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Our brains are powerful. They keep our bodies functioning, allow us to feel our emotions, and generally run the show across most aspects of life. Put simply, our brains are AWESOME.

And, much like a car, our brains need maintenance to stay in tip-top shape and be healthy. After all, you wouldn’t keep driving with a flat tire, would you? Same way you wouldn’t try to drive the whole of Route 66 with just a quarter tank of gas.

So, since there’s no “neuro equivalent” to an auto shop you can drop your brain off at for the day, I thought I’d share some healthy habits that can help you maintain your brain and unlock its full, strong potential. Why not try one (or two) on?

Keep your brain ticking.

Ever heard the saying “use it or lose it”…?

Well, believe it or not, this definitely seems to be the case when it comes to your brain!

We all have something called a “cognitive reserve”, which is what helps our brain adapt to changes, like illness and ageing. To go back to the car analogy for a second, you can think of this cognitive reserve as your own mental gas tank; the higher your reserve, the more mental capacity you have got, to be able to cope.

To help build up your cognitive reserve, you need to keep it fired up through activities like singing, completing puzzles, reading (yes, you’re building your reserve even as you read this blog!), and travelling. All of these things create new connections in your brain and encourage it to stay active, and they’re also all really fun to do – and fun is never a bad thing!

I therefore invite you to make time for some of those activities in your day. Not only will the habit help your brain, but it will also help boost your mood too!

Get chatting.

Those activities I just mentioned are great, targeted brain-training, but there’s something else you can do to get your brain going on a more general level that is the PERFECT companion to each of these tasks, talking!

Socializing with friends and family can be a balm to many of life’s woes, and that’s because we as humans are social creatures. Meaningful socializations and connections make us happy. And a happy brain? Well, there’s nothing one of those can’t do!

So, if you aren’t already a bit of a social butterfly, why not expand your social circle by trying a new social group you relate to on for size? The conversation will do wonders for your brain and combat any feelings of loneliness too.

Breathe to de-stress.

Life can be stressful at times, I know. Periods of mild stress are “normal” and usually short-lived. But, if it all gets too much and you find yourself struggling with chronic stress, you’ll probably start to notice wider symptoms like exhaustion, feeling on edge, headaches and heart palpitations (to name but a few) start to creep in as well, making you feel even worse.

This is because chronic stress messes with the wiring of our brain, causing havoc and generally turning a bad day into a Bad Set of Days. There are many things you can do to try to combat stress, but one thing I have found that helps me find my inner place of calm is focusing on my breathing.

It can take a little bit of practice to become a real pro, so why not take a moment now to close your eyes and take a deep breath in… then push it (and any stress, tension or negativity you might be feeling) back out again. Then again. And again. Feels good, right?

Next time you’re feeling a little stressed or anxious, I invite you to stop what you’re doing and allow yourself even just one minute of recovery time to breathe and let your brain recover. You and your healthier, strong brain can thank me later.

Let your brain rest.

We all know sleep is important. We feel the negative effects of not getting enough of it pretty much immediately, don’t we? Slow thinking. Body aches. Yawning. You know the drill.

Denying our brain the chance to repair the wear and tear of the day before denies us the opportunity to really make the most out of the day ahead. Now, I know getting more sleep isn’t as simple as counting sheep, but there are other healthy habits we can try to get our brains the quality rest they need during the day that might help counteract any night-time problems we encounter.

The habit which I find suits me best is to plan breaks throughout the day to make sure I have dedicated periods of time to sit back, relax, and let my mind wander freely for a while. These moments of “wakeful rest” act as a powerful “reboot” and make a real difference to my mind and mood. Try it on for a day and see if it helps you, too.

Feed your brain positivity.

I’ve mentioned before that positivity is a vital part of making the most out of life. I even wrote a blog post about it back in April. Why? Because it’s TRUE!

When it comes to keeping our brains healthy, positivity is one of the most important and valuable fuels we can let it consume. Instead of creating opportunities for not so good self-fulfiling prophecies like “today is going to be tough” or “I can’t do this” to… well… fulfil themselves, you have the power to set yourself up for success by letting your brain know “I CAN do this” and “today will be a good day”.

You can say these things out loud, write them down, or simply THINK them. It doesn’t matter, as long as the message is sent with good intentions and received by an open brain.

In my last blog, I spoke about the importance of goals and shared some tips to help you make sure you don’t lose sight of those goals among the sheer CHAOS life can sometimes turn into. I hope you feel even just ONE STEP closer to achieving what your heart’s been desiring most.

What supports those goals?

Yup, the bottom of the Productivity Success Cake. Cake pieces made into habits.

Little stuff adds up. This is true with food choices,  yes, and it’s more than that. What I’m referring to are the little things scattered throughout our day which revitalize us and help us achieve what we want to (like those goals!), rather than hold us back and act as a big fat ENERGY DRAIN.

Here are some Healthy Habit Ideas. Try one on.

Start Your Monday in peace.

For me, listening to my favorite podcast on a Monday morning is a habit I got into a few years ago, and I find it really sets me up for my week ahead. Before, I just set up my Monday like any other day. Now, I give myself grace and space to clean laundry, clutter, etc. and it sets my mood and brain into the right spot.

I don’t really like reading. I take things in better when I listen- and I like to “do” when I listen (walk/pick up my home or office, etc.) For you, a podcast may not be a good option. You might find reading the NY Times or physically DOING something suits you more, and why? Well, that’ll probably be down to your learning style! So….check out a learning style assessment and love up your brain by honoring your style.

Dump out your brain

One really healthy habit I recommend people try to adopt is a ‘mind dump’. This is precisely what it sounds like: you, dumping everything out of your overloaded brain so you can regroup and progress. Now, the tendency is for us to write it all down, which works great if you’re a visual learner who needs to SEE things to process them, but if you’re an auditory learner this may not be as much help you because it’s not working WITH your brain as well as it could!

So, what can you do instead?

Well, the habit of mind dumping is still a useful one to get into, but you might be better off recording yourself listing off your mind’s clutter out loud, and then listening back to it afterwards as you try to get a plan together! Many of my clients are auditory processors. All they need to do is “talk it out” and they are clear. Solve your own problems like that or give me a call.

Or, if you learn better physically, how about combining the same activity with a jog to let things really sink in?

Do a morning ritual

Another habit which is a prime example of the need to adapt is the Coffee Ritual. I’ve mentioned this one before. This habit is designed to clear your mind and keep you Present, by making sure you’re living in the moment when you’re drinking your morning cup of coffee. This is PERFECT for those of you who learn best by physically doing something as it taps into your senses to get you thinking. However, if you are a really visual person, you might find more mental peace by looking at a piece of artwork and picking out the colors, the shapes, the EMOTION behind it, than you would from your cup of Joe. And that’s totally okay. It’s the intention which fuels the habit that matters most. There’s no ‘wrong’ choice here.

Let’s just put it this way… there’s no point trying to adopt a habit which isn’t right for you and your learning style. You’re not going to be able to ingrain something that conflicts with the very cogs that make your brain work. But that doesn’t mean you should give up and not bother trying to incorporate positive habits like the ones I mentioned in my previous blog into your routine! All you need to do is adapt them to work with you and your gorgeous mind. Celebrate the differences that make you YOU, rather than struggle to fit into someone else’s suit.

With that in mind, I leave you with this from Julius Charles Hare.

“Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are.”

Many people, particularly neurodiverse folks, avoid “goals” because they have had a history of “failure.” Try as they may, their life is littered with good intentions that do not result in the intended product. As a result, they find themselves not trying, or, when they do try, they expect to fail…and so, guess what? Yes, they do – they “fail.”

What happens? Most often, “life gets in the way.”

You know, the inconvenient flat tire that makes you late. The unexpected trip to the doctor’s office which derails your week. A trusted supplier letting you down at short notice…The list goes on (and on… and ON!)

Now, these individual problems might not take long to resolve, and their impact is usually minor, but the thing about them is that they all add up to create one big Problem: distraction.

So, how do we combat this distraction like the true Wisdom Warriors we are and make sure we don’t forget our goal? How do we keep our focus when the busy, LOUD old world around us (and our own brains!) keep getting in the way?

These seven steps/tips I’m about to share with you tend to work for most people. Try one or two J

1. Be Visual.

If, like me, you like to be able to literally SEE things in front of you, I invite you to start a ‘Goal (intention) (Future Accoomplishment) (Challenge) Board’. It’s easy – all you need is a corkboard, two pieces of string and some post-its! First, use the string to split your board into fourths. Then, write your goals on your post-its and divide them into two: those you want to achieve soonest will live in the top left quarter of the board, and those that are sort of on the backburner for now will go on the bottom left. And then, when you complete a goal, move it across to the right-hand side so you can see how far you’ve come and feel PROUD! I like to keep my board in my home office, as that’s where I go when I want to organize myself, but you might find your kitchen or someplace else works better for you.

2. Set Reminders.

Modern technology can be a real friend to us sometimes, and “goal” setting is no exception! Assuming you’re tied to your phone, use a reminder app to note down your goals and set yourself an alert to pop up during the day to keep those goals in the front of your mind.

**note** when you begin to ignore the reminders shut them off and try something else.

3. Keep it Fun.

Goals are not chores. How about a Goal of napping? The moment a goal stops being fun, your brain will find ways to avoid working towards that goal: it will seek out pretty much ANYTHING ELSE instead, like those distractions I spoke about earlier! So, find a way to make your goals fun and light, that way you’ll look forward to working towards them and feel more motivated instead of allowing them to become a burden. And, speaking of burdens…

4. Breathe.

If there is no way to make a goal fun and the thought of it alone is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat of dread…stop it. Is it a necessary evil you can’t avoid, or does it simply need refining? For example, have you put “run three times a week” down as a goal even though you hate running and your actual goal is to “move” three times a week instead? Don’t add something that does not come from your soul desire.

5. Buddy Up.

Teamwork makes the dreamwork, they say, so why not find yourself an ‘accountability partner’ when it comes to your goals? Having someone to remind you of your goal and keep you on track can be a real help when life gets busy. This is one of the main reasons participants have such raving results through my Streamline your Success Group coaching

6. Lighten the Load.

You may have the tendency to take the phrase ‘seize the day’ a bit too literally and go on a mad spree of goal setting (or doing laundry, or paperwork…) completely bombarding yourself with EVERYTHING TO DO all at once. If this sounds like you, take a moment to go through your goals list and get rid of the ones you either aren’t fully committed to or were added to the list as ‘easy wins’ you knew you would tick off right away. They are a distraction.

7. Break it Down.

 That super important, MAJOR, ultimate, FINAL goal you’ve set yourself looks and sounds great, but it can easily become a mirage in the distance if we’re not careful. To keep it fresh and current in your mind, make sure you give yourself milestones to hit on the way to that final goal. That’ll keep your motivation high and stop you feeling like you’ve ‘achieved nothing’ because you’ve not checked off that big goal yet.

As always, here’s a final thought before you go…

“We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.” ― Robert Brault

Life is what we make it.

I know, I know, that sounds kind of cliché, but it’s TRUE!

Personal Development takes time.  I didn’t emerge from the womb full of know-how and experience (though wouldn’t that have been something?!). I was just like anyone else (I still am, really.)

So, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I have reached a level of awareness and grounded wisdom “with a fun twist and ninja coaching skills” magically. I’ve worked hard and have had more than my fair share of struggles. Do you want to know what REALLY helped me get started?

Two things.

Positivity and routine. And grit (wait…that is three…)

Now, the exact specifics of what worked for me might not work for you. And that’s OKAY. Your journey isn’t going to be the same as mine. That’s the beauty of us as human beings; we’re unique. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some general hints and tricks from my playbook I can share with you that might help CHANGE YOUR LIFE for the better. I’m a firm believer in every little help, and you never know… one of these tips might just be the key that unlocks something inside of you that you didn’t even realize you were missing!

So, when it comes to a more positive outlook on life, I found these three things made a HUGE difference to my attitude…

• Stop focusing outside of yourself.  Some might say “avoid the rumor mill.”Whether it’s the latest celebrity news or water cooler gossip, negative opinions are all around us. They seep into our brains without us realizing it, poisoning our mindsets and drawing our focus in the opposite direction to the one we want. So, block out that toxicity and ignore those opinions as best you can or, even better, redirect the conversation to something positive and inoffensive. Not only will you feel better… you might just make someone else feel more positive too!
• Begin each day with 2 things, the first one with a gratitude. Don’t worry, I don’t want you to prepare a Thanksgiving-style speech here. You don’t even need any paper to make a literal list – a mental list will do! All I want is for you to set aside one minute every day to think of the things you’re grateful for. Even on the darkest day, I promise you there will be at least one thing you’ll be able to think of. Focus on the good. Positivity breeds positivity, so that single minute has the power to make a big change in your attitude. The second thing? An intention for your day.

• Crank up the music. Movie composers earn a FORTUNE from their ability to make us weep or scream with fear armed simply with the right combination of notes. Music has POWER. So harness it!!! The right song can be a real balm for the soul, so make yourself a positivity playlist of tunes that really get you going. I don’t care if it’s an 80s power ballad or that dubstep stuff that was all the rage a few years ago… You do you, and turn up the volume! Dance if you want! Sing at the top of your lungs! You’ll feel SO SO SO much better for it!

And as for routine… Some of this stuff might sound a bit unusual, but I want you to give them a try anyway, because they really do work!

• The Coffee Ritual. If you like to kick start your mornings with a cup of caffeine, the habit is probably so deeply ingrained in you that you don’t think twice about it. So, next time, I invite you to really LIVE in that moment when the first sip of the day passes your lips. Focus on the mug. How smooth it is in your hands. Then, inhale. What can you smell? Next, taste. Feel it in your mouth; texture, temperature… everything. And, if you’re not a coffee drinker, that’s fine (as long as you don’t push that habit my way, the no coffee one.) Any hot or cold drink can be substituted in its place – the steps will be the same. The aim here is to focus on the present and clear your mind so you can start your day clutter-free. When my son lived with me, he would walk down to the park each day. I called it “Aaron’s coffee walk.” Now I do it J
• Switch it up. Being stuck in a rut HURTS that beautiful, creative nature inside of you. It’s a one-way ticket to Misery Town. So, if you feel yourself starting to get too set in your ways, pretend it’s opposite day. Have dessert at the start of your meal, perhaps. Take a different route to work. Whatever it is, make sure it’s a definite change to your usual routine. It’ll bring new energy to your day and get your brain FIRED UP! No more rut for you!!
• Set a nighttime alarm. This may sound strange, but instead of just having a morning alarm, set yourself one for bedtime too. Going to bed at the same time each night does AMAZING things for your body clock and sleep cycle, and reminds you to actually shut off at night instead of getting carried away burning the candle at both ends until you eventually burn out. I use “sleep focus” on my iphone. Try it.

One final thing to carry forward on your journey:

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” – Winston Churchill

You can be flying high one minute, cruising along, minding your own business, and BOOM… something knocks you sideways before you even realize what’s happening.

Suddenly, even the smallest of things can feel huge… every tiny failure can feel catastrophic, like the world is literally ENDING before your eyes. Doom and gloom sets in, leaving you feeling crushed by the weight of everything you can’t control or isn’t going how you want it to and, boy oh boy… once you’re down, you’re DOWN… Flattened. Low as can be.

“Just snap out of it,” they say.

“Other people have it worse.”

Cue eye roll.

I mean, seriously?

When has saying that kind of thing ever actually helped anyone?

(I’ll tell you when: NEVER!)

They may mean well, but these people are basically kicking you when you’re already down and trivializing things that really aren’t that trivial in that moment (not to you, at least)! They are no help to you. So, you try to shrug it off as best you can, only to realize you have no choice now but to put your adulting pants on… because YOU’RE the only one who can pick you back up again.

That can feel like the hardest thing in the WORLD when you’re lower than low. Your energy stores have been zapped. Your appetite has gone a bit cuckoo. You’re tired. So tired you don’t even want to get out of bed, let alone start trying to push the weight of the world off your sore shoulders.

In short, your get up and go has officially got up and GONE.

It has well and truly left the building.

“But isn’t finding motivation the only way to get yourself out of a slump?”

NOPE!

Motivation is great. It’s powerful and it’s awesome and it WORKS, and you’ve got to fuel it with something… and your cup is completely empty right now – that’s why you’re stuck in this rut! So, you’re going to have to rely on something else instead.

Momentum.

“Okay, Carol, that’s great and all, but how exactly am I supposed to do that?” I hear you ask.

You do it by trusting me and following these steps:

1. Choose your direction. The whole point of momentum is to get you somewhere. So, pick what you’re heading towards. The finishing line of a project? A healthier lifestyle? It’s completely up to you. Just pick one!
2. Start small. When you’re feeling low, every step you take can feel ENORMOUS. Daunting. Scary. Impossible. So, instead of setting the bar way too high for yourself (like saying you’ll run a 5K tomorrow when you can barely even get off the couch right now), be realistic and keep it simple. If you want to take up running, start by getting yourself some running sneakers. Then get yourself something comfy to run in. Next, get dressed and go for a gentle jog around the block. It may seem simple and like it’s nothing to shout about but, believe me, it is. Why? Because doing these tiny things is what’s going to get you where you need to be!
3. Let that snowball roll. Once you’ve followed steps one and two, you’ll have already done the hardest part of this process – getting started. Now, all you have to do is let that momentum you just generated carry you forward to the next small milestone, then the next, then the next… and then HURRAH! Before you know it, you’ll have created a snowball of positive energy that’s not only going to get you where you want to go, but also kick your low mood into the trash where it belongs.

Sounds kinda easy, right?

That’s because it is.

You’ve got this, my friend.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Tony Robbins:

“People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”