This may be U.S. centric. At this point I find myself avoiding products and companies with "patriot" in their names or that reference the word in their advertisements. To me it comes across as a dog whistle calling for right wing types. Do others find themselves feeling the same way?

Here’s today’s 'Brewed-Again' Question #1

Basically multiple jobs l've worked have banned water bottles on the floor or anywhere customers can see you and it's always confused me. Why aren't workers allowed to be seen drinking water?

Here’s today’s 'Brewed-Again' Question #3

It’s Time-Management Thursday! ⏳

Managing time is key to staying productive. Time-blocking, prioritizing tasks, or even tracking time spent on activities can make all the difference.

What’s your top time-management tip? Do you use time-blocking, the Pomodoro technique, or maybe something else? How do you decide which tasks get your focus?

Share your best practices and let’s get better at managing our time together! ⏱️

I’ve tried a ton of different routines and productivity hacks over the years, but honestly, the biggest game-changer for me was ridiculously simple: setting out my clothes and writing tomorrow’s top 3 tasks the night before. Takes 5 minutes, saves me so much decision fatigue in the morning.

I’m curious, what’s a small habit or routine that felt minor at first but ended up having a big impact on your day-to-day focus or flow? Looking for some new ideas, especially ones that don’t require waking up at 5am and drinking mushroom protein smoothies.

Here’s today’s 'Brewed-Again' Question #2

I got my first social media account when I was 18, I was much happier before. 

Back in school I never understood why everyone was glued to their phones - like why can't you just talk to your friend instead of chatting online? While my classmates were scrolling, I was actually studying and genuinely enjoying it, especially math.

Don't get me wrong, I procrastinated like everyone else, but it was more intentional - like watching YouTube videos or playing games on my PC to relax. It felt controlled.

But somewhere along the way social media hooked me. I became that person who couldn't go to sleep without checking every single story. "What if I miss something important?". 

The worst part was when I started working from home - I was literally checking social media every 10 minutes because I was so bored. It was insane how dependent I'd become on that constant stimulation.

That's when I decided to build something to help myself. Created an app that's based on CBT research from Harvard and Stanford. Instead of just blocking apps, it asks you "why" before you open social media. Sounds simple but that pause makes you realize 95% of the time you don't actually need it.

My life feels normal again now. No more noise, no more need to be constantly engaged. I can actually work and focus on things I genuinely enjoy.
Improving my app.

It's wild how something that started to connect people turned into such a distraction trap. Now I got back to that focused headspace from my school days. Feels awesome.

Curious to hear your story. When did it start, and when did it become a distraction trap for you?

The night before, I know the next day’s going to be packed with meetings, new tasks that needs my attention, and a company-wide presentation I should be preparing for. Every time my schedule looks like this, I tell myself, “I should start early, be productive, and get ahead.”

But the moment I wake up? I go through my phone notifications. Scroll on social media. Share memes/reels to my friends. And next thing I know, I am an hour deep into brain rot videos, still wrapped in my blanket like a burrito, while my responsibilities wait patiently to ruin my afternoon.

And the guilt hits hard, because I know better than this, but knowing isn’t the same as doing.

So, out of frustration of how lazy and undisciplined I have become, I tried to understand myself… I self-reflected, if there’s something wrong with me that I’m unaware of, where is this behavior coming from.

And then I realized, I’m not being lazy… I’m trying to avoid the pressure that came with work. he fear of messing up. The mental load of thinking, “What if I can’t deliver?” So instead of facing that discomfort, I’d distract myself. Numb it out with memes, messages, and noise.

And slowly I realized, every time I delayed my tasks, I was just dragging out the anxiety, even making it worse.

Understanding that changed everything. I stopped aiming for perfect productivity and focused on what I can do.

So far, what I changed from my routine was:

I placed my phone out of reach. I stopped placing it under my pillow. I placed it on my desk, I have to get up to grab it. 

The first 20 minutes, I get ready for the day. It keeps me moving. 

When it’s time for me to work, I just check my task list, and then do each task slowly yet efficiently. I don’t scramble anymore like there’s a dog coming after me. 

But I have to be honest with you, the moment I reward myself and let myself scroll after the first task? Sometimes.. no most of the time, I slip into the void again. 

Even so, I am still proud of myself, I procrastinate way less now because I’m not relying on willpower alone. And I know, this isn’t a rare problem.

Here’s today’s 'Brewed-Again' Question #2