, at least partially, because they are just too good of use to disregard them in the future.

I visited a conference because of my PhD I'm doing. Even though I was doing fine socializing and building new connections, it always left me emotionally, mentally and physically drained afterwards, like I went straight to sleep after going to my hotel. And even now when I came back home I keep sleeping for 12-13 hours a day (I kid you not) just to charge my batteries back.

Networking is essential if you want to do a PhD and work in academia. But how should I as an introvert (specifically INTJ) be able to do it?

At the conference, I was basically putting up a show for everyone, "masking" so to speak. I was an actor, who was trying to get new connections and it worked. So being shy is not the issue here, I can easily initiate a conversation and even give a short talk at a conference.

So objectively, conferences are very beneficial for me and my work, but subjectively, they feel so draining that I just can't think of doing it again. And I need to overcome this somehow, at least partially, because they are just too good of use to disregard them in the future.

I visited a conference because of my PhD I'm doing. Even though I was doing fine socializing and building new connections, it always left me emotionally, mentally and physically drained afterwards, like I went straight to sleep after going to my hotel. And even now when I came back home I keep sleeping for 12-13 hours a day (I kid you not) just to charge my batteries back.

Networking is essential if you want to do a PhD and work in academia. But how should I as an introvert (specifically INTJ) be able to do it?

At the conference, I was basically putting up a show for everyone, "masking" so to speak. I was an actor, who was trying to get new connections and it worked. So being shy is not the issue here, I can easily initiate a conversation and even give a short talk at a conference.

So objectively, conferences are very beneficial for me and my work, but subjectively, they feel so draining that I just can't think of doing it again. And I need to overcome this somehow, at least partially, because they are just too good of use to disregard them in the future.

I visited a conference because of my PhD I'm doing. Even though I was doing fine socializing and building new connections, it always left me emotionally, mentally and physically drained afterwards, like I went straight to sleep after going to my hotel. And even now when I came back home I keep sleeping for 12-13 hours a day (I kid you not) just to charge my batteries back.

Networking is essential if you want to do a PhD and work in academia. But how should I as an introvert (specifically INTJ) be able to do it?

At the conference, I was basically putting up a show for everyone, "masking" so to speak. I was an actor, who was trying to get new connections and it worked. So being shy is not the issue here, I can easily initiate a conversation and even give a short talk at a conference.

So objectively, conferences are very beneficial for me and my work, but subjectively, they feel so draining that I just can't think of doing it again. And I need to overcome this somehow, at least partially, because they are just too good of use to disregard them in the future.

I visited a conference because of my PhD I'm doing. Even though I was doing fine socializing and building new connections, it always left me emotionally, mentally and physically drained afterwards, like I went straight to sleep after going to my hotel. And even now when I came back home I keep sleeping for 12-13 hours a day (I kid you not) just to charge my batteries back.

Networking is essential if you want to do a PhD and work in academia. But how should I as an introvert (specifically INTJ) be able to do it?

At the conference, I was basically putting up a show for everyone, "masking" so to speak. I was an actor, who was trying to get new connections and it worked. So being shy is not the issue here, I can easily initiate a conversation and even give a short talk at a conference.

So objectively, conferences are very beneficial for me and my work, but subjectively, they feel so draining that I just can't think of doing it again. And I need to overcome this somehow, at least partially, because they are just too good of use to disregard them in the future.

As an Ancap, prescriptions for medicine is the biggest bullshit ever. Like I know that Allegra 180mg helps my eczema, but I always have to beg a doctor like a prostitute does potential clients in order to have it prescribed.

But what about this argument I've heard? It's a bit like "We need to force vaccinations because otherwise the virus will mutate more aggressively/won't vanish", like if we don't do X, it has consequences for all of humanity and not just the individual person.

How should Ancaps combat this point?

Besides stress, heat is one of my migraine triggers.

It's extremely hot in Europe now, and I don't have a fan or AC. (though admittedly, a fan wouldn't do much, as the air would still feel heavy and musty)

I just can't anymore, it really sucks. I'm gonna have to buy some AC.

Why is it so that heat triggers migraines? I drink plenty of water, so it cannot be due to dehydration.

Or maybe even during the sting?

What kind of painkillers work the best for this case? What else do you do in order to just feel more comfy and overall better?

For some reason, I found that drinking a very hot fruit tea as quickly as you can gives me relief from my headaches for around an hour. I don't know why though, but it works. The heat makes me feel dizzy, and I think it does something to my blood pressure temporarily.

Another "hack" is to just allow yourself for some comfort food (in my case it's Chinese take-out), it's good for soothing your nerves after craving caffeine all day long.

EDIT: I'm quitting 700mg caffeine daily cold turkey and also other stimulants like Pseudoephedrine.

I was drinking around 700mg of caffeine daily for the past year. I was taking it in the form of caffeine pills and pre-workouts (despite me never working out at all). On top of that, I was taking pseudoephedrine sometimes if I had to finish something due to a deadline.

I quit cold turkey this weekend, because I got nothing to do and could allow myself to just suffer through the pains of withdrawal. It was and still is hell. I sleep shitty, I get extreme nightmares, today I think I slept for 15 hours in total. On top of that, extreme headaches, which I still have when writing this post.

But nevertheless, this whole experience made me more productive in the sense that I don't procrastinate that much now. I don't know why exactly, it's more of that "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through withdrawals" and I actually do it.

I am afraid that this is only a temporary thing, and once I won't have any withdrawals at all I will fall into the old ways of procrastination.

Any ideas on how to keep this "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through Y" going (not necessarily related to caffeine withdrawal)? Or am I wrong and I am not procrastinating because of caffeine leaving my body?

I was drinking around 700mg of caffeine daily for the past year. I was taking it in the form of caffeine pills and pre-workouts (despite me never working out at all). On top of that, I was taking pseudoephedrine sometimes if I had to finish something due to a deadline.

I quit cold turkey this weekend, because I got nothing to do and could allow myself to just suffer through the pains of withdrawal. It was and still is hell. I sleep shitty, I get extreme nightmares, today I think I slept for 15 hours in total. On top of that, extreme headaches, which I still have when writing this post.

But nevertheless, this whole experience made me more productive in the sense that I don't procrastinate that much now. I don't know why exactly, it's more of that "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through withdrawals" and I actually do it.

I am afraid that this is only a temporary thing, and once I won't have any withdrawals at all I will fall into the old ways of procrastination.

Any ideas on how to keep this "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through Y" going (not necessarily related to caffeine withdrawal)? Or am I wrong and I am not procrastinating because of caffeine leaving my body?

I was drinking around 700mg of caffeine daily for the past year. I was taking it in the form of caffeine pills and pre-workouts (despite me never working out at all). On top of that, I was taking pseudoephedrine sometimes if I had to finish something due to a deadline.

I quit cold turkey this weekend, because I got nothing to do and could allow myself to just suffer through the pains of withdrawal. It was and still is hell. I sleep shitty, I get extreme nightmares, today I think I slept for 15 hours in total. On top of that, extreme headaches, which I still have when writing this post.

But nevertheless, this whole experience made me more productive in the sense that I don't procrastinate that much now. I don't know why exactly, it's more of that "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through withdrawals" and I actually do it.

I am afraid that this is only a temporary thing, and once I won't have any withdrawals at all I will fall into the old ways of procrastination.

Any ideas on how to keep this "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through Y" going (not necessarily related to caffeine withdrawal)? Or am I wrong and I am not procrastinating because of caffeine leaving my body?

I was drinking around 700mg of caffeine daily for the past year. I was taking it in the form of caffeine pills and pre-workouts (despite me never working out at all). On top of that, I was taking pseudoephedrine sometimes if I had to finish something due to a deadline.

I quit cold turkey this weekend, because I got nothing to do and could allow myself to just suffer through the pains of withdrawal. It was and still is hell. I sleep shitty, I get extreme nightmares, today I think I slept for 15 hours in total. On top of that, extreme headaches, which I still have when writing this post.

But nevertheless, this whole experience made me more productive in the sense that I don't procrastinate that much now. I don't know why exactly, it's more of that "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through withdrawals" and I actually do it.

I am afraid that this is only a temporary thing, and once I won't have any withdrawals at all I will fall into the old ways of procrastination.

Any ideas on how to keep this "fck it, doing X is no worse than me suffering through Y" going (not necessarily related to caffeine withdrawal)? Or am I wrong and I am not procrastinating because of caffeine leaving my body?

I am currently in the middle of my PhD, and I would need some advice of what kind of nootropics and supplements I could be taking in order to increase energy levels, motivation and - most importantly - working memory and creativity (to be able to learn more and produce new results for my PhD thesis).

Things I tried out

• Caffeine (up to 600-700mg a day regularly): Obviously, it works, but you get used to it pretty quickly and need more

• Ginkgo (240mg a day): I took it for 3 months, but I did not feel any different at all. Description of the product: "The active substance of the drug is a dry extract from Ginkgo biloba leaf (Ginkgo biloba L., folium) (35-67:1). One coated tablet contains 240 mg of dry extract with the following content of active substances: 52.8 to 64.8 mg of flavonoids expressed as flavone glycosides, 6.72 to 8.16 mg of ginkgolides A, B and C, 6.24 to 7.68 mg of bilobalide."

• Bacopa Monnieri from Swanson, 500mg a day. I also took it, alongside Gingko, for 3 months, but it didn't have any effect on me at all. Description: "Each capsule contains 250 mg of BaCognize® Bacopa monnieri (whole herb), standardized to 12% glycosides, which corresponds to 30 mg of glycosides. Two capsules provide 500 mg of Bacopa monnieri and 60 mg of glycosides."

• Creatine, around 10-15g a day. I did feel an effect, I need less sleep, and can express myself more eloquently and have increased creativity, but it was starting to give me insufferable diarrhea.

• Panax Ginseng (I don't remember the exact dose), it made me more confident, eloquent but that's about it, I only felt social benefits, not mental ones.

Other things I tried out

• Pseudoephedrine (up to 3 times 60mg doses a day, 4-5 hours time difference between the doses). Wakes me up extremely, gives me confidence, and motivation with euphoria. I only take it when there is a deadline and I have to get stuff done. Downside is that it's just a stimulant, nothing more, it has no benefits for working memory and creativity.

• Nicotine (4mg pouches). Bad idea, I got sick and vomited, I thought I was dying. I later tried out smoking Shisha, but Nicotine neither stimulated me nor relaxed me (even though I was inhaling properly), it just again gave me nausea (but not as severe as with the nicotine pouches, I didn't vomit). Did not get dependent on it, and also don't see the point of trying it out in lower doses again (there are 1.5mg nicotine pouches in my country, but I still feel that I would just vomit).

• Improving my sleep with Melatonin (5mg) and/or Doxylamine (12.5mg) and/or Valerian Root (don't remember dose). I sleep better, but anything except Melatonin makes me groggy and just "dumb" the next day.

• Dual-N-Back training. I feel that it is beneficial, but it's hard to force yourself to do it, as I always end up with a headache after 20 sessions of that game. But afterwards I did feel a bit as if I didn't have to invest lots of energy into my thinking and still get the same or even better (i.e. creative, more eloquent) results. But the effects are short term, I'd need to do this for every day for a couple of months to check if there are also long-term benefits.

---

So my questions would be:

1. Does Creatine Hydrochloride have the same mental benefits as Creatine Monohydrate? I've been taking Monohydrate, and I was told that Hydrochloride does not cause diarrhea.

2. Looking back at what helped me and what not, what do you think could I try out?

3. Off-topic questions, but what methods/techniques (besides nootropics and supplements) do you think could help me?

My primary goal is to increase working memory and creativity, my secondary goal is to increase energy levels and motivation.

I am currently in the middle of my PhD, and I would need some advice of what kind of nootropics and supplements I could be taking in order to increase energy levels, motivation and - most importantly - working memory and creativity (to be able to learn more and produce new results for my PhD thesis).

Things I tried out

• Caffeine (up to 600-700mg a day regularly): Obviously, it works, but you get used to it pretty quickly and need more

• Ginkgo (240mg a day): I took it for 3 months, but I did not feel any different at all. Description of the product: "The active substance of the drug is a dry extract from Ginkgo biloba leaf (Ginkgo biloba L., folium) (35-67:1). One coated tablet contains 240 mg of dry extract with the following content of active substances: 52.8 to 64.8 mg of flavonoids expressed as flavone glycosides, 6.72 to 8.16 mg of ginkgolides A, B and C, 6.24 to 7.68 mg of bilobalide."

• Bacopa Monnieri from Swanson, 500mg a day. I also took it, alongside Gingko, for 3 months, but it didn't have any effect on me at all. Description: "Each capsule contains 250 mg of BaCognize® Bacopa monnieri (whole herb), standardized to 12% glycosides, which corresponds to 30 mg of glycosides. Two capsules provide 500 mg of Bacopa monnieri and 60 mg of glycosides."

• Creatine, around 10-15g a day. I did feel an effect, I need less sleep, and can express myself more eloquently and have increased creativity, but it was starting to give me insufferable diarrhea.

• Panax Ginseng (I don't remember the exact dose), it made me more confident, eloquent but that's about it, I only felt social benefits, not mental ones.

Other things I tried out

• Pseudoephedrine (up to 3 times 60mg doses a day, 4-5 hours time difference between the doses). Wakes me up extremely, gives me confidence, and motivation with euphoria. I only take it when there is a deadline and I have to get stuff done. Downside is that it's just a stimulant, nothing more, it has no benefits for working memory and creativity.

• Nicotine (4mg pouches). Bad idea, I got sick and vomited, I thought I was dying. I later tried out smoking Shisha, but Nicotine neither stimulated me nor relaxed me (even though I was inhaling properly), it just again gave me nausea (but not as severe as with the nicotine pouches, I didn't vomit). Did not get addicted, and also don't see the point of trying it out in lower doses again (there are 1.5mg nicotine pouches in my country, but I still feel that I would just vomit).

• Improving my sleep with Melatonin (5mg) and/or Doxylamine (12.5mg) and/or Valerian Root (don't remember dose). I sleep better, but anything except Melatonin makes me groggy and just "dumb" the next day.

• Dual-N-Back training. I feel that it is beneficial, but it's hard to force yourself to do it, as I always end up with a headache after 20 sessions of that game. But afterwards I did feel a bit as if I didn't have to invest lots of energy into my thinking and still get the same or even better (i.e. creative, more eloquent) results. But the effects are short term, I'd need to do this for every day for a couple of months to check if there are also long-term benefits.

---

So my questions would be:

1. Does Creatine Hydrochloride have the same mental benefits as Creatine Monohydrate? I've been taking Monohydrate, and I was told that Hydrochloride does not cause diarrhea.

2. Looking back at what helped me and what not, what do you think could I try out?

3. Off-topic questions, but what methods/techniques (besides nootropics and supplements) do you think could help me?

My primary goal is to increase working memory and creativity, my secondary goal is to increase energy levels and motivation.

I am currently in the middle of my PhD, and I would need some advice of what kind of nootropics and supplements I could be taking in order to increase energy levels, motivation and - most importantly - working memory and creativity (to be able to learn more and produce new results for my PhD thesis).

Things I tried out

• Caffeine (up to 600-700mg a day regularly): Obviously, it works, but you get used to it pretty quickly and need more

• Ginkgo (240mg a day): I took it for 3 months, but I did not feel any different at all. Description of the product: "The active substance of the drug is a dry extract from Ginkgo biloba leaf (Ginkgo biloba L., folium) (35-67:1). One coated tablet contains 240 mg of dry extract with the following content of active substances: 52.8 to 64.8 mg of flavonoids expressed as flavone glycosides, 6.72 to 8.16 mg of ginkgolides A, B and C, 6.24 to 7.68 mg of bilobalide."

• Bacopa Monnieri from Swanson, 500mg a day. I also took it, alongside Gingko, for 3 months, but it didn't have any effect on me at all. Description: "Each capsule contains 250 mg of BaCognize® Bacopa monnieri (whole herb), standardized to 12% glycosides, which corresponds to 30 mg of glycosides. Two capsules provide 500 mg of Bacopa monnieri and 60 mg of glycosides."

• Creatine, around 10-15g a day. I did feel an effect, I need less sleep, and can express myself more eloquently and have increased creativity, but it was starting to give me insufferable diarrhea.

• Panax Ginseng (I don't remember the exact dose), it made me more confident, eloquent but that's about it, I only felt social benefits, not mental ones.

Other things I tried out

• Pseudoephedrine (up to 3 times 60mg doses a day, 4-5 hours time difference between the doses). Wakes me up extremely, gives me confidence, and motivation with euphoria. I only take it when there is a deadline and I have to get stuff done. Downside is that it's just a stimulant, nothing more, it has no benefits for working memory and creativity.

• Nicotine (4mg pouches). Bad idea, I got sick and vomited, I thought I was dying. I later tried out smoking Shisha, but Nicotine neither stimulated me nor relaxed me (even though I was inhaling properly), it just again gave me nausea (but not as severe as with the nicotine pouches, I didn't vomit). Did not get addicted, and also don't see the point of trying it out in lower doses again (there are 1.5mg nicotine pouches in my country, but I still feel that I would just vomit).

• Improving my sleep with Melatonin (5mg) and/or Doxylamine (12.5mg) and/or Valerian Root (don't remember dose). I sleep better, but anything except Melatonin makes me groggy and just "dumb" the next day.

• Dual-N-Back training. I feel that it is beneficial, but it's hard to force yourself to do it, as I always end up with a headache after 20 sessions of that game. But afterwards I did feel a bit as if I didn't have to invest lots of energy into my thinking and still get the same or even better (i.e. creative, more eloquent) results. But the effects are short term, I'd need to do this for every day for a couple of months to check if there are also long-term benefits.

---

So my questions would be:

1. Does Creatine Hydrochloride have the same mental benefits as Creatine Monohydrate? I've been taking Monohydrate, and I was told that Hydrochloride does not cause diarrhea.

2. Looking back at what helped me and what not, what do you think could I try out?

3. Off-topic questions, but what methods/techniques (besides nootropics and supplements) do you think could help me?

My primary goal is to increase working memory and creativity, my secondary goal is to increase energy levels and motivation.

I bought a Ralph Lauren 1 perfume for myself. It smells really good, but for some reasons, it just doesn't last long, like the scent goes away as soon as I arrive at work.

Even if I apply a lot of the perfume, like a couple of sprays onto my neck, arms, chest, and even clothes, it just doesn't wanna stay.

Am I doing something wrong?

I bought a Ralph Lauren 1 perfume for myself. It smells really good, but for some reasons, it just doesn't last long, like the scent goes away as soon as I arrive at work.

Even if I apply a lot of the perfume, like a couple of sprays onto my neck, arms, chest, and even clothes, it just doesn't wanna stay.

Am I doing something wrong?

If I take 10g of Creatine Monohydrate at once, I have to go to the toilet after 30 minutes immediately.

How can I avoid it? I take it for mental benefits, Creatine does seem to work but only if I take huge doses. But huge doses again give me diarrhea.

Also, what other supplements could help me with cognitive function? Besides Creatine, I use caffeine (like 600mg a day) and sometimes Sudafed (off-label as a stimulant), but this just rather helps me with energy and focus instead of actual working memory/problem solving abilities/creativity.

If I take 10g of Creatine Monohydrate at once, I have to go to the toilet after 30 minutes immediately.

How can I avoid it? I take it for mental benefits, Creatine does seem to work but only if I take huge doses. But huge doses again give me diarrhea.

Also, what other supplements could help me with cognitive function? Besides Creatine, I use caffeine (like 600mg a day) and sometimes Sudafed (off-label as a stimulant), but this just rather helps me with energy and focus instead of actual working memory/problem solving abilities/creativity.