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Field Notes
How Do We Improve Focus When We’re Exhausted? Coffee, Mushrooms or Microdosing?
Season 1, Ep. 5
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Tiny cultural translation (for non-UK / under-25 listeners)
• Bargain Hunt: British daytime TV where people buy antiques and act like it’s a pension strategy.
• Wordle: a daily five-letter word game we all got hooked on in lockdown.
New listener segment starting next week: Ask Guru & Granny
From next week, we’ll be answering listener questions — anything you’re stuck on, spiralling about, or quietly panicking over.
You’ll get:
• a chronically online take (me)
• and a chronically offline take (Old Ma)
Send your questions to: rosefieldnotespod@gmail.com
Or DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan or @field.notes.pod
Tell us if you’d like to be anonymous or named.
Neither of us are licensed psychologists or counsellors. My mum’s main credential is “a life well lived” and several decades of being unimpressed by nonsense. Mine is that I'm now a guru.
We are all exhausted. Properly frazzled. Brain-fogged. Running on caffeine, habit, and whatever scraps of motivation are left after bedtime.
And then you open Instagram or TikTok and get hit with the most infuriating contradiction imaginable:
Drink coffee for energy.
No — coffee is ruining your nervous system.
Try mushroom coffee.
No — you need to microdose psychedelics.
Actually, you just need perfect sleep, perfect routines, and zero stimulants (good luck with that).
So today, I’m trying to work out what we’re actually supposed to do when we’re tired, overwhelmed, and drowning in wellness advice that can’t agree with itself for more than eleven seconds.
This episode looks at energy, focus, and brain fog through the lens of:
• coffee vs no coffee
• mushroom coffee / nootropics / adaptogens
• microdosing psychedelics
• and why optimisation culture often collapses in real life
I react to some of the most common reels doing the rounds right now — doctors, nutritionists, biohackers, and internet experts all offering wildly conflicting advice — and try to slow the whole thing down enough to make sense of it.
What we cover
• Why so many of us feel permanently tired and mentally scattered
• Coffee on an empty stomach: cortisol, hormones, gut health — fearmongering or fair warning?
• Mushroom coffee explained (what it is and what it definitely isn’t)
• Common functional mushrooms and adaptogens you’ll hear about online, including:
Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Chaga, Reishi, Maca, and other “brain-boosting” blends
• Nootropics vs stimulants: focus without the crash?
• Brian Johnson, extreme optimisation, and the fantasy of total nervous-system stability
• Psychedelics and microdosing: potential benefits, real risks, and why this conversation has gone so strange online
• The Stoned Ape Theory (and why archaeologists absolutely love an unprovable idea)
This episode also introduces my mum — Old Ma — an archaeologist, lifelong observer of human behaviour, and proudly chronically offline control group. She brings a very different perspective on psychedelics, energy, and the idea that modern life can be “fixed” with powders and protocols.
This is not medical advice. It’s an honest attempt to translate modern wellness culture for tired people who don’t have the bandwidth to fact-check every reel.
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Follow for clips, extras & deleted scenes
• Podcast Instagram: @field.notes.pod (deleted scenes, extra bits, behind-the-scenes chaos)
Next up: I’ll actually test some of this advice in real life and report back.
More episodes
View all episodes
8. Field Report: I Tried Clean Girl Dressing (And Was Humbled)
16:19||Season 1, Ep. 8This week’s Field Report follows on from Monday’s episode on Main Character Dressing — specifically the idea of “dressing for the life you want.”So naturally, I committed to the ultimate test:I dressed as a Clean Girl.And so did Old Ma.What followed was… humbling.Scraped-back buns. Stark white activewear. An identity crisis involving my hairline, forehead, and general facial geography. Turns out Clean Girl Dressing is not for the faint-hearted — or anyone with a large skull, ginger hair, or a low tolerance for belts.In this episode, I report back on:What Clean Girl dressing actually feels like in real lifeWhy scraped-back buns are basically a humiliation ritual unless you’re a 9 or 10Whether wearing white really does change behaviour (spoiler: it does, slightly)Why clothes can affect confidence, posture, and how willing you are to steal your children’s snacksThe unexpected psychological impact of feeling “seen” vs wanting to disappearWhy everyone needs a symbolic power item (boots, hat, gilet, etc.)The problem with buying “nice pieces” instead of full outfitsWhy belts are medieval torture devicesAnd what Clean Girl taught me about hygiene, confidence, and hand-washing (sad but true)Finds & FailsFind of the week:The concept of a power outfit — clothing that lets you walk into places like you own them (post office, returns desk, life in general)Fail of the week:Wearing nicer clothes under the coatBeltsStiff blousesThinking I could style “mid-range” outfits without buying the full mannequin lookAccidental Life HackHow to get a workout done without creating a third outfit or extra laundry (sports bra under pyjamas = elite behaviour)📬 Ask Guru & Granny — Coming Next WeekFrom next week, we’re officially launching Ask Guru & Granny — the new listener segment where we tackle your problems from two perspectives:Chronically online (me)Chronically offline (Old Ma)If you’ve got a dilemma, spiral, life question, or quiet panic — send it in.📩 Email: rosefieldnotespod@gmail.com📲 Instagram DM: @rosehoneymorganTell us if you want to be anonymous or named.Neither of us are licensed therapists.My mum’s main qualification is “a life well lived” and decades of being deeply unimpressed by nonsense.📸 Extra Bits & VisualsYou can see:Old Ma’s Clean Girl attemptAesthetic referencesPower item discussionOver on the podcast Instagram:👉 @field.notes.podI’ll be back on Monday with another experiment — and yes, it may cause a domestic incident.7. Main Character Dressing: Can Clothes Actually Fix Your Life?
35:34||Season 1, Ep. 7We’re told to dress for the life we want — not the life we have.That if we change how we dress, we’ll change how we feel.That confidence, motivation, discipline, and even happiness might be hiding in a blazer, a slicked-back bun, or a pair of cowboy boots.But… is that actually true?Or is this just another internet reinvention fantasy dressed up as self-improvement?In this episode of Field Notes, I look at main character dressing, aesthetic identities, and the idea that clothes can function as behavioural cues — through humour, cultural anthropology, and lived experience.This one is for anyone who:feels permanently scruffy, flat, or half-aliveknows they care about how they look, but can’t seem to follow throughsuspects there’s something psychologically real going on here… but also something deeply ridiculousWhat we cover• Main character dressing — what it actually means, and why it’s everywhere• Dressing for the life you want vs dragging yourself around in leggings and a fleece• Why clothes can genuinely affect mood, confidence, and behaviour (without becoming delusional about it)• A gentle roasting of men in tracksuits (you can sit with us — just behave)• The aesthetics currently doing the rounds online:Clean GirlTomato GirlMob WifeCottagecore• Why switching aesthetics can feel like trying on identities• Whether “rehearsing” a version of yourself helps — or just makes you overthink everything• The anthropology of adornment, status, and signalling (including a Copper Age man buried with a solid gold penis sheath)• Why Old Ma is always dressed properly — and why she might be onto somethingIntroducing (soft launch): Ask Guru & GrannyThis episode also sets up a new weekly segment starting next episode:Ask Guru & GrannyEach week we’ll answer listener questions using:a chronically online take (me)and a chronically offline take (Old Ma — archaeologist, control group, deeply unimpressed by nonsense)You can ask about:identityworkconfidencerelationshipsmotivationor anything you’re quietly spiralling aboutSend questions to: rosefieldnotespod@gmail.comOr DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorganTell us if you’d like to be anonymous or named.(Neither of us are licensed psychologists or counsellors. My mum’s main credential is “a life well lived” and decades of not indulging bullshit.)What’s coming nextI’ll be actually trying this in real life:testing different aestheticsseeing whether clothes change behaviour, mood, or self-controland reporting back honestly — including whether it’s worth the laundry, the sensory overload, or the effortPhotos, visuals, and Old Ma’s homework will be shared on the podcast Instagram.Follow for clips, extras & deleted scenes📸 Podcast Instagram: @field.notes.pod(behind-the-scenes chaos, visuals, and things that didn’t make the edit)If this episode made you laugh, think, or feel mildly called out — share it with someone who’d enjoy being part of this group chat.See you on Friday for the Field Report.6. Field Report: I Drank Mushroom Coffee All Week - Here’s What Happened
18:51||Season 1, Ep. 6Housekeeping: Ask Guru & Granny starts MondayYou send in your problems.You get:a chronically online take (me)a chronically offline take (Old Ma)Questions can be about:workrelationshipsidentityconfidencedecision paralysis....anythingSend questions to:📩 rosefieldnotespod@gmail.comOr DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan or @field.notes.podTell us if you’d like to be anonymous or named.(Neither of us are licensed psychologists or counsellors.)Spacedust discount code - https://www.spacegoods.com/ROSE18621(they actually give one to anyone. still... I think it's 20% off) This EpisodeThis week I went all in on mushroom coffee - far beyond the recommended daily allowance - and flirted with the idea of ayahuasca.Not at a retreat.A workshop.Which is very much the pre-retreat.I went in curious, sceptical, exhausted, and - unfortunately - deeply distracted by a fit shaman, which immediately ruled out any future scenario involving vomiting, purging, or losing control in front of an attractive man.So: ayahuasca is crossed off the list for now.Mushroom coffee, however? Fully in the running.What this episode coversWe’re all knackered.Properly frazzled.Running on broken sleep, caffeine, and whatever scraps of energy are left after bedtime.And yet Instagram and TikTok cannot agree on what we’re supposed to do about it for more than eleven seconds.So this field report looks at what actually helped — and what absolutely did not.In this episode, I cover:What ayahuasca actually involves (spoiler: buckets, purging, and zero dignity)Why psychedelic “healing” feels wildly incompatible with my personalityA deeply unsettling mushroom horror story involving horses, Marmite, and sixth formWhy I don’t buy the idea that neuroplasticity + strangers + vomiting is the answerMushroom coffee vs normal coffee — how it actually feels in the bodyBrain fog, focus, and that rare feeling of being mentally “on”Why mushroom coffee feels more like:a full night’s sleeppeak flowa few days before ovulationCoffee side effects (yes, including that one)The creatine variable (and why it complicates the experiment)Sleep deprivation, parenting, and surviving on medium-to-go energyWhy mushroom coffee works brilliantly before midday and terribly afterHow to make mushroom coffee taste genuinely good (no grim watery nonsense)Mushroom coffee & ingredients mentioned We talk about:Mushroom coffeeFunctional mushroomsNootropics and adaptogensLion’s ManeCordycepsChagaReishiMacaCreatine and cognitionBrain fog, focus, and fatigueCoffee alternativesBrands mentioned (not ads):SpacegoodsDIRTEA / DirtyHow I actually drank it (the non-feral version)Full mug of oat milk (yes, the whole mug)Microwave for one minuteOne tablespoon mushroom coffeeStirDrinkOptional (if you’re feeling fancy):Hazelnut or pistachio crème (M&S)Do not bother with waterDo not add washing-up admin to your lifeFind of the WeekMushroom coffee made properly — creamy, hot, and not vaguely punishing.Fail of the WeekDrinking it after midday.Absolutely wired.Absolutely no sleep.Do not recommend.What’s nextI’ll be back on Monday with:the first proper Ask Guru & Grannyanother thing I’m actually tryingand a report on whether any of this is helping or just rearranging the exhaustionSee you then.4. Field Report: I Tried a Dopamine Detox (It Was Grim)
25:10||Season 1, Ep. 4Absolute lol Brick have given me a code : https://www.getbrick.app/ROSE90330It may not get you any more of a discount that you can get yourselves (I haven't clicked it yet), and they may request that I take it down after listening to this episode. But hey ho. The show notes are looking professional this week. Field Report of the dopamine detox experiment. I tested three “highly scientific” methods in my most dangerous scrolling window: 7–10pm after the girls are asleep.What I tried:Night 1: full raw-dog detox (no phone, no TV, no music, no book… just vibes and existential dread)Night 2: reading instead (Kindle + a dangerously moorish fantasy romance)Night 3: TV without the phone (feat. the Bonnie Blue documentary and a sudden moral debate I wasn’t prepared for)We also cover:why “doing nothing” is a rich man’s hobbythe weird way scrolling has ruined readingwhy watching a whole film now feels like personal growthsex being transactional across human history (lightly… then not lightly)Flatmate’s Field Notes: my husband’s unhinged business analysis of Bonnie BlueFind of the Week: Brick (a physical gadget that blocks apps unless you walk to it)Fail of the Week: realising I’m not enjoying reading like I used to (rude)If you tried a dopamine detox too, I want your results. And if you’ve used Brick, please report to the group chat (my DMs).Follow: @rosehoneymorganPodcast IG: @field.notes.podNew Monday episodes + Friday Field Reports.3. Should We All Be Doing Dopamine Detoxes? (I Have Concerns)
21:00||Season 1, Ep. 3This week I’ve saved a worrying number of reels about dopamine detoxes.So naturally, I decided to make it everyone else’s problem too.From raw-dogging flights (no phone, no music, no water, no joy) to promises that cutting out dopamine will magically fix motivation, laziness, and modern life in general — dopamine has officially entered its villain era.In this episode, I’m not trying anything yet. I’m circling the idea, poking it, and asking some basic questions first, like:What actually is dopamine and why has it suddenly become the enemy?Are dopamine detoxes sensible… or just dry January for your phone?Is scrolling ruining our brains, or are we just terrible at stopping?Why can I listen to podcasts endlessly but can’t watch a full TV episode without grabbing my phone?And at what point does “self-control” turn into sitting on a plane staring at the flight map like a Victorian orphan?I also dig into:Healthy vs unhelpful dopamine (effort vs passive flooding)Why modern life makes everything feel simultaneously overstimulating and boringHow screen culture is quietly reshaping films, TV, and attention spansAnd whether completely removing stimulation actually helps… or just makes life grimBy the end, I set up this week’s experiment:One day of doing nothing (true detox, unfortunately)One day replacing scrolling with readingOne day watching a full film without touching my phone (pray for me)This is Field Notes — where I test modern self-improvement ideas in real life, outside of perfect conditions, and report back honestly on what actually happens.🎧 Friday: I’ll be back with a Field Report on whether any of this helped, or whether I just became deeply annoying to live with.If you enjoy the show, please leave a review or subscribe.Find me on instagram: @rosehoneymorgan2. Field Report: I Was Wrong About Vision Boards (And Panicked)
16:13||Season 1, Ep. 2Things did not go exactly to plan.After launching the podcast and immediately developing a brief but intense sense of delusion, I realised I’d slightly abandoned the entire premise of the show. Instead of calmly testing a saved bit of advice and reporting back, I panicked, went semi-guru, and tried to convince everyone (including my family) that vision boards absolutely, definitely work.This episode is me correcting course.I talk about:my delusions of grandeur why outcome-based vision boards can feel motivating and then quietly ruin your lifehow “process pictures” are supposed to work in theory, and why they’re surprisingly hard when your goals involve screens, editing, or adminand the growing realisation that naming a podcast without Googling it first may have been… optimisticWe also establish two recurring Field Notes features:Fail of the Week (there were many)Find of the Week: if your perfume doesn't smell great, leave it for 4 years then come back to itIf you like self-improvement in theory but struggle with it in real life, you’re in the right place.Links & ExtrasFollow me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorganPodcast clips, experiments & visual chaos: @field.notes.podIf You’re Enjoying the ShowYou can:follow / subscribe so you don’t lose it in your appsleave a review (even a short one, I will screenshot it for my lame folder)or send this to someone on the same wavelength Next EpisodeOn Monday, I’m testing another widely saved piece of internet advice to see whether it actually survives contact with real life.1. Why Vision Boards Fail (And How to Fix Them)
19:21||Season 1, Ep. 1📸 You can see the vision boards mentioned in this episode on Instagram:Personal: @rosehoneymorganPodcast: @field.notes.podIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review — even a short one. It genuinely helps this show find the people it’s meant for.New episodes every Monday, with short Friday Field Reports.Why Vision Boards Fail (And How to Fix Them)Most of us don’t have a motivation problem.We have a too-much-advice problem.If you’ve ever saved hundreds of self-improvement posts, understood all of them, and still felt overwhelmed, guilty, and no closer to actually changing anything — this episode is for you.In the first ever episode of Field Notes, I explain the premise of the podcast and put our first experiment to the test: vision boards. Not the fantasy, yacht-and-linen version — but the kind that might actually work in real life.I talk through:why modern vision boards often backfirethe neuroscience behind why visual cues can workwhere self-help goes wrong when it focuses on outcomes instead of processhow humans have used imagery for survival and behaviour change across historyand why cave art might be a better model for self-improvement than PinterestI also bring along my 2024 and 2025 vision boards as the first (and most humiliating) guests on the show, including the one goal that accidentally did work thanks to a Sarah Connor lock-screen.This podcast isn’t about becoming a new person overnight.It’s about filtering advice, testing one small idea at a time, and figuring out what’s actually worth doing, outside of perfect conditions.On Friday, I’ll be back with a short Field Report on what happened when I made a process-based vision board and whether it helped or just gave me another thing to judge myself by.Introducing: Field Notes
00:33|Field Notes is a weekly experiment in self-improvement, psychology and modern life, tested badly in public.Each week, one idea is filtered and tested in real life, outside of perfect conditions, then reported on honestly.This short trailer explains the premise of the podcast, the format, and what to expect from the weekly Monday episodes and Friday Field Reports.Follow along on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod