The NEET Compass [Part Two]
The Ultimate /comfy/ Guide
If you haven’t read Part One yet, click below:
So far, the NEET Compass and various archetypes have been devised.
While there are definitely more archetypes to explore, especially subsets of low-income NEETs that live /comfy/ lives, the core thesis remains:
The goal is to maximise your disposable income while not compromising on your own comfort levels.
This post will cover achieving higher comfort levels, regardless of your current financial or employment situation.
Provided you live in a developed country with some degree of welfare, you can drastically improve your comfort levels simply by changing your habits.
To keep the post simple and structured, three core ideas have been explored.
Let’s begin with one of the biggest paradigm shifts one can make:
1. Stop Caring
Adopting a ‘stop caring’ mindset is like equipping a bulletproof vest. By withholding attention and refusing to react emotionally, you become untouchable.
The biggest trap normies fall into is caring too much.
Normies care too much about what others think of them. They don’t want to risk being excluded, so they form their opinions and base their identities on those around them. This is why normies look and act the same and share identical beliefs.
Normies care too much about issues which don’t impact them directly. Instead of improving their own lives, they’re arguing in comment sections about politics, climate change, racism, vaccines, and more. This is a complete waste of time and energy.
You can’t not care about anything. But the chances are, if your life isn’t being directly impacted, then you’re caring too much about things which don’t matter.
Did a girl reject you? Don’t send an angry text or let it bother you. Stop caring.
Did you get a speeding or parking fine? Don’t lose sleep over it. Stop caring.
Did you have an embarrassing experience in high school or college? Don’t make it a present burden. Stop caring.
There are countless examples where it’s better to simply ignore something and move on than dwell on something in the past or dread something in the future.
As the world becomes increasingly virtual, realise that ‘stop caring’ equates to switching off your phone, shutting down your computer and enjoying the present moment.
We often suffer more in imagination than we do in reality. ‘Stop caring’ is a mental shift that you will need to reinforce through repetition.
Use a sticky note on your monitor or change your wallpaper to remind yourself throughout the day.
Whenever you find yourself getting too worked up, take a deep breath and visualise yourself clinking a glass of champagne with a tuxedo-wearing frog. If done correctly, you will feel a wave of comfort rush over your body.
All you have to do is… stop caring.
2. Optimise Your Health
One area you should never ‘stop caring’ about is your health.
Diet, exercise, sleep and other aspects of your lifestyle play a key role in achieving peak /comfy/-ness.
If you fuel your body with junk food, neglect your body by withholding rigorous exercise, and aren’t giving yourself proper rest, you will look and feel like garbage.
Conversely, being active, fit, and most importantly healthy has countless benefits:
You will have more energy
You will improve your mood
You will look more vibrant
You will feel more calm
You will live a longer life
This newsletter is not about health, but here is some helpful advice for beginners.
As a rule of thumb, homecooked meals from free-range and organic ingredients are much better than frozen meals or fast food. Experiment with preparing new meals and see which supplements benefit you the most.
Move every single day - preferably leave your home. Even if it’s just a quick walk around the block, stay active; it will make you more mentally agile as well. Picking up weightlifting and a combat sport is highly recommended.
Give yourself plenty of time to sleep and wake up without an alarm. Avoid screen time before bed by leaving your phone across your room. Settle down with a book and get your sleeping position and body temperature just right.
This is barely scratching the surface. There are other activities which can help improve your physical and mental wellbeing, such as:
mindfulness meditation
Wim Hof breathing
stretching routine
cold showers
warm baths
steam room/sauna
writing in a journal
spending quality time in-person with family and friends
Seek to build a schedule which incorporates activities which make you feel /comfy/. Reduce vices like alcohol, marijuana, video game and pornography consumption for temporary relief; if these become habitual, they can be highly destructive.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s also important not to become hyper-fixated over any particular aspect of your health or life. Counting every single calorie religiously is no way to live life.
There shouldn’t be a competitive aspect to exercise where you feel stressed or pressured if you’re not hitting certain milestones. And don’t force yourself into a cold shower if you don’t feel like one.
Optimal living is a marathon, not a sprint, so exercise good judgement and give yourself a break where necessary.
Also, a lot of advice on ‘holistic’ living is taken to the absolute extreme:
Putting an occasional meal in the microwave won’t cause you any harm
Sunning your balls to boost your testosterone levels isn’t necessary
Cold showers won’t magically transform your life overnight
Raw milk and honey won’t remedy a decade of getting ran through at college frat parties
So don’t fret if not everything you own is organic. Try your best given your current circumstances and strive for continuous improvements.
3. Take Control
At the core of being /comfy/ is having complete autonomy over one’s self.
If you lack the willpower to improve or change your life situation in any meaningful capacity, then you are trapped.
Normies unknowingly trap themselves in routines they can’t escape from. The structured routines of their 9-5 lives physically and mentally depletes them.
They are left with little time and energy to brainstorm solutions to improve their mundane life situations, only to be further drained by impulsive Facebook, Netflix, Steam, and Pornhub consumption.
Side Note
If you ever find yourself stuck in this vicious cycle, you need to regain control.
The rest of this post is still relevant and applicable, but here are some specific tips for the wagies:
Consider ways to work from home to reduce transport time to and from work
Take action and apply for jobs which award you more free time, better pay or better working conditions
Apply for time off work to reset and clear your mind
Learn a new skill or gain a qualification in a field you’d like to pursue
Expand your network and be open to exploring new opportunities
However, NEETs can fall victim to a similar trap through living an unstructured and unfulfilling life.
When you don’t have any obligations like work or school, there is nothing holding one back from, for example, wasting one’s entire day gaming.
In this scenario, gaming isn’t necessary the problem: it’s merely symptomatic of a lack of willpower and purpose in life. However, this can quickly spiral out of control, to the point where control over one’s life is progressively lost.
Gaming may become the centre of one’s existence, to the point where their routine forms around the games they play. Real-world accomplishments and milestones are put behind virtual achievements.
Social skills fade as all contact with other people shifts online. In extreme cases, basic functions like having an in-person conversation and practicing basic hygiene are neglected entirely.
Video games are merely one example. In the right circumstances and in moderation, they can be great fun. Without exercising restraint, gaming can lead to a steady decay of one’s physical and mental wellbeing.
The solution is to commit to taking control.
If you want to play video games, schedule the time to do so. Ensure you’ve done anything urgent and important beforehand so you can relax and enjoy your time guilt-free. And have the discipline to walk away at any time.
If you lack the discipline to walk away, make it difficult to indulge in your habit:
Uninstall Steam and pack away your consoles if you find yourself gaming for extended periods of time
Unplug your internet and switch off your phone if you find yourself aimlessly watching porn
Logout and delete the YouTube and Twitter app from your phone if you find yourself wasting time endlessly scrolling through social media
Willpower is like a muscle. If you don’t use any willpower, it will remain weak. Train it consistently, however, and it becomes stronger.
So begin to train yourself to take action. Schedule your day and make the most out of the time you have. Get any work or chores done early so you can enjoy the rest of your day without any lingering thoughts.
Reframe tasks like cooking and cleaning as leisure. If something is momentarily uncomfortable or tedious but needs to be done, push through. You’ll feel relieved knowing you no longer have it looming over you.
Take full control over your life starting now. Vow to make decisions that align with your best interests. Commit to a life of integrity where you always do what you say.
Living life without the burden of internal conflict is very /comfy/ indeed.
In the third part of this post, we’ll cover how to increase your income and improve your financial situation.
"We often suffer more in imagination than we do in reality"
hits very very hard