Helsinki Bus Station & Instagram Face

Plus, 3 sad films to cheer you up...

Author

Adam Zulawski
December 14, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Hi,

Welcome to the Procrastilearning Newsletter, a space where you can feel free to procrastinate on something healthy before you get back to work. The current format:

  • 3 links worth investigating when you want to procrastinate

  • 2 quotes to get you thinking

  • 1 tip to keep you on track

If you have an interesting link worth including in a future issue, just reply to this email.

3 ideas worth procrastilearning over

1. Watching sad films makes you happy…?

Watching sad films boosts endorphin levels in your brain, psychologists say

Traumatic films boost pain tolerance and feelings of group bonding by increasing levels of feel-good chemicals produced by the brain, study suggests

www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/21/watching-a-sad-films-boosts-endorphin-levels-in-your-brain-psychologists-say

If after reading that, you need some sad films to watch, I can recommend these three tearjerkers:

  • Toy Story 2

  • Toy Story 3

  • Toy Story 4

Hey, don’t judge me - the first Toy Story just wasn’t that sad.

2. Gen Z’s mental health is all over the place

A depressing but fascinating guest post on Jonathan Haight’s Substack explains: “We didn’t just grow up with algorithms. They raised us.”

The article also reminded me that former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg works for Mark Zuckerberg these days. A good example of a successful career pivot…

Algorithms Hijacked My Generation. I Fear For Gen Alpha.

Freya India explains how algorithms act as conveyor belts, transporting girls to dark and extreme places

www.afterbabel.com/p/algorithms-hijacked-my-generation

3. You should treat your life like a Helsinki bus

If you get a bus from Helsinki Bus Station, you will apparently see all the other buses taking the same route as you. But you should stay on the bus anyway.

For an explanation of how this relates to life, check out this short column from Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks.

This column will change your life: Helsinki Bus Station Theory

'The theory claims that the secret to a creatively fulfilling career lies in understanding the operations of Helsinki's main bus station,' explains Oliver Burkeman

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/feb/23/change-life-helsinki-bus-station-theory

2 quotes to keep in mind

❝

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Alvin Toffler, futurist & author
❝

You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.

Richard Branson, business magnate

1 tip to get you back to your work

DO IT. NOW.

Sometimes, the simplest advice is the smartest.

Here’s Zig Ziglar saying the same thing about 30-odd years ago in one of his trademark stand-up comedy / motivational speeches. Beware: his Mississippi accent is almost impenetrable to the average human ear.

(Yes, I am aware that watching some YouTube video is not exactly “doing it now”. But I’m putting it here just in case you need a little push, or if you really do want to just keep procrastinating…)

That's it for this week. Many thanks for reading.

Adam

p.s. Looking for political arguments against Santa Claus this Christmas? Whatever your politics, this matrix will help you find the right complaint.

Sent this by somebody else?