Empty your Brain

ONE WAY  to ‘empty’ your brain, when you’re in a funk!

I juggled life last week : I spent the week in Durban (away from home) working online, delivering keynotes, spending quality time with my 93-year old father-in-law (who is funny, clever and SHARP), plus I saw mates, and family members, and found time to run 10km everyday.
It was a superb week, but mentally, physically and (at times) emotionally exhausting.

I opened my peep-holes this morning thinking: ‘Yay, I am back home, in my routine’ and it’s going to be a much easier week!’

BUT, it hasn’t started out that way. Monday has been flipping challenging. Not horrendous … just ‘grrrr… gritty’. I am not going to bore you with ‘why’, and ‘in what way’ !

At lunchtime, I thought I need to seriously ‘rejig’ my brain. I need to ‘empty it’. I need to get my brain out of the annoying ‘STUCK RECORD’ groove. I walked outside, looked up at the clouds, and my inner chatter was  ‘Flip, what ONE thing can I do to empty my brain RIGHT NOW?'

I know that MOTION SHIFTS EMOTION.
I only had 5mins before the next meeting. So I didn’t have time to take my dog for a 10 min walk. I didn’t feel like jumping on my mini-trampoline. These activities still allow me to think, and sometimes ‘encourage’ rumination.

There is ONE THING that is like a windscreen wiper for my PFC (Prefrontal Cortex). That part of the brain that modulates higher-order, executive thinking.

That ONE THING is a 2min PLANK.
I set my mobile on the floor, and used Spotify to play a good song. I then set the ‘timer’ for 2min. I hum along for as long as I can, before I glance at my mobile. This is a TOUGH exercise for me. I use this breathing technique: double breath in (through my nose), and long exhale (out my mouth). This is excellent for both your brain, and your body. From 1min to 2 min I am just praying that 2 min will suddenly appear on my mobile timer. It’s impossible for me to multi-task. I CANNOT think, ruminate, or even plan for something exciting.

Doing a 2 min PLANK empties my brain.
If you want to get ‘bang-for-your buck’. Do your PLANK outside, on the grass (no shoes). You’ll get the extra boost from mother nature. The latter is well researched. Many of us don’t spend enough time walking bare feet on grass!

P.S.  “The ONE THING” (by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan) is a great book! A ‘must-read’ on your bookshelf. You find tremendous insights on how to …

* Cut through the clutter
* Achieve better results in less time
* Dial down the stress
* Overcome that overwhelmed feeling
* Revive your energy
* Stay on track

#energyefficiency #BOUNCEFORWARD #onething

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