rmkdigital

[rmkdigital]

{EASY routine to take cold showers daily}

Cold showers,

Everyone knows that it’s meant to be better, but the problem is that its much easier to take a hot shower one than a cold one.

So im going to get straight to the point and give you actual steps to take to get on your way to being the next ice man.

---

1. Exercise

If you’ve just come back home drenched in the rain, shivering, then its debatable whether a cold shower would do more good than harm to you. Whats better in general is to make your body slightly warmer than usual via exercise. It doesnt have to be heavy, just enough to make you warm, say maybe 100 starjumps.

Layering up isnt the best idea as it may just make you more reluctant to get out of the warmth.

---

---

2. Drench each limb individually

This is something that took me from 2 cold showers to about 5-6 a week. It reduces the effort required and it is less harsh and it's more effective at cleaning yourself as your not in shock. So how I normally go about it is to drench my right arm, then left arm, then right leg, left leg ect. Washing your torso would be the worst part for this.

---

3. Count to 20

For each body part at the start, count to 20. You can be as fast as you want, it doesn’t matter. After the 20 seconds is up, just notice the feeling of the cold water. Hopefully you would realise it's not actually that bad. The only thing that feels bad is the immediate exposure.

---

4. No streaks

I remember when I first started to look at taking cold showers, I had a habit tracker stuck on my wall and I used to go and colour out a box after each time I took one.

Yeahhhh, it didnt really work out, I feel it added more friction to the process and made it feel more extraordinary rather than a part of my regular routine.

Crazy part is, as soon as I stopped, I took cold showers waayyy more often.

But if you insist on tracking how often you take cold showers then maybe record it after some time, maybe before you sleep to avoid over complicating the process.

---

5. Slightly cold shower

Honestly, If it's early evening this is really refreshing, not an overly stimulating option. It won’t make you feel hot and itchy but still lets you be more relaxed.

---

6. Off your boiler

This is more of a last resort. The reason I say this is because you strengthen your willpower if you have the choice to take the easy route but still take the better option.

I recommend only using this if your looking into breaking a habit, or if the other tips I mentioned didn’t work for you.

---

---

7. Benefits

Improves circulation

Boosts immune function

Reduces muscle soreness

Promotes fat burning

Enhances skin and hair health

Increases testosterone

Improves sleep quality

Increases alertness

Enhances mood

Builds mental resilience

Reduces stress

Decreases inflammation

Speeds up metabolism

Improves lymphatic flow

Reduces symptoms of depression

Strengthens willpower

Enhances recovery after workouts

Improves cardiovascular health

Tightens skin

Increases tolerance to cold

There's much more but I think you get the point; you wont feel like shit afterwards :)

---

8. When you shouldn’t

3-4hrs before sleeping

cold showers are meant to stimulate you, increase your alertness and make you feel more awake.

When you're ill

Your body literally eats your muscles to fight pathogens and keep warm.

Think about it, it's not the best idea to add to your immune system’s workload

Don’t do it for too long

obviously try to shower quickly - else you’ll get a cold

---

Don’t just read this and move on with your day. Actively take these steps, try them for a week. Don’t let this be more self improvement masturbation to fool yourself

Only you will miss out.

Im working on a full guide on real, affordable ways to optimize sleep with real data to measure changes. Subscribe to make sure you see it <3

-------

My YT:

https://www.youtube.com/@ascendByRMK

Notion:

https://rmkdigital.gumroad.com/

Substack (get my posts first):

https://rmkdigital.substack.com/

[rmkdigital]

{INSTANT motivation glitch}

We’ve all heard the line by know, motivation is bullshit, and yeah

It probably is as it’s not gonna work on the same thing for a period of time

What do i mean by that; say you want to finally get in shape, you’ve watch enough david goggins edits to get you to actually buy the gym membership

but after 10 mins on the treadmill - wheres the motivation bro?

So motivation is whats sets off the chain reaction for things you do. If you feel lazy then your motivated to do nothing, motivation exists wherever. Motivation gets your ass to the gym but it doesnt make you work out

But motivation is changes so much in your life, it determines whether when your tired and moody you still choose to activities that level your self up, or binge on your favourite series 👉👈…

---

Anyways, lets get to the point, i wasnt kidding i said it was instant.

The way to get motivation to do something is to realise your behind.

More specifically to expose yourself to people (similar in some characteristics like age), who are working at a higher calibre than yourself.

You need to be around people who are better than you

---

---

Why is this?

Think about it, life is focused on getting the most output with the least input. In other ways, we humans are meant to be lazy af.

And we do this because energy was scarce and if theres no immediate need then theres no point. Theres diminishing returns of aiming for the ceiling if the floor is ‘enough’

Its the same logic as to if a group of people were getting chased by a bear, its not really a matter of whose the fastest its more about not being the slowest.

Think about it, if you were the last, its not a matter of personal development anymore, its a matter of survival. It now threatens your identity. Becoming better in whatever is now your highest priority. You know that practically you have no choice.

I really became conscious of this when I was on an insight week,

i would say i was always in the higher end of the bell curve, but during the week i realised, thats not even a requirement, its not enough. Where i am isnt enough, i was behind. I was exposed to so many high performance people that now i realise that i need to be more.

Also there was someone my age there and their knowledge REALLY humbled me and what impacted me the most.

Theyve lived the same time as me, so there really is no excuses.

No really deep that, Someone has the same 24 hours as me and they have made more progress. Its not against the laws of physics so why not me?

What I was doing before might have been sufficient in the environment i was used to, but where i want to go — i’ve got to be more.

But I have to mention this though, this is really a doubled edged sword, prolonged exposure might make you develop an inferiority complex if you don’t reach the level of expertise required. Think about it like stress, initially it provokes an action from you, but its not something thats beneficial for long.

(this isnt to say to not surround yourself with high level people)

---

Hope this will take you far,

- im currently testing and documenting things that really help you get an actual restful sleep and will be posting soon! Make sure to check it out <3

Actionable steps

Identify, find and spend 30 mins with a high level person (ideally if their your age)

My YT:

https://www.youtube.com/@ascendByRMK

Notion:

https://rmkdigital.gumroad.com/

Substack (get my posts first):

https://rmkdigital.substack.com/

[rmkdigital]

{what i realised about video games}

I remember the first memorable time I played video games was back on the Nintendo Wii , it was either Mario kart or some other game. Not gonna lie, those were some of the most fun and unforgettable experiences of gaming in my life.

I recently re watched a Wii sports advert and it made me realise what gaming was supposed to be , something social to do together (in real life) and somewhat healthy.

It was ironic how the advert on the surface looks monotone , the colours don't pop , but it still conveys such nostalgia and the joy in it.

---

---

It's crazy how gaming has changed so much by becoming so much more concentrated and antisocial. Even if you're playing in the same house , it's still not really helping you connect , but you're both just mindlessly staring at a tv.

I feel as its the genre of ‘grind’ games which really makes gaming toxically overstimulating and time consuming

from this point when i refer to games i'm mostly referring to ’grind’ games

---

A few years down the line , I was first properly exposed to video games. I used to spend multiple consecutive hours staring at my screen. It was like a drug ; after some time you’d get less pleasure and excitement from it so you’d go on for longer to get the same hit.

It got so bad to the point where when my parents tried to stop me by using an internet block & hiding my console , I used to almost psychotically try to find a way to access my games.

Fast forward to the present moment and it has been a long period of time since i have ever been addicted or felt a convulsive urge to play video games

And I'm being serious when I say this , I actually went from wasting multiple hours of my life gaming , to literally nothing the next day.

By choosing this article, you’ve shown initiative to quit your addiction.

I can’t promise that you’ll quit after reading this but i’ll walk you through what i’ve realised and give actionable steps.

The rest is on you.

---

---

Realise why gaming is bad

"Comfort is the killer. And games are the most comfortable cage ever built."

Most gamers don’t want to hear this and will get defensive about this; video games aren’t good for you , even at a small amount , stop coping.

if you were to smoke weed in a small amount, then that's still bad , replace the weed with junk food - its still bad . Bad habits are still bad, you’d be better off without them

Since your reading this, this has probably been at the back of your mind; you knowing that video games aren’t good for you but you still , guiltily, play them

Of course it’s ‘fine‘ in ‘moderation‘ , if you actually limit yourself , then its not gonna ruin you , but that doesn’t mean it's doing you any good either. And be honest, how many times have you actually stuck to only playing 1hr??

If a successful entrepreneur were to have chain smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, he would have still been better off without smoking

you get my point now , It's just cope.

to really quit video games instantly and effortlessly - you have to actually want to quit

…

Right now i want you to pause and close your eyes

Think of your ideal self , Do they play video games?

More often than not , the answer is no , because they have the qualities that I will discuss later.

…

This leads me to my next point…

---

WHY you are playing

Right now , I want you to grab a pencil and paper.

Got it?

Now write the reasons why you actually play video games.

For all the reasons i've thought of, these are the main categories:

escaping reality - stress

bored and have nothing else to do (or its fun)

want status - feeling of achievements

to fit in with friends

…

Escaping reality-

Its like when you clean up your room and stuff all the mess in your cupboard, when you open your cupboard, all the mess is gonna come and repopulate ur room. But in this case its guaranteed to happen when you stop playing,

You should definitely not bathe in stress all the time but try to intentionally rest and engage in meditative practices to reduce unnecessary stress

…

Bored and have nothing else to do:

This one is straightforward,

find something else , ANYTHING else, and try to master that activity,

maybe it's martial arts, musical instruments or even drawing, find something for you to enjoy working on. Think of anything, maybe it's something that you’ve always wanted to do, or something that you’ve always admired in someone else, use this new found time and do it.

Never use the excuse “I don't have time”.

If you really want to do something, you’ll find the time to do it.

…

Want Status

In video games you can become an elite special operations soldier, you can kill a dragon or become a leader of an army ; you could do and become so much , all in the matter of days.

In reality ,that amount of prestige takes years, decades to earn. Why? Because they take more effort and in return they are more rewarding and valuable.

Instead of levelling up your in-game stuff, level up your real self, in which you’ll actually, properly be able to reap the benefits

Work on your mind, your body and your skills.

---

---

To fit in with friends

If you have to always play video games to be with your friends then you have to question, are you friends with each other or the game.

If you make friends through games, maybe message them outside of gaming and see whether you can hold a conversation with them about anything else

Their addiction shouldn't affect you

Convincing people to quit something which has as much fan loyalty as video games is a tough conquest. Most times they’ll react defensively and ignorantly, so don’t bother too much.

There’s a good quote to summarise this; “You can take a horse to water, but you can’t force it to drink.“

So instead , what I would say is to work on yourself (physique, academics , mental state) , and if they take notice and ask , then tell them what you did.

Remember, you don’t need to convince them, the way to make lasting change is once they truly realise.

-----

free notion templates

-----

What ACTUALLY happens when you play video games

“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”

To fully understand why games are bad for you, you should realise what they do :

Ok so the first thing you need to know is about dopamine , everyone knows about this chemical now , its basically what makes you pursue things, when you anticipate a reward, dopamine spikes

Games are engineered to abuse this by giving you constant dopamine hits (level ups, bright colours , loot boxes ect). This makes a loop because your brain starts to prefer games over real life activities as they offer faster, easier dopamine.

After gaming, real life tasks like studying and pursuing goals feel dull as they offer slow and effortful and uncertain rewards, compared to the instant dopamine from video games.

Its like eating cake all the time then switching to eating wholemeal bread, the bread just pails in comparison to sweetness of the cake.

This expectation is called dopamine desensitisation , your brain needs more stimulation to feel the same pleasure so you consume more of the easy dopamine tasks.

Long term consequences:

Lower dopamine baseline

you feel more numb anxious, or depressed when not gaming

Decreased willpower

motivation to do hard things drop

Addictive tendencies

you start chasing the ‘high’ instead of growth

Neglected real life goals

what are YOU getting by playing

“Guys, what would you wish you’d done before you died?”

You are not your K/D ratio , your skins or your win streak ,

You are not the special operations soldier ,

You are not the number of hours you wasted for nothing

But what you really are , is who you look at in a mirror after your screen goes dark.

---

---

After long sessions , I always remember looking into the mirror, my eyes were veiny , red and slightly grey. Maybe it was because the lighting was bad , glare, or whatever , but what was clear was that I had gotten nothing out of that. I kind of had to sheepishly get on with my day, or if it was night , go to sleep.

I never truly felt happy because of gaming, more just a compulsive urge to fry my dopamine receptors

After this , i realised i was getting nothing out of video games , in fact it was actually a parasite on me , it was hindering my progress in the real world , where it actually matters

Once fully realise this you should detach yourself from this idea that you somehow are benefiting off this

There are so many things you can do, maybe because you don’t want to join the military you can’t simulate COD in reality , but that doesn’t mean you can go on adventures , hike and explore the terrain.

You could improve your physique to be something that you're proud of.

You could learn skills , compete with others in sport or whatnot.

Video games were always meant to be a cheaper , easier , more accessible version of reality. Even the Nintendo Wii.

---

So yeah , that's how I quit video games, quitting had been on my mind but I had never acted on it , but when I finally did , I actually did it instantly , because I simply just had a realization that I wasn't progressing and I was trapped in a cycle of video games.

Out of my many hours of video games , there were only a handful moments that I remember, so when i look back , i don't feel as if I'm missing out on much.

that said, sometimes i do look back and appreciate my gaming experience , they did make life more fun,

I believe your goal shouldn't be to quit video games , but to find something better with your time.

---

---

Also i want to make this clear, the act of quitting video games alone won't make you successful.

Like John McAfee had substance abuse issues but he still had success. If he wasn’t on this stuff would he be better? Probably.

Quitting these bad habits will help you

Also if this helps , don't necessarily focus on quitting video games , just narrow it down to reduce and stop playing.

If you rarely play games with friends, like once a fortnight, month or whatever then it's cool. With scarcity comes value , maybe it may help you feel nostalgic like back in the day.

That said , there's a difference between playing in an arcade on holiday in Japan , vs an 8 hour session on your couch, for the 4th time this week. The first is an experience, the other is a waste of time.

Reading this alone won’t change you, there's no substitute to doing the work.

To finish , here’s some actionable steps for you to actually make change

Actionable steps

Understand why video games are limiting you

you have to really understand why - find your reasons

Write down WHY you play video games

Write down what your goals you have , long / short term

Find something to do instead of video games

do other healthier stuff you enjoy (e.g: going on walks, reading)

give it 3 weeks and if these don’t work then try to remove way you can encounter the game ,

delete it

use extensions to block it.

unplug the device

hide it

ask someone else to password protect it

-----------------------------------------------------------

My YT:

https://www.youtube.com/@ascendByRMK

Notion:

https://rmkdigital.gumroad.com/

Substack (get my posts first):

https://rmkdigital.substack.com/

[rmkdigital]

{humanity is most likely not screwed}

Right now there's a lot of content circling that covers generally negative topics. From news sites to YouTube, the overwhelming majority of content seems to be negative.

While this is very downheartening we've got to take into consideration that negative topics tend to spark more interest which results in more consumption. This increased level of interaction drives the algorithms in social media to reward and further spread that topic. So from a publicity perspective, it makes more sense for creators to make more content regarding negative topics since they perform better. This cycle can also be seen in news articles.

However, this might not fully explain the large spike in these negative accidents.

Perhaps it may be because we are more connected than we have ever been. After all, it's estimated that over 5 billion people have mobile devices (source). So it's inevitable that more cases are made more internationally aware.

It also could be because as we age, we become more exposed. Think back to when you were a kid, how often did you watch or read the news?

Probably not very frequent. Furthermore, as we age, our interests would have changed, we went from watching cartoons to shows on crime (etc).

Overall, if we are going to judge the negativity of the world. what percent of the population would you consider as 'bad'? Most likely, not the majority (counting normal people as 'good'). The media makes everyone aware of the smaller 'bad' people which increases the exposure that we see to negative topics which leads us to lose faith.

We also should realise that there would not be any good without bad. They are two sides of the same coin. Neither can exist without the other. Also, you would get a better idea of someone's character if you use different traits rather than purely focusing on the black-and-white image of good and bad.  

One of the only real ways to restore your faith in humanity is to not be so chronically online and put effort into reducing the consumption of unhealthy content. Ultimately, 'bad' is still prevalent in the world and eradication is unrealistic, the more useful act would just be for you, and the people around you, to be a better person.

Check out my free notion templates