Scientists from Cambridge have found that 80% of people start every morning with an action that slowly kills their confidence.
And it’s not social networks or sweets.
Psychologist Jordan Peterson shocked his audience on a podcast with Joe Rogan : "You check your email before breakfast. And it turns you into a victim."
How did a simple ritual become a weapon against self-esteem?
A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that reading emails before 9 a.m. activates "reactivity mode."
The brain switches to other people’s requests, and not its own goals.
"You start your day as the maintenance man of your life," says Atomic Habits author James Clear .
And Susan Wojcicki admitted: “I stopped checking email first thing in the morning and launched two projects in a month.”
But the main enemy is the phrase “I must.”
Neurolinguist Steven Pinker has proven that words of commitment trigger the release of cortisol.
Instead of "I have to finish the report," say "I choose to do it now."
Tim Ferriss , the author of the 4-hour workweek, conducted an experiment: 100 people replaced “should” with “choose”. 73% of them increased their self-esteem according to the Rosenberg scale.
Check yourself
If you're scrolling through your email or social media right now, stop.
As psychologist Brené Brown advises: “Spend the first 30 minutes of your day on yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be living someone else’s life.”
Author: Igor Zur