My brain can be so exhausting! How about yours?
Our brains are wired for survival, not happiness. They constantly scan for problems and fears to worry about because our brains think that’s super helpful. It’s not. On the one hand, knowing that my constant worry is just a sign my brain is functioning normally feels validating. It’s nice to know it’s not just me who gets stuck in anxiety and shame. On the other hand, it’s frustrating to realize that my brain is just going to keep doing this forever. I am going to have to train my brain to get unstuck from these ineffective thought patterns.
Training your brain is like trying to corral two dozen puppies. You gather the puppies and get them to sit for a moment and then immediately they are running off again. But if our thoughts are like puppies can we be gentle with them? Can we nudge our thoughts in the right direction without judgment? This is how we train our brains: Notice the worry (puppy) starting to run wild and gently bring it back to the present moment. Notice the self-criticism (puppy) and gently bring it back to the present. Imagine saying in a gentle tone you would use on a sweet puppy, “oh, you’re back worrying again, brain? You’re always trying to help by looking for danger. Thanks for that but I don’t want to spend this moment worrying.”
Training our brains this way is much easier said than done, of course, but each small effort matters. So keep noticing, keep practicing, and keep gently gathering the puppies, my dears.
[Photo by Steve Sewell on Unsplash ]
