“How long do you recommend I microdose mushrooms for?”
This is a question I get asked a lot. And honestly, my answer is usually the same…
“What are your desired results?”
You see, I have found that there are two main reasons people choose to microdose:
A person wants to change something about their life… Perhaps they are depressed, anxious, or they just know there is “something more” they could be experiencing in life… These are the people who are ready to transform and do the inner work to bring their best self forward.
A person simply wants to sprinkle some “magic” here and there… I often work with people who choose to microdose spontaneously for the joyful, creative and embodied “sparkle” a microdose can add to their day or evening…
It gets a little more complicated than this, as each individual is different… which is why I suggest booking in for a microdosing consultation… but let's just talk in general terms here…
Everyone Is Different, And Why You Need To Find What Works For YOU…
I’d like to share a quick little story with you to illustrate how everyone’s microdosing journey is unique… And why it is hard to gauge the perfect length of time for someone to microdosing…
My phone buzzed and vibrated so much in my pocket, I wondered who was calling me…
But to my surprise, when I pulled out my phone to press that little green button, there was no one calling! Instead, I saw a string of texts so long I couldn’t even see how many there were…
My first reaction was a spark of annoyance stirring in my gut… It was an old friend texting me and he had blown up my phone with about 10 back-to-back text messages!
And to be honest that frustration would have turned to anger if I didn’t read the first line of the message…
“You won’t BELIEVE what happened… For the first time in MONTHS I actually feel normal!”
He then went on to describe how the fog in his head had vanished, and for once he could actually think clearly… And that the overwhelming anxiety that had kept him glued to his couch playing video games was gone, and he could actually talk to people again…
This was pretty huge, because he worked as a manager in the service industry busing tables… A high stress, high demand job…
You see, when he had called me just a week before, he was considering quitting his job and going on disability… And when he shared that with me, my stomach dropped like I had just missed a step down a flight of stairs…
This guy was always cracking jokes, quick witted, full of energy and the life of the party… I was shocked…
Of all people, how could he be so anxious he could barely function?! I could hardly believe my ears…
But it was true.
So we did a phone consultation, and we talked about the best course of action… He was already seeing a therapist and a naturopath, so we were able to focus just on microdosing and how it could support him in his healing…
So I set him up with a month’s supply of our 100mg microdose blend and told him to check back in when he was finished…
Naturally I was surprised to hear from him so soon. I mean… It had only been a week and he had a month’s supply.
Not only did he tell me the exciting news, but he went on to say he wanted another bag of microdoses… He was eating them like candy!
But that’s what worked for him.
I had told him to take one in the morning but that he could take more throughout the day to manage his symptoms if needed.
Well apparently he was not shy about taking my advice…
The funny thing is, he was actually pretty nervous about microdosing… That’s why I suggested starting with one month instead of 3… But now he was eager to get a 3 month supply and continue to play around with the dosage…
Due to his amazing success, I assumed I’d be hearing from him shortly.
Well many months later and I had almost completely forgotten about him until I saw a random picture of him on social media. So I sent him a text to check in…
And to my surprise he had finished the bag weeks ago, but did not need them anymore! He felt great and his life was back to normal after about 3 months of microdosing…
I was so excited I actually jumped out of my chair and threw my arms above my head like I was cheering on a winning sports team!
And in a way I was… Because I love when I witness these kinds of results.
So How Long Should You Microdose For…?
Well as you can tell from this story… It really depends on individual needs. If you are microdosing for spontaneous or “recreational” use, simply grab a one or 3 month supply and take a capsule whenever you feel inclined!
However, I am going to assume you are microdosing because you want to change some aspect of your life… Maybe you are like the story above and your life is being halted due to some mental health challenges, or perhaps your life has lost its joy and you’re looking to get that “sparkle” back…
Whatever your reason, I always recommend people commit to a 3 month protocol of 5 days on and 2 days off… 3 months is this magic number. It is long enough that you can create new and lasting changes in your life, but it is not so long that it is unreasonable or overwhelming… It is just one season!
Some people choose to microdose longer, others choose shorter periods of time like 6 weeks. You will have to find what works for you!
Why 3 Months Has A Goldilocks Effect…
If you haven’t already checked out the shop, you will notice I offer a 25% discount if you order a 3 months (60 capsules) supply… That’s because I want to encourage you to take the leap and commit to 3 months of microdosing, so you can feel the difference in your life and your well being!
We have all heard the saying “it takes 30 days to form a habit”... But then why not just microdose for 30 days you might ask?
Here’s the thing… It may take 30 days to form a habit… But when it comes to transforming your life, or healing your mental health… The reality is that 30 days is usually just not enough…
This is because it can take some people 30 days simply to identify the habits they desire to break as well as the healthier habits they want to replace them with…
When I started microdosing, I had crippling anxiety… Like so bad it would make my head spin, and I would have to sit down…
Microdosing took the edge off immediately, and I was finally able to have some peace! If you’ve ever had this kind of anxiety, then you know how difficult it is to be present with yourself… It literally took me about 30 days of being present just to start identifying the patterns in my life that I needed to change so I could heal my anxiety.
Prior to that, I just did not have the bandwidth to do that kind of self inquiry…
Habits? But There’s More To My Challenges Than Bad Habits…
Ok habits is maybe not the best word… I know it may “simplify” things too much here…
But the reality is that humans are creatures of habits… We need structures and routines, and those will form either consciously or unconsciously… So when I say habits, I also mean ways of being, thoughts, beliefs, emotional traumas, and other physiological responses like neurotransmitter imbalances…
Technically, these are all habits… These are all ways of being that have become “normal” for us, and now it is time to change them…
When you get to the root of an emotional trauma, and you truly heal it, amazing things can happen… Eating disorders can go away, emotional outbursts can become tempered, and anxiety or depression can fade away…
So that is what I mean when I say “habits”.
Microdosing can be a very deep dive if you choose…
So How Often Should You Microdose…?
So what about the best protocol for microdosing? As we talked about above, I like the 5 days on, 2 days off protocol (hence 3 months = 60 capsules). This gives you a change to integrate the mushrooms into day-to-day life, while still having 2 days to rest. This is also easy to fit into a 7 day schedule
Some other common protocols you can play around with are …
4 days on, 3 days off
One microdose every 3rd day (1 day on, 2 days off)
Microdosing every other day
Microdosing 2 days a week
Whatever you choose, be sure to leave at least 2 days off per week to integrate and prevent building a tolerance… Otherwise you will need to progressively increase your dosage and this is not ideal.
Ok… So The Ideal Length of Time to Microdose Mushrooms Is…?
Everyone is different!
I recommend 3 months at a time, and then taking a week or 2 to integrate before continuing to microdose. It is safe to microdose for extended periods of time…
In fact, some people even choose to microdose indefinitely! However if you choose to do this, be sure to take intervals where you do not microdose so you don’t build a tolerance. Such as 2 weeks off after 3-6 months of microdosing.
There is no right or wrong way to microdose, however to get optimal results I encourage you to commit to a certain protocol and amount of time…
This can be 5 days on, 2 days off for 3 months… Or 4 days on, 3 days off for 6 weeks… or…
Whatever you choose, just remember… Creating a routine, commitment and ritual around this will make your microdosing far more effective and powerful!
Comments