How a fungus could help you be more productive at that next work meeting
You might only think of Grateful Dead and tie-dye when you think of magic mushrooms, but a former finance executive is advocating that they can be used effectively in your professional life.
Peggy Van De Plassche worked for years in financial services, banking and as a venture capitalist. When the pandemic struck, she felt her business and mental health took a hit.
“And there was not a lot of options besides therapy, which I have tried many times, and prescribed drugs which I was not super keen on,” Van De Plassche told WTOP.
So she turned to microdosing psilocybin, or magic mushrooms. She stresses this is not the same thing as taking a large dose and “tripping,” during which you might hallucinate.
“The big difference, obviously, is the size of a dosage. So when you take a microdose, you don’t feel any high. You only get the benefit of a psychedelic, which is rewiring your brain, neuroplasticity, lowering and calming your nervous system, which you need very much when you have a busy career,” Van De Plassche said.
She noticed that she became much more productive — getting a full day’s work done in about half the time because her mind was not distracted and she felt more creative.
“I see more options, I have more ideas, and it’s easier for me to take action and to actually follow up. So it is it is very impactful for professionals in their career,” she said.
Van De Plassche also said microdosing improved her personal life. Friends and family noticed a change in her stress levels. She said the microdose is a dose of perspective.
“It’s way easier for me to take things less personally, but also less seriously. Everything before was a question of life or death and I was extremely controlling. Microdosing brings you a lot of presence,” she said.
The revelation has led Van De Plassche into a new career in the psychedelic space.
She is releasing a new book in May, “The Microdose Diet,” for professionals that want to use microdosing to improve their professional and personal lives.
While Van De Plassche is advocating for their use, magic mushrooms might not be available for most.
Psilocybin is still illegal in Maryland and Virginia, but it has been decriminalized in D.C. Several universities in Maryland have been tasked with studying the possible benefits of psilocybin, including Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland.