Day 8 – YOLO 💀 You Gonna Die One Day, Might As Well Do Some Push-Ups

It rained yesterday. The old me would’ve taken that as divine permission to sit on my ass. But no—new me decided to go for a brisk walk like some kind of wet, determined raccoon.

@rewiredwithdrew

The news is melting my brain 🧠 here’s how I’m dealing with the it. It has me waking up angry, doomscrolling between sets, and stress-eating protein bars. Here how I’m fighting back without uplugging completely. One life – don’t waste it rage-scrolling. #newsbrain #mentalhealthcheck #doomscrolling #politicalburnout #yolo #fitnessjourney

♬ original sound – RewiredWithDrew

Apparently, I looked so out of place exercising that a neighbor literally turned their car around to ask if I was okay or wanted a ride – I dunno, I had headphones on. I said thanks, but no thanks—I’m just trying not to be a fat ass anymore. Politely declined the ride and kept walking, damp and awkward and fully committed.

Also, redid Pimsleur Japanese Lesson 7 because I can’t seem to say “I want” and “I don’t want” without sounding like a toddler with a head injury. But I kept my Duolingo streak alive, so that’s something.

Finished upper body day, too. If I die tomorrow, at least my triceps will look decent in the casket. My legs are so sore, sitting down feels so wrong and so right at the same time. IYKYK.

---

🧠 News Is Melting My Brain, Send Help

So here’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming: getting in shape and learning Japanese is the easy part. You know what’s hard? Not letting politics devour your entire soul like some kind of rage-fueled Dementor.

The current news cycle is—how do I say this politely—a dumpster fire made of other smaller dumpster fires. And my wife, bless her, wants to talk about it constantly. Every day it’s, “Did you see what happened?” And yeah. I did. I always do. I refresh the feed like an addict looking for my next hit of anxiety. It’s starting to feel like the only thing we ever talk about is the slow erosion of democracy and/or the cost of eggs.

Here’s the problem: it’s all concern and no action. You just collect bad news until your nervous system throws up its hands and decides to never relax again.

So I’m trying something new:

1. Limit the doomscroll. 15 minutes a day max. I’m not a senator.
2. Schedule the rage. I give myself a time window to talk about the news with my wife—and then we switch gears.
3. Redirect the fire. I’ve started speaking up more online. Not in a holier-than-thou “educational” way—just honestly. Venting, disagreeing, using my voice instead of bottling it up. And weirdly, it helps.

Politics still matter. But my sanity matters more. I want to be informed—but I also want to be present, useful, and not a husk of a human glued to a screen muttering about the downfall of Western civilization.

📚 Book Reco: The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher

If you’re feeling like the internet (and particularly the news cycle) is hijacking your brain and emotions—you’re not wrong, and you’re not alone.

The Chaos Machine dives deep into how social media algorithms and modern news delivery systems are designed to exploit your attention, outrage, and anxiety. It’s not just you—your stress is literally being engineered.

This book helped me realize that constant exposure to crisis isn’t awareness, it’s manipulation. And if you want to be effective, not just angry, you need to opt out of the manipulation loop—on purpose.

Highly recommended if you want to stay informed without being emotionally waterboarded 24/7.

---

😬 Everyone’s Watching You (Just Kidding, No One Cares)

You know that feeling when you think everyone’s judging you? That’s called the spotlight effect, and it’s your brain being dramatic.
Reality check: nobody cares. Your neighbors aren’t gossiping about your sad little walk. That guy at the gym isn’t laughing at your face during incline press. People are way too busy doomscrolling and stressing about their own nonsense to notice you.

Embarrassment is a scam. Stop falling for it.

---

🧠 Your Brain Is a Hater

Your brain is wired to protect you from embarrassment and danger. That was useful when we lived in caves and had to avoid saber-toothed tigers and public floggings. Less helpful now when you’re just trying to do a few bicep curls in peace.

Solution? Expose yourself.
No—not like that.
I mean expose yourself to the things that make you cringe and do them anyway. Walk in the rain. Speak bad Japanese. Lift like a baby deer. The more you do it, the less your brain freaks out. It’s called exposure therapy. Look it up. It works.

---

🧍‍♂️You Are Who You Pretend to Be (So Pretend Better)

Want to stop being a lazy, self-loathing pile of regret? Cool—start acting like the opposite.
James Clear (habit guru and probably part cyborg) says habits are about identity. Every time you do something, it’s a vote for the kind of person you are.

So yeah, I’m voting for:

• The guy who lifts heavy things.
• The guy who butchers Japanese with confidence.
• The guy who walks in the rain like he’s got somewhere to be (even if it’s just “away from who I used to be”).

---

💪 What I Actually Did (No Skipping, No Lies)

Upper Body Workout:

• Incline Barbell Bench Press – 5×5
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 5×8
• Bicep Cable Curls (low pulley) – 5×10
• Tricep Push Downs – 5×10
• Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 3×20

Cardio:

• Rain walk. Alone. Damp. Glorious.
• 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical

Language Practice:

• Pimsleur Lesson 7 (again, and still terrible at it)
• Duolingo streak: still unbroken, unlike my sanity

---

🧨 Final Thought: You’re Wasting It

Look. You get one life. One. And most people are wasting theirs being passive, embarrassed, or afraid. I know, because I was one of them. Still am, some days. But I’m trying to suck a little less—loudly, publicly, and with poor Japanese pronunciation.

YOLO. Now go do something cringey and good for you.