How To Get More Accomplished Without Burning Out

Can Smart Drugs and Nootropics Help You to Work Harder and Longer?
Smart drugs, also known as nootropics, are supplements, medications, and even nutrients that can provide some kind of cognitive benefit. While it might sound like science fiction, it is now thought that a huge number of Silicon Valley executives rely on nootropics every day in order to perform their very best.
So, is this the secret that you’ve been missing out on? Is this all you need to tap into your true, limitless brain? Or is it a one-way trip to chemical imbalance?
Let’s find out.
First, it’s worth mentioning that there are a lot of different kinds of nootropic and they vary drastically in terms of their potency and mechanism of action (meaning “way they work”). For example, caffeine can be considered to be a nootropic in some ways, but it’s hardly going to change your life!
Many nootropics fall into a similar category. L-theanine is a popular supplement for reducing anxiety (especially from caffeine) while also providing calm energy. This comes from green tea, and carries no known side effects. Likewise, nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, omega 3 and more, can all provide significant cognitive benefits.
The old saying that you “are what you eat” very much holds true. But this isn’t JUST true for your body. Your brain relies on the nutrients you provide it with in order to create important neurochemicals, to repair damaged neurons, and to provide energy for countless activities.
For that reason, it is absolutely CRUCIAL that you eat a balanced, varied, and nutritious diet if you want your brain to perform optimally.
Okay, so what about the groundbreaking stuff? What about the stuff that those CEOs are taking?
Well, this is a little more potent and tends to include medications that are typically prescribed for other things. These come with a variety of side effects, but also offer much more profound changes in brain function.
One of the most interesting of these is Modafinil. Modafinil is prescribed predominantly for narcolepsy, and is a wakefulness agent. This works slightly differently from stimulants like caffeine (or fellow nootropic, Adderall). That means you shouldn’t experience jitters, but should rather simply feel more awake, and more focused.
Top performers like modafinil because it allows them to work longer hours without burning out. But they ALSO like it because it makes them more focused, more awake, and even better at creative problem solving.
So, is it perfect? Sadly, not. For starters, there are a few mild side-effects. These include appetite suppression, more frequent bowel movements, headaches, and poor sleep. Those effects can be explained by the way that modafinil works: by interacting with orexins – chemicals that regulate our sleep cycles. Turns out, our sleep cycles are strongly linked to our appetite, bowel movements, and other cycles too!
Modafinil can also cause mild headaches for some people, and anxiety.
Modafinil isn’t thought to be addictive or harmful in any serious way, but keep in mind that there are very few long-term studies.
So, what should you take from all this?
Well, that’s really up to you! I’m not here to tell you what to do with your life, but rather to give you the facts so you can make your own decisions.
But consider this: while CEOs might be able to get an edge on the competition by using drugs, there are many OTHER ways to optimize yourself for better performance. Better sleep, the right nutrition, and even exercise can all help you to perform better both physically AND mentally. And this has far longer-term benefits than any pill you can pop!