Hey guys - since joining most of my time here has been spent reading posts. I was hoping you guys could help me out with my personal sticking point

Over the course of a normal day, I work a lot with numbers. I'm taking classes in physics and calc, I've got a polling-related political project I'm running and I intern with computer science. I'm passionate about what I do, and it takes up a sizeable chunk of my time. It doesn't stop me from having a social life, but its when I'm hanging out with a girl or with friends after all this that my SP arises: I have a hard time loosening up

My head to refuses to stop thinking completely logically, and its like there's a mental block keeping me away from my fun, charismatic side - the one that brings me virtually all my success not only with women, but people in general. I do get past the block at times, but its seemingly random. It's inconsistent and out of my control - which is exactly why I'm coming to you guys for help

Andy and Yad talk about this. It's basically a "lens" that you perceive the world from. At work you have one particular lens--the logical pragmatist. Then sometimes when you're really loosened up the real you comes out--that's another lens. But you can't always "phase shift" between the two lenses in a moments notice. So you find yourself talking to girls right after work, but your reticent and taciturn because part of your mind is still calculating quadratic equations or whatever, and you can't focus on being Mr. Social.

There's a lot more to this, as far as how to trasition to the lens you need to be in. But the easiest way to look at it is like an actor who is trying to find his "motivation" before a scene. Right beforehand you need to kind of dance on your feet a little, shake your hands and arms out a bit, and tell yourself "Okay, I'm now the relaxed funny man who every woman loves!" Then if the numbers and formulas start appearing in your head, just replace them with an image of some hot naked chick you wanna bang. That's your motivation! That's your lens.

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“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” ~Audrey Hepburn

This may sound ridiculous but dress differently. I have always dressed differently work work than I have for pleasure, except I do it for the opposite reason. I find that if I dress smart then my head is in a smart, sensible place therefore I am ready to do work. I find this actually has quite a dramatic effect to the point that I find it difficult to work in a pair of trackies for example.
I know this is the opposite problem, but I think it applies. If you have one outfit/headspace for you're physics work and then you go home, get changed into something more casual I think you're mind will automatically start to think differently.

PS I completely know where you're coming from being a chemist myself, it is sometimes very difficult to get out of a work frame of mind. The upside is that I've found that girls absolutely love a clever guy, especially because i don't look it at all so its always a nice surprise.

I tried them both out tonight. The lens shift definitely helped, and the clothes change was pure gold. I did them both in conjunction, and I think they worked really well together. Not only was I mentally priming up for a social...experience I suppose would be the word? but I was also physically altering myself for that. Combined, they resulted in a total reframing. All in all, killer results

Thanks for the help guys