Darwin's Survival of the Fittest

16.04.2020

How One Wittenborg Student Puts Darwinian Theory into Practice

Additional measures to tackling coronavirus in the Netherlands are being taken. All other gatherings are banned until at least 28 April and the rule for everyone to keep a good distance from others will continue. Darwin with his famous quote ‘Survival of the fittest’ didn't mean the strongest will survive, he meant the most adaptable will survive. This is precisely the time to create new thinking patterns and get rid of some old ones.

Niklas Lemke from Germany, an EBA of Small Business and Entrepreneurship student at Wittenborg Amsterdam, lists some of the new habits he has developed to gear himself up for the extended social distancing period.

Don’t hit the snooze button.
Hitting snooze button after waking gives your subconscious mind the signal that you do not like your life and your time is not valuable. Also, don't reach instantly for your phone, you should at least wait one hour to check your messages so your brain doesn't go directly into reactive mode.

Home exercise
We know the gyms are closed but that is no excuse; on YouTube there are great home workout videos you can start following without the use of equipment. Alternatively, Wittenborg also organise online fitness classes held every Monday at 8pm.

Drink water
Your brain dehydrates during the night, so when you wake up you should drink at least half a litre of water to refresh your brain and kickstart the day. And in general, try to drink enough, even if you have to set timers to remind you.

Take cold showers
It is proven that cold showers boost your immune system and also your mental health. By pushing your boundaries and going through something uncomfortable on purpose, you will feel happy and energised afterwards. If this is too much, you could always start warm and turn it cold at the end.

Write a gratitude journal
Start every day by writing down three things you are grateful for, this sounds very simple but is indeed very, very powerful. We often focus only on the things that we lack and forget to appreciate the things we have.

Meditate
If you are not already doing it, now is the perfect time to start getting into this incredible habit. Modern science is proving the benefits it has for our minds. For beginners it could be easier to do guided meditation, for example, you could check out Sam Harris: https://samharris.org/how-to-meditate/.

More reading
Knowledge is power, there is a reason top entrepreneurs read at least one book a week even though they have a lot to do. They realise the power behind good books that can actually be life changing.

Niklas recommends:
Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie (fits the current situation)
The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson
The Four-Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferriss

Mind dumping
This is a form of keeping a journal in which you write down every thought that goes through your mind. You might discover some unconscious thinking patterns that you want to change.