WHEN YOUR BRAIN'S LIKE AN UNRULY TODDLER

I must preface, toddler's aren't unruly. They're little humans, who've been alive for a couple of years, modelling adults who - if we're honest, are often busy, frustrated, resentful, unhappy or plain exhausted - while experiencing lots of new emotions. They're not unruly, they're learning.

As too are we. Our brains anyway.

Mostly our brains are an incredible, interesting, complex and a capable piece of us. 

But sometimes, they're like an unruly toddler.

I bet you've had moments when your brain acts like this. When it's demanding, needy, all over the place, tiring, often leaving debris behind it. When your uncensored brain is running the show, not only does it not get you the results you want, it's increasing your cortisol, maybe your heartrate and possibly stressing out your muscles. I'll share a recent example.

Not long home from a morning walk, a healthy veil of perspiration across my forehead and that feel-good energy of moving my body in nature, I sat on the back lounge, legs outstretched.

If I saw a picture of another woman in the same situation, I'd be inspired.

Sitting on the back porch of a waterfront home, watching and listening to the calm of the lake, sipping on an ice-cold green juice with lemon. Most of the time I do have those outer-body experiences of 'whoa - I'm so freaking lucky', but we all know better than believing people's highlight reels, don't we?

Don't get me wrong, there wasn't anything wrong with my life that morning. I didn't have a monumental disaster or heartbreak to report. It was more like the gentle ripple from the smallest stone landing in the water. It was me catching my brain acting like an unruly toddler! There was no reason for my mind to be racing, but it was jumping here there and everywhere with thoughts and possible things to do 🤯

A child has had the shortest amount of time to develop their rational brain, but here are we, adults with waaaaay more years of practice under out belts, and we STILL can't control our minds! That was the amusing situation I found myself in that morning. In literally less than 5 seconds - heck, maybe even two - my brain began offering me all the things I could, should, or NEEDED to be doing:

- exercise

- food prep

- message my family

- write a blog

- hang the washing

- check my emails

Can I tell you something I LOVE about coaching? Catching my brain when it's being unhelpful, unresourceful or just plain silly 🤔🫣😉 If you can relate, well Hi! Welcome to the Club of Being Human 😁

Let's not use being human as an excuse to not improve ourselves though.

When you notice your brain playing these games like overwhelm, procrastination, worry or fear, lean into one or both of my two favourite questions:

• "Now what?"
• "What matters?"

Let's keep going.

1. Firstly, kudos to you for reading this far 👌
2. Secondly, you've got awareness of your funny-little-brain, so that means you're on your way to success my friend!
3. Thirdly - and here's where your mission lies should you choose to accept it - you break this mental overload down 👏🥰

In the coaching world, we call this CHUNKING.

Grab a pen and paper and choose 3 broad categories to chunk your thoughts into. Here's some examples:

• Relationships. House. Me.
• Must-do's. Want-to's. Take off my radar.
• Work. Family. Wellbeing.
• Now. Later. Maybe.
• Fun. Jobs. Family.

My list that morning became:

Preschool (I own and operate two early learning centres)

EMPOWERED (my passion for helping mums)

Relationships (my family, friends, self & surroundings)

Make your 3 headings align with what matters to you, your values. Values can change depending on the season of your life ... or the season of your day! In my online women's coaching membership EMPOWERED we refer to this stage of reality-check as your 'Own It' step.

Maybe you're travelling for a family get-together, so will be away from home and busy for two days. This could mean you exercising as well as getting your child to work on their school assignment comes off your mental to-do list, and are replaced with the values of connection and calm. Or, perhaps you've recently found yourself on your own and your children are going through a hard time. You haven't felt yourself for weeks. Your list categories might focus on Relationships, Home and You. If this is your Own It stage of life, everything that supports connection, effective systems at home, and self-care might override things you used to have time for. You can't fill from an empty cup, and need to put your oxygen mask on first, right? 

I'd love to know the categories you chose to chunk your thinking into. Email me to share at [email protected].

Until next time, stay wonderful and enjoy.

Catherine 

Love a freebie? Download "The 1 Minute Empowered Mum" e-book HERE