Unlike trip-inducing ‘macrodosing’, people are taking tiny amounts—or microdoses—of psychedelics for a competitive edge, from business to parenting. Like cannabis, the self-therapy is also being applied to a number of ailments, with anecdotes suggesting positive outcomes for pain, arthritis, and ADHD. The trend has been mentioned alongside Silicon Valley executives and moms alike, so let’s explore the idea of microdosing at work.

The demanding nature of work

Modern work is demanding, we all seek to limit the costs it has on our bodies and minds. For the lucky few that are invigorated by their professions, they too strive for burdenless efficiency. Across the spectrum of work, tools are employed to further these goals—caffeine, nicotine, legal amphetamines (e.g. Adderall), technology in all its forms—permissible enhancements to our working and personal lives.

While these chemical and digital boosts may be legal, they’re not without their downsides. Caffeine can leave you jittery, nicotine usually comes with a challenging addiction, pharmaceuticals each have their own laundry-list of side-effects, and technology has enabled individual workloads that would have been inconceivable only a few decades ago.

For the sake of this article, we’ll speak in hypothetical terms that assume the legal use of psilocybin at work. We do not condone activity that may jeopardize your security or employment.

Microdosing at work

Psilocybin shares a chemical structure that is very similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin, exciting the pathways related to happiness, well-being, cognition, and learning. At low doses, the effects are not readily noticeable but may contribute to improved creativity and mental flexibility. While the evidence is limited, these are all attributes that we seek to maximize while on the job.

Further, magic mushrooms are very safe among recreational drugs (cannabis, caffeine, and nicotine included) when taken responsibly and in moderation, with no known effects on the structure or health of the brain. According to Adam Winstock, founder of the Global Drug Survey and consultant addiction psychiatrist, “magic mushrooms are one of the safest drugs in the world.” However, long-term studies have not yet been undertaken.

With all this in mind, it seems like it might be easier to come up with an argument for why you shouldn’t microdose at work.

How to microdose magic mushrooms at work

If you’re interested in microdosing at work, there are a few things that will help you try the enhancement for yourself. Obviously, getting magic mushrooms is the first step; we make this as easy as ordering yourself a coffee—both prepared capsules, and dried mushrooms if you prefer a hands-on approach.

Like any new experience, it’s best to practice before “game day.” Consider trying your first microdose at home, so there are no unexpected surprises at the office. Even with very small doses, there are many different factors that might influence both the potency and the effect. Further, since the effects of microdosing can be subtle initially, you should track your days—and progress on the particular goals you’ve chosen—with a journal or digital tool.

With these tips, you should be able to maximize your experimentation with microdosing at work.

When you’re exploring magic mushrooms or psychedelics for the first time, you may eventually find yourself asking “What is microdosing?” The trend has been mentioned alongside Silicon Valley executives and moms alike. 

Unlike trip-inducing ‘macrodosing’, people are taking tiny amounts — or microdoses — of psychedelics for a competitive edge, from business to parenting. Like cannabis, the self-therapy is being applied to a number of ailments, with anecdotes suggesting positive outcomes for pain, arthritis, and ADHD.

What is microdosing?

The traditional format for microdosing psychedelics is to take only one-tenth of an ‘average’ recreational dose. At these quantities, the LSD or mushrooms are not intended to provoke noticeable effects, deemed “sub-threshold.” For microdosing any substance, a reliable scale — or some other method to be sure of dose — is required. Microdoses of mushrooms, for example, are often only a tenth of a gram.

Psilocybin shares a chemical structure that is very similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin. After eating magic mushrooms, the supplementation of serotonin-like molecules may assist the brain in exciting the pathways related to happiness, well-being, cognition, and learning. Effects are not readily noticeable but may contribute to improved creativity and mental flexibility.

How to microdose psilocybin

The most important aspect of microdosing, at least at the beginning, is to maintain a consistent schedule. Dr. James Fadiman, the father of microdosing, suggests a single dose only once every four days (1 day on, 3 days off). He stresses the importance of keeping a journal, to track the ‘dose days’ and any changes over time.

An alternative schedule, proposed by the ‘Monarch of Mushrooms’ Paul Stamets, increases the frequency dramatically to 5 days on, 2 days off. He also proposes a ‘nutrient stack’ alongside the psilocybin microdose, including niacin — Vitamin B3 — and another fungus known as Lion’s Mane. He claims the combination of the three promotes neuroregeneration, the growth of new cells in the brain.

Both Fadiman and Stamets place a strong significance in tracking your doses and the outcomes. Journaling alone has been demonstrated as a helpful therapy for the improvement of health wellness. Combining the two helps to solidify microdosing goals and to observe the results of modifications to dose or schedule.

The tools for microdosing psilocybin

There are only a few things that you need to microdose magic mushrooms:

• Psilocybin: We’ve got you covered, no matter your preference. Mycro capsules contain 100mg of Ps. cubensis and a dash of premium cacao; perfect for easy dosing. If you prefer to make your own capsules of combinations, our small-batch dried mushrooms are ideal.
• Journal: Physical or digital, you need to track your dose days and outcomes, for maximum benefit. Consider contributing to microdosing science by using the Stamets-approved microdosing app Microdose.me.
• Scale: Precise doses are critical to avoid accidental trips or discomfort. Grinding batches of mushrooms into a powder is the best way to divide doses and to reduce any variability in potency between individual mushrooms.

With these tools in hand, you can confidently answer — with your own experience — when someone asks “What is microdosing?”