Day: 21 March 2018

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Can't focus? Overwhelmed? Have you got Scrambled Brain Effect?

[tm_pb_section admin_label="section"][tm_pb_row admin_label="row"][tm_pb_column type="4_4"][tm_pb_image admin_label="Scrambled Brain Header" src="http://www.alexridley.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Blog-Headline-Scrambled-Brain.jpg" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="on" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="center" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/tm_pb_image][tm_pb_text admin_label="Text" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"]   You’re juggling everything and you can’t stop for a second because you're trying to pay attention to work, kids, chores, your health, appointments, relationships, study, finances….and everything else…is constantly swirling through your brain. Until one day, you collapse in exhaustion. Or maybe you pick a fight. Do you break down in tears? Do you curl up in bed? Or do you down that bottle of wine? Before you get sucked into this emotional vortex though, it’s important to understand:

  1. why you feel this way
  2. why it’s a problem for you
  3. and what you can do to get out of it
  What is Scrambled Brain Effect? Scrambled brain happens when you feel confused, flustered, disconnected, anxious and stressed. You can’t respond to simple everyday things the way you want to or know you can.   Why do I feel this way? In times of stress, the hormone cortisol is released into your system. Too much cortisol can damage and kill cells in the hippocampus, which monitors your memories and ordered thought. It also raises blood pressure, you sweat, you get the stomach churning and your senses are on alert. So yeah, stress makes you forget stuff and screw up commitments and hinders how effectively you can do things. (Check out my FB video story here, where I talk about scrambled brain effect, how the body reacts to it and what happened to me when my toddler put himself in danger and by brain scrambled.)   Why can’t I just manage my stress? Well, you can but maybe you’re not heeding the warning signals. Are you so busy running around being ‘busy’ that you rarely take time out to reflect, to reconnect and to rebalance your thoughts and body? If you’re living in a constant state of emotional burden and mental overwhelm, it will start interfering with the simple things you need to do. So if this is your life right now, read on to get my 5 Tips to Combat Scrambled Brain Syndrome     Important Note: If you feel like life is just too much to handle right now and you can’t cope alone, see your Doctor, call a friend or call Lifeline asap. Get the support you need. Please have courage and have faith in yourself. If you feel like you can change your situation yourself, here are 5 things to work on now. These helped me create a sense of freedom in my life and got me out of stressed, scrambled brain syndrome.   What can I do now?
  1. Start saying No! No to things you don’t want to do, people you don’t want to see, projects you have no interest in, commitments which will overwhelm you, events that will overflow your calendar, actions that don’t align with your values. If you can’t say no or change things, then change your attitude towards it.
  2. Nurture your body. The moment I stopped eating so much crap and junk food, my mood elevated immediately (after the initial ‘give me a chocolate or I’ll punch you phase’). Everything you put into your body is impacting it physically and you, mentally and emotionally. Think about the food fuels you put into your body. Also, nurture your body and increase levels of brain-boosting chemicals by getting physical exercise. Whatever you choose, make it fun and just move.
  3. Have a daily time out. Time out means a period of quiet, stillness, no distractions or ‘doing’ things. Even just 5 mins a day, where you can be mindful and observe your surroundings, meditate, pray, breathe deeply, think about the things you’re grateful for or remembering a happy memory, will help you reset.
  4. Express love. Love will shoot happy endorphins through your body. Say thank you to someone you appreciate, send a card or letter, have a cuddle, hold hands, kiss your partner for at least 10 seconds, play with your kids, tell yourself 10 reasons you’re awesome and just create a connection.
  5. Early to bed. It’s during sleep that the brain consolidates memories, grows new cells and it’s when your body can restore itself and rest. Switch off. Don’t sacrifice sleep for alone time, watching TV or folding the laundry.
  Stress and scrambled brain effect may seem like they’re part of your life now but they don’t have to be. Look after yourself, ask for help, give and receive love and compassion, take time out, sleep and nurture your body. It’s time to rebalance your life and get some stability, energy and focus back. Let me know which of the 5 tips you’ll start doing this week.

Alex Ridley

xo

PS: Has family life consumed your time and energy and part of your stress comes from the fact that you don’t even know who you are anymore or what you want? Then grab my FREE guide ‘5 Ways to Rediscover Who You Were (before marriage and kids)’ here.  [/tm_pb_text][/tm_pb_column][/tm_pb_row][/tm_pb_section]