So, how’s your brain doing lately?
Likely it’s under regular pressure, as it contends with so much change and uncertainty happening on the planet right now.
According to many calls from clients I’ve had since mid-March, and presentations I’ve prepared for various organizations, there are 3 common issues and concerns that are frequently brought up.
While these issues existed before Covid-19, they have since taken on a whole new heightened level of significance.
Since awareness is the starting place to effectively address any issue, I’ll list the specific issues and then give further insight into what’s going on “behind the scenes.” Then I’ll provide empowering information and easy-to- implement solutions.
THE MAIN ISSUES:
- FATIGUE
- FEAR
- DEPRESSED ATTITUDE
YOUR ENERGY BUDGET IS BEING COMPROMISED (Fatigue)
Your brain is an energy hog! This is because it requires so much energy to do its countless jobs.
Due to the massive amount of change going on right now, people are juggling multiple roles right in their own homes.
They may be newly working from home. They may have become the all-day caregiver of their children. Additionally, they may now be their children’s teaching support. People now have all of these roles while at the same time also trying to manage their fulltime jobs!
It is very exhausting as you constantly search your brain to understand and deal with it all.
YOU ARE DOWNSHIFTING INTO FLIGHT, FIGHT, OR FREEZE (Fear)
Your brain’s primary job is to keep you safe. One important way it does that is by effectively being able to predict outcomes. However, with today’s C-19 issues and uncertainty, cutbacks, health and financial concerns, and the inability to know if/when/how things will get back to ‘normal’, you are thrown into the survival mode of your brain stem.
YOUR HAPPY BRAIN NEUROCHEMICALS ARE BEING HIJACKED (Depressed Attitude)
In many cases the ways, like entertainment outlets, you enjoyed in the past to reduce stress and have fun, are not available right now. Many, if not all, of your old patterns and habits have been disrupted. Instead you are at home most of the time, experiencing a lack of social interaction, and living a more sedentary lifestyle.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Now with this awareness on how these unique and unprecedented times are likely impacting you, you can then lean into uplifting user-friendly neuroscience that will empower and guide you to solutions.
YOU ARE COMPOSED OF THE MOST POWERFUL, SOPHISTICATED, AND CLEVER TECHNOLOGY ON THE PLANET!
You are made of a lot of cells – 50 to 100 trillion, in fact! They are really smart. They’ve been on the planet for 3.5 billion years, so these cells know their stuff!
What gives you your human advantage, and puts you at the top of the food chain, is having such a large quantity of the most highly sophisticated cells on the planet: NEURONS.
These neurons have done something really special, they have come together to form the CEO of your life: your brain. When you tap into and leverage this power, amazing things can happen!
AS WELL, YOU ARE A NEUROPLASTICIAN!!
For better or for worse, intentionally or unintentionally, in every moment of every day, you are affecting the growth, functioning, and wellbeing of your brain.
The thoughts you think, the words you speak, the actions you take, the environment you are in, your interactions, your sleep, your nutrition levels – all affect you brain health and cognitive functions!
It is your responsibility to make good choices and to implement good habits to effectively have good brain health and cognitive functions. This is turn will reduce your stress, elevate your energy and have you feeling more positive.
A great habit is to insert fun, quick and easy “BRAIN ACTIVATION STRATEGIES” that can be inserted throughout your day.
These do not replace a daily walk, going to the gym, or at-home exercise routine – they complement it.
As well, by intentionally implementing self-care and self-management strategies, you are building your happiness muscles because practising self-autonomy is one of the biggest predictors of happiness!
Do one of my favourite Brain Activation Strategies taken from the Brain Gym menu:
You can re-energize and re-focus yourself by doing a quick, all over body massage by activating over 400 acupressure points on your ears. This is called the Thinking Cap.
You start at the top of each ear, put your thumbs to the front and the rest of your fingers to the back of your ear and gradually rub and roll out your ears bit by bit as you work your way around to the lobes. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
Notice how you feel before and after doing it. There is a good chance you may experience a release of tension, like a sigh or yawn, and feel your neck and shoulders relaxing.
Remember: you can’t always change what’s going on around you. However, you can change what’s going on INSIDE of you.
If you would like to do more Brain Activation Strategies, you can find all sorts of them here on my webpage. Let me know how it goes!
To Your Fit Brain & Fit Life,
Jill