Yesterday morning I was comfortably bundled up in bed, not yet ready to get up. Thanks to winter pajamas, an electric blanket, my duvet and a fleecy blanket, I was warm and toasty. Bliss.
Then I started wondering what I was going to write about this week. And what came to mind was … nothing. Nada. Not a single idea. My brain felt empty. I wanted it to feel warm and snuggly and safe like the rest of me. I needed the mental equivalent of my electric blanket.
Warning – Overload
Our solar system sends out WhatsApp messages if the inverters are overloaded. It’s a warning that too many appliances are drawing too much current. I want a system like that for my brain.
Contrary to my own rules, I have been watching and reading more news than usual. Watching videos about Trump drama is like driving past a car wreck. You have to slow down to take a look.
But this blog is not about Trump. This is about our poor brains being overloaded, just like the inverters. We are bombarded all the time with stuff. I don’t want to call it information, because it isn’t always. It’s not even good enough to be called brain candy. Sometimes it is just garbage.
Last year I wrote about how doomscrolling causes stress. And how an anecdote to doomscrolling is to take care what you read or watch.
So I do know better. But I had advertised some items on FaceBook Marketplace, and I kept checking for messages. And that led to just more stuff bombarding my brain. No wonder my brain feels tired.
I believe we have a limited supply of emotional and mental energy. So I have to spend it on what’s most important to me – family, work, home, my own problems. If I spend it on all the chaos out there, I’ll feel overloaded.
A brain blanket
Right now I want a warm blanket for my brain. But even Co-pilot can’t hallucinate the existence of brain blankets. I looked for some other suggestions for looking after our brains.
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The usual: eat healthily, exercise and sleep enough. I probably should not have had chocolate for breakfast.
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Restrict screen time and doom scrolling. I wonder if that includes playing less Sudoku on my phone.
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Take time to be. Practice mindfulness, meditation or something similar. No reading, watching, scrolling, talking, messaging. I’m not good at that. Where I go, my Kindle goes. (As a young teenager, I tried to read while riding a bicycle. Fortunately that was in a small town in the Free State without much traffic. I don’t recommend the combination.)
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Wear a helmet. Not much use for those of us who work at our desks, unless you worry about falling monitors. But it might keep my brain warm.
I have another suggestion that helps me: cuddle your pet. Animal-assisted therapy has real benefits. And if you have a demanding cat who knocks the phone out of your hand, even better. Leave it on the floor.
I have a cat on my desk as I type this. My brain is still empty, but it’s feeling cozy. I think I’ll skip the helmet.
I always enjoy hearing from you, so please share your comments.