7 Signs You Could Benefit from Performance Enhancing Supplements for Mental States

In our relentless digital age, the demands on our mental health and productivity are intensified by constant digital engagement, from social media to television. This not only distracts but conditions our brains to crave incessant stimulation, undermining our focus, deep thinking, and stress management. Performance-enhancing supplements like FlowVeda are designed to counteract these effects by optimizing mental functions, crucial for maintaining cognitive health and enhancing mental performance.

The Pervasive Impact of Digital Media

Our daily digital engagements, particularly through social platforms and television, not only diminish our productivity but also lead to cycles of passive consumption. These patterns disrupt our creativity and reflective thinking, often leaving us feeling disconnected from our own goals and aspirations.  As a result, we often feel adrift, propelled more by external stimuli than by our own goals and aspirations.

Recognizing the Signs: Are You Being Affected?

It is valuable to recognize the signs that indicate a need for change in your life, however large or small.  The right nootropics can play a valuable role in creating awareness of the issue and enhancing biological conditions that support the actions one can take to transform their life in alignment with their passion and highest potential. Here are seven signs, supported by data and research, which suggest you might benefit from performance enhancing supplements:

1.  Experiencing ADD or ADHD Symptoms: The constant barrage of digital stimuli can exacerbate attention deficits by training your brain to seek constant stimuli and rapid multi-tasking.[i]. Research suggests that approximately 4.4% of the adult population experiences ADHD symptoms.  The addiction to social media and being on the Internet is training your mind to become ADD, where excessive use people lose the ability to self-regulate and control their attention.[ii]

To counter this: consider using apps that monitor and help manage your screen time. If you are on your devices for non-work-related activities more than an hour daily, gradually reduce this by setting achievable goals, reflecting on how each session aligns with your life’s goals and purposes.

 2.  Depression or Anxiety from Digital Overload:  Approximately 20% of social media users report feeling more depressed and increase in anxiety, often due to the detrimental effects of online comparisons or negative interactions.[iii]  Those that engage in nighttime social media also experience lower self-esteem and sleep quality, which directly correlates with depression.[iv]

Implement a nightly practice to replace digital and social media with calming activities like meditation, gratitude reflection, or yoga to improve sleep quality and mental health.

3.  Overwhelmed by Uncontrollable Factors: Constant exposure to news and online content can lead to feelings of stress, helplessness and being overwhelmed, often due to a perceived lack of control over external events. [v] [vi]  Modern news has become segmented by audience and political persuasions, allowing for slanted viewpoints, sensationalism and partial truths to raise fears, anxiety and viewership.  Social media furthers this issue by becoming an echo chamber of one’s own opinions. 

Consider taking regular breaks from news and social media. Consider a ‘digital detox’ to reassess your emotional response to external stimuli and regain a sense of control.

4.  Lack of Focus and Brain Fog: The distracting nature of notifications and digital alerts can significantly undermine focus on everyday responsibilities.[vii]  The multitasking demands of modern digital tools can significantly disrupt concentration on daily tasks and induce brain fog, leading to reduced clarity, focus and productivity.[viii] [ix]

Establish periods of focused work with no interruptions, turn off notifications, and allocate specific times for checking emails and social media to enhance concentration and mental clarity.

 5.  Racing Thoughts About Uncontrollable Events: Coverage of global crises and continuous news feeds can induce persistent worries about the future or regrets about the past, detracting from present-moment awareness. Studies focused on the ties of cyber-psychology and social networking found that increasing digital and social media consumption often leads to racing thoughts about uncontrollable events and lead to depression and social anxiety.[x] [xi]

Practice mindfulness and grounding exercises such as deep breathing to maintain present-moment awareness and reduce anxiety. Regularly question the productivity of your worries to gradually train your mind towards more constructive thoughts. Consider including a meditation practice of ten-to-twenty minutes to silence your mind each day.

6.  Feeling Lost Without Direction: The repetitive cycle of digital consumption can induce a sense of stagnation, loneliness and a lack of direction, a cyclic effect where each feeling enhances the other.[xii]  This is especially felt by youths and young adults and includes a loss of motivation and personal progress.[xiii]

Pause where you are and contemplate who you are and strive to be.  Starting with self-awareness, identify and align your true passions and create ambitious, purposeful goals to help reset, recharge and rewire your brain. 

 7.  Investing Time in Oppositional Engagement: Digital media creates echo chambers that builds political polarization and oppositional engagements at the expense of constructive discourse[xiv] and one’s own mental health and well-being. These activities result in mental exhaustion, divisive thoughts and fuel moral outrage.[xv]  Ironically, as focus, attention and concentration on this engagement, the brain trains itself to look and seek out the very object one is opposing, further entrenching the neuro wiring on the activity and throwing gasoline on the fire.

Focus on yourself and well=being first.  Then redirect your energy towards positive activities that align with your values and contribute constructively to your community. Set long-term goals based on your passions and take small, consistent steps towards achieving them.

Nootropics: Beyond Smart Drugs to Holistic Peak Performance

In a world increasingly dominated by digital distractions, nootropics offer a resourceful tool to combat long-term cognitive enhancement. However, it is essential to differentiate between short-lived ‘smart drug’ nootropics and holistic alternatives like FlowVeda. ‘Smart drug’ nootropics tend to offer quick, temporary boosts that make you feel something instantly, but show fleeting results over time.  FlowVeda offers a sustainable approach by managing both cognitive functions and emotional health, fostering a genuine state of ‘flow’ that enhances productivity and overall well-being.

The Advantages of Holistic Supplements Like FlowVeda

FlowVeda’s formulation was designed strategically to holistically enhance mental and biological conditions, supporting peak performance, focus, and helping to counteract the symptoms of digital and social media overload. Here is a high-level summary of each ingredient’s contribution:

• KSM66 Ashwagandha: Enhances resilience to stress by reducing cortisol levels, improving memory and cognitive agility, and protecting neuronal health. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties further support overall cellular health.
• Bacopa Monnieri: Known for boosting memory formation and retention, Bacopa Monnieri also reduces stress and enhances mood through its anxiolytic properties. It supports neurotransmitter regulation, enhancing brain function and protecting against oxidative stress.
• Rhodiola Rosea: Acts as a powerful adaptogen to reduce stress, supports cognitive functions such as memory and focus, and boosts energy levels and vitality. Its mood-enhancing properties help alleviate symptoms of depression.
• Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Supports neuroplasticity and cognitive function, including memory and emotional balance. It has anti-inflammatory effects and helps to enhance energy and metabolic health.
• L-Theanine: Promotes relaxation without drowsiness, enhancing alertness, creativity, and emotional mastery. It improves focus and cognitive clarity and balances neurotransmitters, contributing to a harmonious mental state.
• L-Tyrosine: Boosts cognitive performance, especially in stressful situations, by supporting neurotransmitter synthesis. It helps maintain mental performance and mood stability under stress.
• Vitamin B6: Essential for neurotransmitter synthesis which affects mood and stress regulation. It supports overall brain health, nerve growth, and energy metabolism, contributing to better mental clarity and focus.
• Vitamin B9 (Folate): Critical for brain health and cognitive functions, folate supports neurotransmitter synthesis and mood regulation, enhances DNA synthesis and repair, and aids in energy metabolism.

Together, these ingredients in FlowVeda address the mental fatigue, stress, and cognitive disruptions commonly associated with heavy digital and social media use. By supporting neurotransmitter balance, brain cell protection, and stress reduction, FlowVeda helps users maintain focus, manage stress, and achieve a state of ‘flow’ necessary for peak performance and optimal mental health in our digital age.

Transform Your Cognitive Experience with FlowVeda

Ready to take control of your mental health and achieve peak performance?  Visit FlowVeda’s website to explore how our holistic nootropics can support your journey towards enhanced cognitive function and overall well-being. Choose FlowVeda and live intentionally; live the life you aspire to create.

 

[i] Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), 311.

[ii] Montag, C., Bey, K., Sha, P., Li, M., Chen, Y. F., Liu, W. Y., … & Reuter, M. (2015). Is it meaningful to distinguish between generalized and specific Internet addiction? Evidence from a cross-cultural study from Germany, Sweden, Taiwan and China. Asia-Pacific Psychiatry, 7(1), 20-26.

[iii] Primack, B. A., Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., Whaite, E. O., Lin, L. Y., Rosen, D., … & Miller, E. (2017). Social media use and perceived social isolation among young adults in the U.S. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(1), 1-8.

[iv] Woods, H. C., & Scott, H. (2016). #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence, 51, 41-49.

[v] Garfin, D. R., Silver, R. C., & Holman, E. A. (2020). The novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) outbreak: Amplification of public health consequences by media exposure. Health Psychology, 39(5), 355-357.

[vi] Thompson, R., Jones, N., Altmann, D. R., & Hayward, A. C. (2007). The impact of UK exposure to media coverage of the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 14(4), 248-254.

[vii] Mark, G., Voida, S., & Cardello, A. (2012). “A pace not dictated by electrons”: An empirical study of work without email. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

[viii] Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583-15587.

[ix] Uncapher, M. R., & Wagner, A. D. (2018). Minds and brains of media multitaskers: Current findings and future directions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(40), 9889-9896.

[x] Becker, M. W., Alzahabi, R., & Hopwood, C. J. (2013). Media multitasking is associated with symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(2), 132-135.

[xi] Maras, D., Flament, M. F., Murray, M., Buchholz, A., Henderson, K. A., Obeid, N., & Goldfield, G. S. (2015). Screen time is associated with depression and anxiety in Canadian youth. Preventive Medicine, 73, 133-138.

[xii] Kim, J., LaRose, R., & Peng, W. (2009). Loneliness as the cause and the effect of problematic Internet use: The relationship between Internet use and psychological well-being. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(4), 451-455.

[xiii] Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271-283

[xiv] Chan, M. (2017). Media and political polarization. Annual Review of Political Science, 20, 13-33

[xv] Crockett, M. J. (2017). Moral outrage in the digital age. Nature Human Behaviour, 1(11), 769-771.