Since I launched this newsletter a little more than two years ago, I’ve written it for people who constantly want to learn and grow.
I remember writing in the about page: Getting Better is a good fit if any of these four is true:
you are extremely curious and want to learn more
you are searching for inspiration to level up your career
you aspire to become a better manager/leader, a better negotiator, or be more productive.
you need ice-breakers at the coffee machine
Today I’m trying this new format: 3 evidence-based pills to get better.
Let me know what you think.
Based on that, I’ll decide whether to keep it, kill it, or improve it.
Brain rot - the cognitive fatigue and mental exhaustion from constant digital engagement - does not lead directly to depression. Instead, it works more like a slow drain.
A new study of 439 young adults (mean age 22) found that brain rot first depletes mental resources into burnout, which then elevates stress and anxiety, before eventually tipping into depressive symptoms.
Emotional dysregulation (i.e. struggling to manage your emotional reactions) made this spiral worse, intensifying burnout, stress, anxiety and depression alike.
So, what helps? Don’t wait until you feel depressed to act. The leverage point is earlier, at burnout. Notice when digital fatigue starts draining you, by building a habit of conscious digital consumption. And sometimes, try some “hacks”.
Nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented by tackling modifiable risk factors such as physical inactivity, smoking, low education or social isolation.
However, current public health approaches are falling short of making real behavior change.
A review of 12 studies from 8 countries proved that mass media campaigns achieved broad reach but only marginal knowledge gains. Educational and interactive interventions - personalized risk profiling, online courses, e-learning, community-based programmes - show more consistent improvements in both knowledge and risk-reducing behavior.
Passive exposure is never enough, in all aspects of life. Therefore, if you want to lower your own risk, seek out something interactive: a course, a screening, a program that asks something of you, not just something you scroll past.
The more people love corporate bullshit, the worse they tend to perform at work.
Corporate bullshit is defined as a semantically empty and sometimes confusing style of communication that leverages buzzwords and jargon in a functionally misleading way.
Results show that corporate bullshit receptivity is negatively associated with measures of analytic thinking. Importantly, corporate bullshit receptivity is a robust negative predictor of work-related decision-making.
People who are drawn to nonsensical language also seem more tempted to generate meaningless content themselves, and to make poorer decisions in general.
How do you protect yourself? If a message leans on buzzwords and jargon, treat it as a red flag: you’re probably being steered by rhetoric instead of reality.
Feedback
Did you enjoy this format?
Let me know by replying to this e-mail or leave a Substack comment.
Or you could share this with a friend - I’ll take it as a sign you loved the content, and the new format.
If you enjoyed this, you might also like:
See you on Sundays 🗓️
Thanks,
Giacomo
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