How To Stop Feeling Like A Dumb-Dumb

Author

Scott Lynch
September 08, 2025

In partnership with

Hey there,

Ever feel like your brain’s not working right? Like you’re walking around in a fog, losing motivation, and wondering if your IQ is slowly leaking out of your ears?

That was me a couple of years ago. I wasn’t just tired, I felt broken.

Some days I blamed the house, like maybe the walls were toxic.

Then one morning I decided I was done.

I wanted my brain back, and I’ve spent the past two years clawing my way out of the dumb-dumb zone. Here’s what helped.

First, I stopped trying to be a genius.

Overthinking, Googling 47 productivity hacks, and getting paralyzed by contradictory “expert” advice were frying me.

So I went brain-dead on purpose. Instead of optimizing, I just did the thing badly.

Write the terrible first draft. Cook the mediocre meal. Send the awkward email.

Perfection doesn’t come before action, it comes because of it.

Half the time, just starting kicks your brain out of “dumb-dumb mode”.

Second, I fixed my circadian rhythm. (Don’t worry, it’s not as “woo-woo” as it sounds.)

Three small tweaks changed everything: no eating three hours before bed (goodbye, 11 p.m. “second dinner”), bed at 9 p.m. every night, and cutting myself off at two cups of coffee before 9:30 a.m.

That combo stopped me from feeling jet-lagged in my own house and improved my sleep by almost 20%.

Third, I broke up with my phone, or at least made it less sexy.

I turned on grayscale mode, which makes Instagram look like a 1940s newspaper, and tinted my home screen so all my apps are dull little blobs.

Between those two tricks, my screen time dropped by 80%. My phone is still usable, it’s just boring now, which, frankly, is the dream.

Fourth, I dialed in my supplements.

These days it’s a streamlined but mighty stack: omega-3s, vitamin C, vitamin D, cinnamon, and a probiotic/prebiotic combo.

I also experimented with a psilocybin + lion’s mane routine (tracked with data, not vibes), which helped with sleep, mood, and creativity.

Not saying it’s for everyone, but it’s been a game-changer for me.

I didn’t reinvent myself overnight.

It was small, deliberate changes—less optimizing, more doing, sleeping like a human, taming my phone, and feeding my brain the right stuff.

If you’ve been feeling foggy, anxious, or just not yourself, try experimenting with one or two of these.

Worst case, you’ll snack less, scroll less, and maybe poop more regularly.

Best case, you’ll stop feeling like a dumb dumb and finally feel like your brain’s back online.

Have a wonderful week, all.
Silence your phone, not your potential - Scott (@motivatedscott).

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