There are millions of people using smart drugs every day and this world of self-experimenters is expanding rapidly. As the self-tinkering becomes more mainstream, its possible to find more of these cognitive enhancing nootropics across the internet. Tim Ferriss is one of the main motivating forces increasing the reach of nootropics and helping them reach more people than ever.

Most recently, he has advocated for medicinal mushrooms, such as mushroom coffee with chaga and reishi mushroom. While these nootropics are thousands of years old, only recently are they seeing a resurgence in the mainstream discourse.

Most people think of improving their brain power by simply taking stimulating drugs and getting to work harder and for longer periods. While this is great, it can also be problematic at times. Many people experience burnout and it can take a toll on many aspects of your performance.

Tim Ferriss once discussed CILTEP and remarked that it would require him to sleep for an entire day afterwards! Not something that you want.

Even though it isnt popular wisdom, one of the main ways to increase cognitive performance (on tests, for example) is to reduce anxiety and relax. A lot of people are so worried about the results that they do not perform their best mentally and it shows. There are many nootropics that you can use in order to reduce anxiety and stress, but what about enjoying some time outside with friends?

A simple win is to find a game of foosball with friends, which can help you to blow off some steam and enjoy the best experience that you can. Most of the time, people who are experiencing a fun time with outdoor activities find that at least some of the stress melts away.

For the stress that doesnt, there are a few great options within the nootropic family, which can help. Rhodiola rosea is a great adaptogenic herb that can help to improve resilience in the face of stress. Many of the Vikings have used this hundreds of years ago.

Combining these tactics can go a long way in improving your mental performance and it doesnt have to hurt you in the long run. Too many people think of using nootropics and smart drugs as such a short term endeavor. Instead of worrying about that, just make sure to reduce anxiety and symptoms of stress and mental performance will benefit as a result.

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Take a Chill Pill (How to Relax in the Modern Age) - Huffington Post