Dealing w brainfog and being adrift

I get the feeling. I had a lot of issues in college with the same thing. Others have good recommendations, I'll recommend some too

• Do something you really don't want to do first thing in the mornings. Could be dragging yourself out of bed early, could be a cold shower, could be gym or running. Either way, doing something that your body doesn't want to do sets you up for a day where everything else is easier. It's called eating the frog
• 2 minute strategy. When you don't want to do something, don't say "I'm going to finish this really long task", just say "I'll do this thing for 2 minutes". Oftentimes the biggest barrier to us doing something is just inertia.
• Replace those bad habits with good ones. I deleted all social media and now whenever I reach for my phone I force myself to read the FT or WSJ, or respond to emails
• Pomodoro timer. Massive help to keep you honest
• Reward pairing. Pair something you really like with something you don't like. If you hate reading 10k's, but love listening to podcasts or music, you can make it so that you only listen to something when reading that 10k. This ensures your brain forms a positive link. I personally do this with textbook reading and eating gummy bears
• Stop cooking your dopamine receptors. No jerking off, no video games, no instant gratification. We live in a world where large companies have perfectly crafted algorithms and food specifically to trigger our dopamine receptors. That doesn't mean go instantly no dopamine cold turkey, but wean off it over the coming weeks.
• I'll repeat the waking up at a certain time, and also say sleeping at a certain time. Circadian rhythm is a strong thing.
• Explore the natural world around us. Go for hikes, get outside, explore nature. It really brings clarity to the mind
• Talk to people. We're social creatures. Meet some new people outside work.