It’s incredible how often you instinctively reach for your phone — even when you know there are no new notifications waiting for you.

That’s what hit me the hardest in the first few days of The Summer Signal Drop. The physical habit is so ingrained: reaching for my pocket, checking the counter, making sure the phone is close by — even for the most mundane moments. Taking the dog out. Cooking breakfast. Heading to the bathroom. It’s background noise that’s hard to come to grips with owning how much you depend on it.

But the brain is remarkably adaptable. A few days into this digital detox, I noticed the shift. I started reaching for my book instead. I left the phone on the counter. And when Sunday finally rolled around — my one day to scroll — I didn’t really feel like it.

That’s the point of this challenge I guess. To tune in. To notice the subconscious reflexes and slowly replace them with something better. To be more present. To create space for boredom, thoughtfulness, and deliberate action.

As week two begins, I’m leaning into that space. Choosing to carry a book instead of a device. Letting silence fill the room while I cook. Taking walks without a podcast in my ears. These small, conscious choices are already starting to wake up parts of my brain that have been on autopilot.

Here’s to paying attention — and enjoying the little things a bit more along the way.

Brain - The Sunday Reset: Mental Frameworks for a Sharper Week

There’s something sacred about Sundays. Not in the religious sense (although that might apply too), but in the ritualistic, reflective, and resetting sense. In the whirlwind of our always on the go lives, we rarely take the time to appreciate the opportunity that Sunday provides to set ourselves up for a good week, and to celebrate the week that was.

Enter: The Sunday Reset.

This isn’t about planners, to-do lists, or productivity hacks. It’s a mental framework that I have pieced together from various books and content for a holistic overview for the week ahead and the week that has passed. It’s a recurring check-in that acts as a force multiplier for everything else you're doing. You don’t need an app, a subscription, or a new notebook. You just need 20–30 minutes of honest reflection and a willingness to stop drifting. I am on the front lines with you here, having just started this exercise myself.

Here’s the 5-part mental framework for every Sunday:

1. What did I do well last week?

Start with wins. Big or small—honor them. We’re great at beating ourselves up, but terrible at giving ourselves credit. Did you train when you didn’t feel like it? Turn your phone off during dinner? Finish a book? Track it.

“Confidence comes from keeping promises to yourself.”

2. Where did I drift?

Where did your energy go that didn’t serve your priorities? Was it endless social scrolls? Overcommitting to things that didn’t align? Late nights that wrecked your mornings?

The goal isn’t shame. It’s pattern recognition.

3. What matters this week?

Name your priorities before the week decides for you. One physical goal. One work goal. One relationship or connection goal. Simple, clear targets beat vague ambition every time.

4. What do I need to subtract?

Sometimes the best thing you can do for progress is remove. Remove friction. Remove distraction. Remove the unspoken obligations that eat your time and energy.

One question I ask weekly:

“What am I pretending is fine that isn’t?”

5. How do I want to feel by next Sunday?

This one is key. Don’t just plan by tasks—plan by feelings. Do you want to feel grounded? Accomplished? Energized? Light?

Reverse engineer your week from that emotional destination.

You don’t have to be perfect at this. The point is to build a recurring checkpoint that helps you live with intention, not inertia. Done consistently, the Sunday reset has been show to become a life-design tool—quietly reshaping your weeks into a life you’re proud of.

Try it tonight. 30 minutes. No screens. No noise. Just you, a journal, and some radical honesty.

Let this Sunday be the first of many.

Body - 5 Natural Ways to Suppress Your Appetite

For the overthinkers, snackers, and second-plate specialists.

If you’ve ever felt like your appetite has a mind of its own, you’re not alone. In a world engineered for overconsumption—hyper-palatable foods, endless snacking, social eating triggers—your biology often feels like it’s working against your goals.

But here’s what science and experience have shown: you don’t need extreme diets or willpower-only strategies.

Here are 5 simple, research-backed ways to naturally reduce appetite and regain control over your eating habits.

1. Front-Load Your Protein

Protein is the most satiating macronutrient. It blunts hunger hormones, reduces cravings, and keeps blood sugar stable. Most people under-eat protein early in the day, which leads to late-night snacking and hunger spirals.

Action: Start your day with 30–40g of protein. Eggs, Greek yogurt, protein shakes, or lean meats.

Bonus: Protein also has the highest thermic effect (calorie burn during digestion).

2. Prioritize Volume Eating

Your stomach has stretch receptors. When you eat low-calorie, high-volume foods (like leafy greens, vegetables, and high-water fruits), you fill up without overeating.

Think: a huge spinach salad with grilled chicken vs. a tiny handful of chips.

These high-fiber foods slow digestion and send stronger “I’m full” signals to the brain.

3. Hydrate Before You Eat

Thirst often masquerades as hunger. Being even mildly dehydrated can trigger cravings, especially for salty or sugary snacks.

Action: Drink 12–16 oz of water 15–20 minutes before each meal. You’ll often eat slower—and less.

4. Time Your Meals (and Avoid Grazing)

Constant snacking keeps insulin elevated and hunger signals confused. The result? You’re never fully satisfied, but always nibbling.

Action: Build a rhythm - 3 meals and 1–2 intentional snacks spaced out by 3–5 hours works for most people.

Let your body experience full satiety—and full hunger.

5. Improve Sleep Quality

Poor sleep wrecks hunger hormones. Ghrelin (hunger) spikes. Leptin (satiety) drops. The result? You wake up craving carbs and junk.

Just one night of bad sleep can make you consume 300–500 more calories the next day (episode 61 of the Huberman Lab with Dr. Justin Sonnerberg).

Sleep is the most underrated diet strategy. 7–9 hours, cool room, no screens before bed, and consistent sleep/wake times.

What I have realized through personal trial and error is that you don’t need to “fight” your appetite—you need to manage the inputs that shape it. Appetite is fluid. When you nourish your body, move regularly, and build structure into your day, you regain the steering wheel. Eating well isn’t just about discipline—it’s about design.

Book - The “1-Minute Reset” - “Meditation for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman

“Four Thousand Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman was a book that fundamentally altered the way I think about time and productivity. It was recently rehashed in this vary newsletter a few weeks back.

I was scrolling through the shelves at Barnes & Noble last month and saw this one sitting on the shelves. I wasn’t necessarily in the headspace for some guided advice on meditation, but if I knew the author from his last book, I just knew this one wasn’t going to be what the title had it packaged as.

In the same way Burkeman argues that we humans have an improper view on time that causes us to attempt to seize control of it, only to feel further away from being able to truly do so - he approaches meditation and the need to be with one’s own thoughts.

The book is structured to be read in four, weeklong increments - more of a workbook per say - in which he lays the foundation for his thought process and experiences, and takes you through a variety of prompts and actions that compel you to think. One of the easy actionable ideas I pulled was “The 1 Minute Reset”.

Oliver sets it up with this - you don’t need 20 minutes and a cushion to meditate. You need a system that removes friction.

For those like myself who can’t see themselves sitting Indian style on the floor for 30 minutes a day, he recommends the 1-minute reset to anchor you in the present, especially in high-stress or overstimulating environments:

Here’s the how:

• Step 1: Sit or stand still.

• Step 2: Close your eyes (or soften your gaze).

• Step 3: Take 5 slow, deep breaths. Inhale for 4, exhale for 6.

• Step 4: Say this to yourself: “I am here. I am breathing. That’s enough for now.”

That’s it. 60 seconds. Done anywhere—before a meeting, during a commute, in the locker room, or in bed.

Over time, this simple pause builds space between stimulus and response. You train your mind just like your muscles—through repetition, not perfection.\

Now that I have read through this book, I am going to go back and make actionable progress on it by following it’s true format of a daily / weekly devotional. It goes on well with the digital detox of this summer anyway. Here’s the link for anyone who would like to pick up a copy (it’s an incredibly short read).

Sidebar for this week: Finished “Sir Lewis” by Michael Sawyer, a book on Lewis Hamilton and his career on and off the track. A pretty good read for any F1 / Lewis fans.