Behaviors

Use daily affirmations such as 'I'm enough,' 'I am worthy,' and 'I'm a good person.' He also suggests writing them visibly on a bathroom mirror or wall with thick white deodorant so you see them every morning.

When hopeless or struggling, connect with another person directly rather than isolating; if you cannot access self-compassion, explicitly ask a trusted person for supportive reflection or say 'I need help right now.'

Reduce or remove access to electronic devices to reconnect with real emotion and hope.

Recommended explicitly, with the note that doing it as a household unit is more helpful.

Suggested as the most promising hair-loss strategy; involves very localized injections into scalp areas prone to pattern baldness, repeated from time to time, to decrease testosterone-to-DHT conversion only in the scalp.

Recommended implicitly because potent GABA agonists such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines, non-benzos, and alcohol are said to decrease testosterone.

Recommended implicitly because many people do not need them and they carry risks including tumor growth and cancer; for cosmetic goals like hair, skin, and nails, topicals were suggested as alternatives.

Recommended caution because of theoretical melanoma-related risk via alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone pathways.

Caffeine was said to matter hormonally only if it affects sleep, implying caffeine use should be managed to avoid sleep disruption.

When emotionally flooded, step away physically to bring the prefrontal cortex back online. This can include taking a walk, going around the block, taking 10 breaths, or otherwise taking a break before re-engaging.

Pre-negotiate a break protocol outside conflict: explain that you get flooded, specify the break duration, say when you'll return, and if needed text or call to renegotiate. Use about 15–20 minute breaks, then return; if still not regulated, communicate rather than disappearing.

Avoid heavy use of high-THC cannabis in young men, as it has been associated with apathy and problems with regulation.

Drink a lot of water before getting into the sauna.

Do not drink alcohol when using the sauna.

Talk to a physician before sauna use if elderly and prone to low blood pressure, after a recent heart attack, or with certain heart disease.

Avoid sauna use during pregnancy.

Set out running shoes and running clothes before bed to reduce friction for the next day's run.

Sleep in running clothes so you can get up, put shoes on, and get out the door with minimal friction.

Even if motivation or time is low, do a minimal workout rather than skipping; for example, a couple sets of squats and done in about 20 minutes.

If needed, cap gym time at five minutes initially and focus on becoming the kind of person who goes consistently, e.g. four days a week.

Alternate periods of intense effort with real rest across hours, weeks, or seasons; balance is turning it fully on and fully off rather than staying at 50%.

Leave the phone behind or in the car during hikes to create untethered reset time and be present with the person you're with.

Use running as a way to reach a wordless, reset-like state.

Use swimming as a way to reach a wordless, reset-like state.

As a general rule, do important habits earlier because fewer interruptions accumulate earlier in the day; identify which hours are most under your control and stack habits there.

Use a workout as a linchpin habit that improves the rest of the day; for James Clear, usually in the morning around 10–11 a.m.

For a couple hours in the morning, keep the phone in another room, typically from about 9 a.m. to noon or until after a workout.

Put the app that supports the habit you want on the home screen so it is the first visual cue when you open your phone, and move distracting apps off the home screen to reduce their salience.

Delete email from the phone; only download it temporarily if truly needed, then delete it again.

Exercise is framed as taking good care of yourself and helping you be around longer for others and yourself.