How To Improve Your Productivity With The Pavlok Chrome Extension

Happy Wednesday Shockers!

First up:  I’m blown away by how successful our users have been with Pavlok. From Waking up early, to quitting smoking, to getting over negative thoughts, and more — it’s crazy how effective a little positive and negative reinforcement can be.

But it always surprises me how few people know all of the capabilities of Pavlok.

We’ve been building APPS, HABITS, INTEGRATIONS, even GAMES, all utilizing the Pavlok hardware, to bring information into the physical real.

All with the mindset of  — we don’t just help you achieve your goals — we get you to achieve your goals.

And one of the most fundamental goals that Pavlok users have is to BE MORE PRODUCTIVE.

Did you know that Pavlok has a Chrome Extension that helps you stop wasting time online?

It’s one of our most popular integrations (>4 stars) with thousands of users — AND YOU DON’T EVEN NEED A PAVLOK TO USE IT.

(Although it’s way cooler if you have one 🙂

So today, I wanted to showcase the Pavlok Productivity Chrome Extension.

You can try it out yourself at https://wp.pavlok.com/productivity

(If you need a pavlok account, sign up here)

Watch The Video – How To Use Our Pavlok Google Chrome Extension
Last week we shared the incredible story of how Pavlok user Chris N, used Pavlok to improve his productivity and write more on a consistent basis.

Many of you reached out asking about all the ways you can use the Pavlok Chrome extension to get more done and stay on track automatically.

Today we wanted to share some of the key features briefly and why they are so powerful.

  • Create A To-Do List That Actually Gets Done 

There are literally dozens of to-do list applications out there today, but none of them ensures that you actually complete your list! Add your todos and look out for a zap if you don’t get them done! (You can sync your tasks from the Todoist app, as well!)

  • FocusTime Pomodoros for your Tasks

The secret to actually get tasks done is simple: DO THEM. The best way? Through something known as the Pomodoro Technique. In this method, you focus on one task, exclusively for 25 mins. With the Chrome Extension, you can associate your tasks with a Pomodoro, so for a period of 25 mins you’ll be reminded, vibrated, and buzzed to stay on task for one task! The task hovers over all your browser windows to make sure you don’t forget.

 

I’m doing a Pomodoro as we speak to write this email. Notice the reminder at the top left. If I leave this tab, I’ll get a zap! (Thanks to ‘Lock me in this page‘)
 

  • Blacklist Unproductive Site

Add your typical list of most distracting sites and have your Pavlok keep you in check. You’ll think twice about checking Twitter if you know zap is on its way.

  • Stay Focused With A Tab Limit 

It’s virtually impossible to get things done when you have more tabs open than you can count. Get close to your tab limit? Vibration warning. Reach the limit? Beep. Go over? ZAP. Now I never open more than my limit, ever.

  • Plenty More

RescueTime integration, Todoist integration, Whitelisting, etc etc — there’s plenty more.

The extension has a ton of additional customizations and tweaks depending on your specific goals, and we’re always adding more!

If you haven’t yet installed the Chrome Extension, download it today and give it a try!

-Team Pavlok

P.S. You can use the extension without a Pavlok, but you’ll need the device if you want to feel the vibrations, beeps, and zaps. Click Here to order your Pavlok 2. Don’t wait — we are already out of stock for November, and we only have 3000 in stock for December. Order Now if you want it before Xmas!

The Secret Technique To Stop Unhealthy Eating

Man with junk food

 

If you snack or eat fast food more often than you would like, you’re not alone – 1 in 4 Americans will visit a fast food restaurant today. Nutritionists advise limiting fast food meals to once per month, but how many people follow this advice? University of Alberta researchers recently found that a drink and a snack from a vending machine would provide 15 teaspoons of sugar and 433 calories—roughly the caloric equivalent of a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.

60% of Americans are overweight or obese, and the Surgeon General has stated that “fast food is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.” This isn’t surprising, considering a single meal at a fast food establishment can fulfill your total calorie intake for the day. It’s also not hard to see how uncontrolled snacking can contribute as well.

And whether or not weight is a concern for you, processed foods are not a healthy part of any diet. Yet potatoes are the most consumed vegetable in America – in the form of French fries, and how far down the list do you think potato chips fall?

No one walks into a fast food chain like Wendy’s or Burger King expecting a nutritional and healthy meal. We know the risks, we’ve been shown the statistics, but we still spend billions of dollars on fast food every year. Or how about the quick stroll down to the office snack machine?

Why do we maintain this destructive relationship with unhealthy food?

The most commonly known answer is in the label itself: fast food. As the national average work week increases, you’re left with less and less time to plan and prepare meals. As a result, many Americans are more concerned with convenience than health when hunger strikes. We’ve also been conditioned to use food as a response to outside circumstances. Did you have a bad meeting and need to respond? Difficult conversation with a friend or loved one? We habitually turn to food.

The argument of the availability of unhealthy food isn’t new. But new studies are suggesting an additional factor that makes it so hard to beat an unhalthy food habit.

Have you ever considered the added sugar in processed foods?

 

Sugar can be More Addictive than Cocaine

 

Cocaine

 

On average, Americans consume between a quarter and half a pound of sugar. Every day. That’s 800+ calories with no nutritional value. You don’t just love the taste of a Frosty, you’re addicted to it.

Studies have been conducted on rats regularly receiving cocaine through an IV. When they have the option of switching to sugar, almost all of them switched, and those who switched ending up binging on sugar more than cocaine. If a rat is given total 24/7 access to all of the cocaine it could want, it will eventually stop eating and stop sleeping. It will use more and more cocaine until it dies.

Guess what happened when rats were given that kind of access to sugar? (Hint: they didn’t join Weight Watchers).

Added sugars (present in about 75% of packaged food in America) activate the same pathways as other addictive substances, and have parallel effects. Drugs like cocaine, heroin, and nicotine all change the way your brain processes dopamine. Over time, this leads your brain into an increasingly violent cycle between withdrawal and reward.

So when you want to avoid snacking or the drive-thru, it’s not as simple as packing a lunch in advance. Your brain has been programmed over time to function on snacks and fast food to satisfy its addiction to sugar, and it will produce intense cravings when you try to stop!

This can be good and bad news. The good news: if you’ve tried and failed to avoid snacks and fast food in the past, you can’t put yourself entirely at fault. There are more factors going on than the strength of your willpower alone. The bad news: while you can absolve yourself from total responsibility, this also means it’s a lot harder to stop than you thought.

 

Luckily, there’s good news

There’s one, little known secret method, that can break negative habits in their tracks

That secret…

Aversion Therapy Works Against Addiction

 

Aversion Therapy Infographic

 

Luckily, there’s more good news. Every time you sip your shake, the sugar activates the reward pathway in your brain, and this pathway works in reverse!

This is the basis of aversion therapy. Just as you can get your brain to make positive associations, you can teach it negative associations that work in your favor. Today, with America’s growing dependence on sugar, there are a lot of self-proclaimed ‘professionals’ out there trying to monetize the epidemic with expensive programs to help you quit.

Examples include a collection of slideshows pairing pictures of junk food with morbid and disgusting images, hypnotists who will come to your home (and charge by the minute), and detailed guides containing cleanses and recipes that will dictate what you’re allowed to eat for the rest of your life (plus shipping and handling).

The way to start curing sugar addiction is to treat it for what it is: an addiction. Snacking and fast food has rewired your brain, so attention must be paid at the neurological level.

Consider drugs like nicotine and alcohol. They function in several different ways, but both of them, like sugar, raise the concentration of dopamine in the brain — making you feel rewarded, and ultimately causing addiction.

Electrical aversion therapy, which pairs a mild electric shock with the drug, helped the majority of those addicted to nicotine and alcohol quit in five (or fewer) days.

Sugar has various effects on the body, but recent research has shown it shares its main effect on the brain with these drugs. So if electrical aversion therapy can cure the majority of smokers and alcoholics, wouldn’t you rather give that a try before you start cold-calling hypnotists?

We know convenience is important to you. Pavlok is a wristband with a simple one-button system to deliver a safe shock, and you can adjust the intensity to a level that’s comfortable for you. Electrical aversion therapy has always been effective, and now, it’s more convenient than ever.

 

How to Use Pavlok to Stop Eating Fast Food

Pavlok for Aversion

The actual addictive qualities of the sugar in your snacks and fast food were only revealed recently, and researchers are still working to understand the full extent of its ability to change how your brain works. Meanwhile, Americans across the country are continuously starting and ending magic fixes and extreme diets. And they all support the idea that if you fail, you are the one to blame.

But we now know that your snacking and fast food habit is more than that. Your brain has been altered to want sugar, and will give you cravings if you try to resist!

That’s why Tasha had been trying for years to stop eating sugar, but was never able to make a permanent change in her diet. But she started using Pavlok the same day it arrived in the mail, and has not had refined sugar since!

You’re not expected to be able to ignore your brain’s needs on your own, and Pavlok can help reverse this reward circuit in five days or less.

 

Order Your Pavlok And Quit Unhealthy Eating In As Little As Five Days!

 

 

Sign up below to get your free copy of “Five Fast Ways To Cure Food Cravings“. This e-book has helped thousands of people quit food cravings and can be the first step to making the best you the REAL YOU! 
 



FREE GUIDES — Which Habit Do You Want To Break?

Hey Pavlokians,

Happy Thursday. As you may have heard we are super excited to have recently opened up Pavlok 2 orders to the entire community. The response so far has been nothing but amazing.

And, while the Pavlok 2 is the only wearable on the market to help you break bad habits and implement healthier and more positive behaviors…

The truth is, it’s only a tool to help you accelerate your progress.

Another important component is understanding the habit you’re trying to break, so you’re armed with the tools and knowledge to give yourself the best chance to succeed.

We understand that not everyone is in the position to order a Pavlok 2, so I tasked my team to create 4 specific guides to help you make progress on your habits and goals.

No cost. No catch.

To get the free guide, simply click the link of the habit you’re currently focusing on, and I’ll immediately send you a breakdown on how to take the best approach.

Habit Hacking Essentials

Quit Smoking For Good

Improve Your Morning Routine

Stop Your Nail Biting Once and For All

These guides alone can significantly improve your chances of making huge strides in your habit change goals.

Just click the guide that interests you most, and get to habit-hacking.

-Maneesh Sethi

P.S If you are on the fence about grabbing your Pavlok 2 wearable, each of the above guides comes with its own unique 25% discount code. Download the guide of your choice and enjoy 25% off on your Pavlok 2 purchase.

Shock Clock Vs. Pavlok: What are the differences?

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Short answer:

  • The Shock Clock is an alarm clock that vibrates, beeps, and zaps you awake.
  • The Pavlok includes all of the Shock Clock features, plus a full suite of courses, features, and integrations to help you break bad habits.

Pavlok and Shock Clock both use the same hardware. The Shock Clock can be upgraded to the full Pavlok in the app, after purchase.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Shock Clock Youtube Embed” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Watch the Shock Clock Intro

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Pavlok Youtube Embed” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Watch the Pavlok App Intro

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_pricing_tables admin_label=”Pricing Tables” show_bullet=”on” bullet_color=”#ffcd00″ center_list_items=”off” header_text_color=”#000000″ price_text_color=”#ffcd00″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_button=”off” button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ featured_table_header_background_color=”#ffcd00″ featured_table_bullet_color=”#ffcd00″ remove_featured_drop_shadow=”off”]

[et_pb_pricing_table featured=”off” title=”The Shock Clock” subtitle=”The World’s Best Alarm Clock” button_url=”https://buy.maneesh.wpenginepowered.com/products/shocking-alarm-clock” button_text=”Order the Shock Clock” header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” subheader_font_select=”default” subheader_font=”||||” currency_frequency_font_select=”default” currency_frequency_font=”||||” price_font_select=”default” price_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”]

+ Tracks Sleep

+ Set 6 types of Wake Up Alarms

+ Motion detection / Jumping Jacks Snooze Lock

+ Introduction to Habit Change Course

Breaking Bad Habits Courses

– Pavlok Productivity Chrome Extension

Smart Integrations and IFTTT

– Pavlok Unlocked Remote Control Access

[/et_pb_pricing_table][et_pb_pricing_table featured=”on” title=”The Pavlok” subtitle=”Break Bad Habits, Get Productive, and Wake Up On Command” button_url=”https://buy.maneesh.wpenginepowered.com/products/pavlok-1″ button_text=”Order the Pavlok” header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” subheader_font_select=”default” subheader_font=”||||” currency_frequency_font_select=”default” currency_frequency_font=”||||” price_font_select=”default” price_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”]

+ Tracks Sleep

+ Set 6 types of Wake Up Alarms

+ Motion detection / Jumping Jacks Snooze Lock

+ Introduction to Habit Change Course

+ Breaking Bad Habits Courses

+ Pavlok Productivity Chrome Extension

+ Smart Integrations and IFTTT

+ Pavlok Unlocked Remote Control Access

[/et_pb_pricing_table]

[/et_pb_pricing_tables][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Fixing issues with iOS 10

iOS 10 ISSUES

We are currently investigating reports of Bluetooth issues when connecting Pavloks and Shock clocks to Apple’s new iOS 10 update. You may encounter problems, when trying to pair or repair to your device. (*IOS 10 pairing issues)  We are aware some devices are becoming non-responsive after being connected to an Iphone with IOS 10. If your device becomes non-responsive it doesn’t mean the device is broken but might need to be kept off the charger for 5-8 hours(*IOS 10 bricking issue).


Recently, iOS has released a new version of IOS 10 called IOS 10.1.1 with possible fixes to the above problems. Below you can see the exact fix related to bluetooth.

10.1.0 – 10.1.1 improvements
Other improvements and fixes

● Improves Bluetooth connectivity with 3rd party accessories

We are still working hard at investigating the problems associated with iOS 10 but we do suggest all IOS users to update to the lastest version of OS to reduce the likelihood of pairing issues.

Every OS upgrade comes with the possibility that it will cause some applications to stop working or behave incorrectly.  We realize that this is not ideal and we are working with Apple to resolve this issue. We apologize for any inconvenience you experience.    

If you have not yet upgraded to iOS 10, we would recommend that you do NOT upgrade until further notice. We will send out additional updates as we investigate further.

*below you will find fixes to the issues above

*I’m having trouble pairing

To troubleshoot a pairing issue, try these steps in order:

ota-92x

1. Force close the app.
2. Go into the Bluetooth settings on your phone.
3. Under my devices click on your Pavlok which will have a few numbers next to it and select the “i” and press “Forget Device.”
4. Turn Bluetooth off and then back on.
5. Now go back into the app and re-pair.

*Device not responding?
We are sorry you’re experiencing issue, please review the steps below to bring your Pavlok or Shock Clock back to life.

slack-for-ios-upload-3-null

Thanks again for being a loyal customer, if you’re ever having problems with your device or breaking a habit please contact us at support@wp.pavlok.com

Best,
Pavlok dev team

Why you choose ice-cream over apples

If you find yourself regularly choosing “yummy options” over “healthy options”, don’t feel miserable. It seems the way the brain is wired makes it easier to choose “yummy” rather than “healthy”, even when it’s clear the healthy option is best.

A recent experiment (Sullivan, Hutcherson, Harris, Rangel, 2014) may have uncovered exactly why this happens, and why it’s going to take more than willpower to make the right choices.

In the experiment, a group of volunteers were asked to make a number of food choices, while being monitored to find out how long it took their brain to process different attributes in food.

It appears the brain finds it easy to understand a simple attribute such as “taste”, while an abstract attribute such as “healthiness of food” is much more challenging. In fact, on average, taste information begins to influence our choice about 9% earlier than health information.

So when it’s time to choose between the apple and the ice-cream, your brain will first decide on the simplest attribute — taste.

While it might not be possible to rewire our brain to first process  the healthiness attribute rather than the taste attribute, we can trick it into doing so.

The experiment shows that the brain will first focus on what is easy to understand. And that’s something we can use to our advantage.

If you want you brain to focus first on healthiness, find ways to make it easier to understand. Post nutritional information on your food containers. Make them bold and highlighted — get them to stand out.

The information is very easy to find. Just go to Google and type in “How many calories in beer” (or any other type of food or drink). This will give you the answer to your question, and a calculator you can use for any other item you want to search for.

Here’s what it looks like:

screen-shot-2016-09-07-at-1-50-54-pm

You can also do this for protein, fat and a number of other nutritional facts.

If you’re not a numbers person, you can create a bar chart, print it out and stick it to your food containers. Here’s a free service that allows you to create charts easily: https://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/

Here’s what that would look like:

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 11.51.19 AM

That graph took less than 2 minutes to do. More importantly, if you stick that to your ice-cream tub, your brain will find it a lot easier to decide based of healthiness, not just taste.

Bibliography

Sullivan, N., Hutcherson, C., Harris, A., & Rangel, A. (2014). Dietary Self-Control Is Related to the Speed With Which Attributes of Healthfulness and Tastiness Are Processed. Psychological Science, 26(2), 122–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614559543