Boom!
I hate it when that happens . . . you know, when my brain explodes! Don’t you? Man, what a mess! The really tough thing about the brain exploding is that it happens more often than I care to admit! Yikes!
You see, each time the brain explodes, it finds a way to put itself back together again (well, most of the time anyway) readying itself for the next onslaught of information overload!
I truly believe that information overload is the chief cause of brain explosions! I really do! We have so much information flooding into our brains through all of our senses that it is impossible to filter, categorize and manage it all! We have email and texts and direct messaging and Instagrams and Pinterest pins and face time and FB and Tweets and television on the run and television in the house and movies on demand and . . . well those are just some of the ways technology overloads our brains (mind you, just a few)!
I haven’t even begun to list all the other ways information flows into our brains – work assignments; team projects; relationships with significant others; the kids; the dog; the cat; the gym; the school; the weather . . . need I say more?
I see evidence of brain explosions all the time! I see them on the freeway in traffic when someone is cut off by that jerk on his cell phone. I see them in expletive riddled shouting matches between adults at kids athletic contests. I see them between spouses. I see them between parents and children. I see them between co-workers. I see them in solitude when people just check out; just numb out to the rest of the world (and themselves as well). I see brain explosions all the time.
Like I said, I have a few of them myself from time to time if I’m not careful! My bet is that you do as well! That being the case, is there anything we can do to avoid brain explosions or at least mitigate the resulting damage? Thought You’d never ask! I have six suggestions to deal with potential brain explosions.
- Start your day by doing some type of exercise. You don’t have to “Hulk Out” and crush the gym. Just find some form of exercise that helps get the juices flowing – yoga; stretching; walking; jogging; going to the gym if that works – just something to warm up your engine.
- Spend a few quiet moments in meditation or prayer or intention setting. Find your powerful spiritual center. Get in touch with that part of you that transcends chaos.
- Make sure to make time for those significant others in your life – spouse, partner, children, pet, friend – and spend that time focusing on them. When you do that the reciprocity of such small investments will come back to you a hundred fold!
- Take a few “60 Second Vacations” throughout the day. Close your eyes; take several (5 – 10) deep, belly breaths (you know the kind I mean); visualize a favorite place that produces a sense of calm and just enjoy the experience. Four of five of these a day can do wonders for the brain! Surely you have five minutes somewhere in your schedule.
- Create a “technology free” block of time where you simply turn off the world for a bit! You would be amazed at the profundity of silence – for you and your family! Technology free blocks of time create opportunities for reflection, connection and redirection.
- Give yourself a break . . . when one of those brain explosions happens (because they will). Stop beating yourself up and realize that you are only human and therefore subject to periodic brain explosions. When one occurs, acknowledge what has happened; do your best to assess the damage; make reparations where/when possible; stop what you are doing and BREATHE! Then . . . start again. See? That’s not so bad!
I hope you’ll join me as I work to keep my brain explosions to a minimum! Perhaps the world will be a better place as we work together to do so!
Peace!
I invite you to visit my Amazon Author Page to find out about my books. Each one addresses issues (in slightly different ways) that can create brain explosions.
If you happen to be in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and are interested in learning how to Build Your Dream I invite you to check out my Learning to Live Your Dream by Living Outside the Box workshop.
