In my podcast club, we were studying how to use and manage your brain, especially as we age.
After my recent fall in Dubai, I got myself a Whirly Board to strengthen my ankles and calves and core. No, I’m not going to take up skateboarding, at least not yet. But I do want to take care of my brain by working to prevent falls.
More importantly, I’m looking to train my brain so it takes care of me better as I age. There are tips to eat well, keep learning, listen to binaural beats, have a pet and that all makes sense.
What did surprise me is the importance of chasing away negative thoughts. So much of the damage we do to ourselves revolves around stress and anxiety and so much of stress and anxiety comes from the thoughts in our head. Specifically, the worrying thoughts, the ruminations, the imaginings of what could go wrong.
I really got this over 30 years ago, with the birth of my first child. He was my fourth pregnancy after three failed ones. I hid this pregnancy as long as I could, I didn’t celebrate the news, I dreaded each doctor’s appointment, living in stress and anxiety for what might go wrong.
I don’t know exactly what shifted in me but one day I realized that would be able handle whatever happens, I knew that from what I’d already been through, so why would I waste this time of anticipation and joy with dark thoughts.
I couldn’t stop the negative thoughts from coming, but I didn’t have to dwell on them. Over time I trained my brain to let those thoughts go, and I replaced them with happier thoughts.
Try this ONE thing
With your next negative thought, pause to really consider whether it’s real or even necessary. If it is, make a plan for what you’ll do if it happens, then let it go. If it’s not, rereplace with something, anything positive.
Hey! Are you already successful and accomplished? Do you have many things to appreciate about your life right now? Are you always open to learning more and growing yourself?
Despite all your successes, do you sometimes doubt yourself? Do you hesitate to go after what you really want in life?
Or maybe you dismiss your past successes, putting them down to luck, and don’t really see how extraordinary you really are?
If this sounds like you, you and I should have a conversation. Drop me a line here, karen.laidlaw.theONEthing@outlook.com, and let’s talk!
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