Navigating Life’s “Prickles”

Hi there! Daylight savings has changed my daily routine a lot. Now, it gets dark early in the evening, around 5 PM, but it’s getting a bit lighter earlier in the mornings. So, my mornings are improving, but my evenings are getting worse because by the time I get done with the work, it’s already dark. Today, I want to discuss how distractions or sensations, which in Dutch btw, is ‘Prickles” can affect us but first….

Weekly Inventory Check

October has come to a close, marking nearly ten months of consistent effort. It’s time for our routine evaluation: assess what succeeded, pinpoint what didn’t, understand why, and brainstorm how to enhance the upcoming month. This reflective process is akin to a feedback loop, a vital tool for self-improvement. Looking back, analyzing, and learning from our experiences are key steps in our continuous journey of growth.

Navigating Life’s “Prickles”

‘Prickles’, a term my wife uses, describes the overwhelming sensations my little daughter experiences when she’s overstimulated—be it from playing too much, various sounds, online music, or lights. This sensory overload affects her eating and sleeping habits. Essentially, ‘Prickles’ signify an excessive sensory stimulus, leading to overload.

What’s interesting is how this relates to our own lives. We, too, face similar challenges with sensory overload, especially in the age of social media addiction. The constant notifications, deliberately designed with attention-grabbing colors and sounds, create a never-ending cycle of heightened senses, aiming to keep us perpetually engaged.

I recently experienced this overload firsthand when my mother visited for two weeks. While I cherished our time together, it disrupted my routine. The additional presence in our cozy home created an overwhelming atmosphere. The combination of extra noise, childcare responsibilities, late-night movie sessions, and even the sensory overload from sugar intake led to a moment of realization at the supermarket.

In this incident, I was filling up my glass with orange juice and absentmindedly let it overflow so much that a passerby had to intervene as he commented, ‘Hey, you are wasting the juice!’ and I was struck. Why did this happen? Because my senses were scattered. It was a wake-up call, highlighting how sensory overload affects us unexpectedly, even in mundane tasks.

The lesson here is clear: sensory overload is a pervasive issue, affecting us in various aspects of life. I encourage you to identify the ‘prickles’ in your own surroundings—those overwhelming sensations or distractions. Take a moment to assess and reduce them, as a cluttered sensory environment hampers your ability to perform at your best.

 

So, keep an eye out for these prickles, and make conscious efforts to minimize them. By doing so, you can create a more conducive environment for your well-being and productivity.

Want More?

·    This article provides a clear understanding of sensory overload, detailing its impact on our daily lives and offers strategies to prevent it.

·    In this article, we explore how emotional intelligence skills, especially self-awareness and self-management, can enhance your focus. Start by using your self-awareness to recognize the causes of your stress or anxiety, understand how your focus diminishes, and identify the feelings associated with losing concentration.

·    This article explores the concept of distraction and offers a brief solution to becoming more focused and avoiding distractions.

Reel of the Week

Check out our reel of the week where I am talking about my annoying habit of constantly checking my WhatsApp. I have to literally take measures to stop myself from getting distracted from these constant notifications.

Instagram post by @thisisvasl

The Weekly Vasl Podcast

Our Episode on Gut Health: Your Shield Against the Mother of All Diseases is out now! You can watch it below! Here I am discussing gut health with Josh and how it’s connected with our body and nature. It’s an interesting one. Check it out!

We also are on Spotify, Apple, Google, and wherever you listen!

Meetup

There’s a new event coming up! It’s called Ten Toasts, specifically for people living in the Netherlands, and more specifically for those living in Eindhoven. The meetup is set for next month. We’ll be sharing stories and toasting to the ones that changed our lives. This is the link to join. Hope to see you there!

Round Table Conference

I am excited to introduce the Roundtable Conference at Vasl.

In this conference, you have the opportunity to join a group for the upcoming quarter. Together, we will determine your quarterly goals and form a cohesive group centered around shared themes. While I aim for a certain level of similarity to facilitate cohesive discussions, I also appreciate the value of diverse experiences. The goal is to create a supportive environment where learning from varied perspectives is encouraged.

We are opening eight seats for this group, and I will act as the facilitator. Throughout the journey, you’ll be backed by your fellow peers, have access to shared resources and as I tend to introduce Shared Notion Space this will also allow you to achieve your selected objectives through the collective power of group collaboration with reasoning outside the group sessions. If this opportunity resonates with you, you can sign up now by following the link.

Please note that this commitment is non-binding initially. You will first fill out a form, and we will assess if we are a match. Once we think you are a match, you will be officially sent an invitation. 

However, I must stress that there are limited seats available—only six to eight seats. So act quick to secure a spot in this cohort, as we wouldn’t want you to miss out on this opportunity. The upcoming cohort will commence at the beginning of the year, with the following cohort scheduled for March 2024.

 I look forward to welcoming you to our Roundtable Conference and witnessing the positive impact it will have on your personal and professional growth.

Thoughts to leave you with

The main thing I want to emphasize is that everyone makes mistakes and faces setbacks. Nobody is perfect, and that’s okay. What truly matters is how fast you get back on track after you slip up. I want you to understand this deeply. It’s not about doing things perfectly; it’s about getting back on track every time you make a mistake. The more you do this, even if it’s not flawless, the better off you’ll be in the long run.