Paul’s Picks: Things that make him Happiful
Paul likes many things. Shopping isn’t one of them so when he finds something he likes, he sticks to it. Like the rest of the Happiful system, each of these items has been tested and found to lead to more happiness and/or success in some facet of life. Below are some of his favorite finds.
Sleep
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This is an electronic device that produces electromagnetic waves to help you sleep. You need to both purchase the pad, and pay a $20/month subscription for the app that powers it. I was skeptical but tested adding it to my protocol, and later tested taking it away, and it unquestionably helped me sleep better and longer.
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Kava is a traditional Polynesian drug which in small doses has relaxing properties. I rub the oil on the base of my spine, the back of my neck, and my temples before bed. When I added it to my protocol it extended my sleep by about 30 minutes.
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Cured Nutrition says Zen is a blend of adaptogens, functional mushrooms, and broad spectrum CBD for relaxation and sleep, and says Nightcaps are Full spectrum CBD capsules with CBN. I take 2 of Zen and 1 of Nightcaps before bed, and when I added them to my sleep protocol they made a huge difference in the quality and quantity of my sleep, adding at least an hour to my average night’s sleep.
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Magnesium is known for helping with sleep. There are several different types of Magnesium, and the Momentous brand of Magnesium Threonate is recommended by neuroscientist Andrew Hubmerman. My testing of his other recommended supplements did not show any benefits to my sleep, but the Magnesium Threonate did improve my sleep.
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I’ve tried lots of different sleep masks and this is my absolute favorite. It is small, has eye cups, seals very well, feels good on the skin, and stays in place
Supplements
I take a lot of supplements, but for most of them I have no reason or evidence to recommend a certain brand, so I’ll only mention a few of them here.
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I have low blood pressure and I used to get frequent leg cramps and lightheadedness. My doctor suggested I add more salt to my diet, so I take one of these electrolyte packets each day to ensure I get sufficient electrolytes. Both the leg cramps and lightheaded episodes have been much better since I started taking LMNT. If you have high blood pressure, you should check with your doctor, as the sodium may be a problem.
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I love Orgains Organics protein powder. It has a very high protein to carb and calorie ratio, tastes great, and gets you a ton of greens all at the same time.
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Most people need to add more greens to their diet, and this is a way to get lots of greens, vitamins, and both prebiotics and probiotics all in one. I like the taste, but it may take some getting used to.
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A staple for people following a keto diet. I add a tablespoon every day to my AG1 Green shake.
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Once you learn about mitochondria, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep yours healthy. This (very expensive) supplement has some impressive science behind it. If your budget can handle it, it seems like a good investment for increased energy and longevity.
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I don’t drink coffee, but I’ve been a Zipfizz user (my family would probably say addict) instead for many years. Zipfizz is a flavored powder that comes in a small tube that you add to water and it combines 100 mg of caffeine, lots of vitamins (especially B vitamins) and some other compounds (like Taurine) to boost your energy. They have lots of flavors to choose from (my favorite is orange cream). I find ⅓ of a tube is sufficient for a noticeable boost in energy.
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Paul Stamets is the world’s leading mushroom expert, and his company Host Defense sells various mushroom products. I’ve been taking them daily for almost a year. I can’t prove that these give me energy and help my brain, but I think they make a difference and they are reasonably priced, so you might want to give them a try.
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OK, you’re wondering why I put a pill organizer in my picks. I take a lot of supplements, and after trying different pill organizers, this is by far my favorite. It is well made and a genius design, with individual 2-sided holders for each day, which then nestle inside a holder for the week. You can take a day’s pills with you without taking the whole week’s package.
Measuring Health
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If you are following a keto diet, having a way to monitor your ketosis level is vital so you can learn the impacts of different foods. Most monitors require you to prick yourself for blood; this works with your breath so it’s easy and painless, allowing you to check your level of ketosis multiple times a day. Its accuracy has been clinically verified.
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As the saying goes, “What gets measured improves”, and measuring your body fat percentage and muscle quality gives you insight beyond just your weight. If you’re a weightlifter, this is an easy way to get those measurements for every part of your body (and then the app gives you recommendations for how to improve that particular muscle), or you can quickly get your overall body metrics to see how you are improving.
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There are lots of blood pressure monitors on the market; this one has proven to be highly accurate, can run on batteries or plugged in, connects to an app to give you historical records, is dependable and inexpensive.
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There are plenty of smartwatches and fitness monitors on the market, and more coming out all the time. I like my Garmin Fenix 7 because it is focused more on athletics and fitness rather than being a watch version of a smartphone. I absolutely do NOT want a watch that disturbs and distracts me with texts and notifications. What I want is a nearly indestructible waterproof watch with highly accurate and meaningful health metrics and GPS, a long battery life, and the ability to play downloaded Spotify playlists while I’m running or working out. The Garmin Fenix 7 provides all of this, and much much more. The downside is an outdated user interface.
Fitness
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If you haven’t tried a Theragun, it is remarkably effective for massaging away aches and sore muscles. I use it almost every day and can’t believe I lived without it for most of my life.
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I think a rowing machine is the most complete and intense exercise there is since it combines cardio and strength, and it is low impact. The Concept2 was recommended to me by a friend who is a Division 1 rowing coach, and it is a superb piece of engineering.
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Replaces a whole set of dumbbells in one small package. Easy to adjust from 5 pounds to 50 pounds, very well built. With this, some resistance bands, a weight bench, and a fitness ball, I never need to go to a gym.
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What a difference a nice thick yoga mat makes.
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I’ve used several different makes of “ab rollers” for many years, and this one stands out for durability. Most last only about a year; this one still functions like new after about 5 years. If you haven’t used an ab roller, I highly recommend it for building core strength.
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I love running, and this is my favorite running shoe ever. I’ve even bought some extras in case they are ever discontinued.
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I am a big advocate of these inexpensive and high quality sunglasses. Besides being polarized, they have a coating on them that makes colors richer and frankly just makes the world look better. This helps me to enjoy natural beauty more, and makes me happy. And they come with a lifetime free replacement warranty.
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I use a standing desk about half of my working time, and this anti-fatigue mat feels great and provides a wonderful cushion for standing comfortably even for hours at a time. Thick, soft, with just the right amount of give and support.
Tools
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This is an insanely good app for personal development. I initially got it for the 600+ book summaries covering Habits, Mental Toughness, Stoicism, Positive Psychology, Goal Setting, Focus, Productivity, Nutrition, Fitness, Meditation, and more. There are also over 1000 mini-lessons, 50 hour-long classes, and hundreds of meditations all on the same subjects. And an app designed to help you establish your daily protocol and track your progress throughout the day (much like our Daily Commitments Checklist). Some people find it overwhelming, but if you’re really into personal development, I highly recommend it.
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I do this Wim Hof breathing exercise every morning and find it relaxing and energizing. There are apparently proven benefits including improved immunity, improved stress response and lower blood pressure, but honestly, I just enjoy it and feel better afterwards.
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This is my favorite task management software. It’s a very simple and intuitive, yet powerful system that requires no learning to use effectively. You get a web version and an app for your phone and tablet, and they all synch together. There is a free version, or you can pay $50/year to have continuous synching (instead of once a day) and a slightly better interface. I’ve been using it for many years and find it indispensable.
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If you set a lot of meetings and appointments, Calendly is a huge timesaver. You give people a link, and let them directly schedule a meeting based on rules you set and your calendar’s availability, saving lots of back and forth. You can set several different types of appointments (length of time, in person or virtual, when you want to allow them) and for each set up rules for days and times they are allowed, amount of buffer time before and after your existing calendar commitments, etc. Easy to use and really helpful. A fringe benefit is that it forces you to be 100% accurate in your own calendar.
Podcasts & Programs
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A free 3-7 minute personal development video delivered to you overnight every Mon-Fri from Darren Hardy. It’s part of my morning routine and I’ve rarely missed an episode in 5 years.
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This is Hal Elrod’s podcast. One of only three podcasters that I find worth the time. There are hundreds of great episodes to choose from.
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This is Craig Ballantyne's podcast and many of them are helpful, although I think the quality has declined recently so you may want to focus on earlier ones.
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Rob Dial has the #1 most listened to podcast on mindset, with over 1200 episodes created over 8 years. They are relatively short and I have found them to be quite good.
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This free program by James Clear provides a simple step-by-step guide for forming habits that stick.
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