1. How do you prevent yourself from performing mental masturbation? I have a very bad habit of playing past and future situations out in my head, and enacting them within my mind in the way I wish they went or how I hope they will go, respectively. I realize this is terrible when trying to become someone who takes action, because it tells the brain that the situation has occurred, and thus provides no motivation. I’d like to get out of the habit of doing this.

  2. How do you get rid of the need for validation that comes in the form of getting text messages, receiving social media notifications, posting things on Snapchat and Instagram for approval, etc.? Although I don’t rely on social media that much, I do (as pathetic as this sounds) get slightly depressed when I wake up in the morning and see only a small number of notifications, or after a long period of not checking my phone, see that no one has texted me. I want to get rid of this compulsion to check my phone for validation that I’m “wanted”, if that makes sense, and instead an IDGAF mentality when it comes to this type of situation.

Thanks.