WELCOME TO MY BRAIN TRAIN
I am in awe of the human brain. I will not pretend to understand more than the slightest amount of its functioning brilliance, but I have learned so much over the past 25 years about its power to transform our lives, if we use it as the tool that it is. Because if we aren’t using it on purpose, it will use us. For example, raise your hand if you’ve ever been goin’ along singing your happy song and then out of nowhere you find yourself in a funk, having all kinds of stinkin’ thinkin’ swirling around that beautiful brain of yours.
I’m so grateful that, especially in this age of social media, the topic of mental health is becoming a common discussion and I believe many good things are happening as a result. My own personal journey has caused me to seek out ways to improve my thoughts to make my life easier, have breakthroughs, be in alignment with my Creator more often, and to have more freedom, growth and joy.
When I think about all the ways I focus my brain every day, the list is long and keeps getting longer the more I seek and learn. I’ve shared my little brain tricks with fitness clients and friends over the years and its time to share them with you. They are practical “how tos” that can lead you to more freedom, growth and joy as well.
These are a compilation of revelations I’ve personally had and ideas I learned from various coaches, therapists and books over 25 years. I use these gems every day, all day, from the moment I wake up to my last thoughts at night and every life happening in between. These are simple processes that help me in every area of life: athletic breakthroughs, changing habits, dealing with crunchy people, being a good bonus mom, navigating the pandemic, giving myself the compassion and grace I would give a friend, staying optimistic in tough circumstances, and simply enjoying life!
Some of these tricks, like the first one below, are simple ways to focus your attention, set your mind for the day, keep it set, and reset it when needed. Some ideas will be more suitable for deeper issues like healing from a past hurt, choosing compassion over judgement, changing a bad habit into something that helps you thrive. As I said before, I focus my brain with these all day for various reasons and I am 98% successful when I do. The 2% of time that I am unsuccessful in using my head for the better I call in this trick and say to myself: It’s okay. It’ll be bedtime soon.
Sleep is a wonderful reset. All momentum slows and comes to a stop like a rollercoaster pulling into the station and everyone getting out. Every morning is a new day and a new, hopefully wildly fun ride.
ATTENTION
Before I give you my first trick it's important to understand something about your brain if you aren’t already hip to it: your brain will show you more of whatever you pay attention to most. In the same way that Facebook and Instagram have you figured out and keep showing you more of what you look at every day, your brain is doing the same thing. If you believe that people are bad, against you and disrespect you all the time, your brain will show you more of that in various ways. On the other hand, if you believe that people are mostly good, God cares about you, and things always have a way of working out, your brain will show you that in abundance too.
As an exercise, notice how you feel after scrolling social media for 10 minutes. If you feel bad, sad, anxious, angry, insecure, depressed or hopeless, think about what information you just took in, who you follow and what ads you were just shown.
Instagram has figured out that I love to feel good, so the ads it shows me and the accounts it promotes are good news, heartwarming, fun, funny, healthy, active, and positive. I have curated my social media and my life and you can too.
Your brain is a tool and you get to decide how to use it every day.
You get to decide what you think about. You decide what you look at, read, listen to, watch on TV, and who you talk to. You get to use the brilliant tool that is your brain in any way you wish.
MOMENTUM
The second thing to understand is that the brain is excellent at gaining momentum.
In a matter of seconds we can have a small thought that gathers similar evidence and builds so big it can ruin a morning, a day, a vacation, even relationships without even realizing where or when it all began, as a mere thought. It is so interesting to me that this can happen without any help from us whatsoever yet to get the opposite positive momentum takes us thinking on purpose. That’s good news though, and actually quite fun. You can learn to catch your thoughts immediately and then think a better thought on purpose. String a few of these thoughts together and in those same matter of seconds you can get such a strong momentum going for a great day, blessings, healthy connection, great ideas, progress, and that freedom, growth and joy we’re here for.
I’ve heard that it takes a mere 17 seconds to create this kind of momentum but every time I think to set a timer I seem to forget what I was doing because I get lost in feel good thought. Which basically proves it works, no?
BRAIN TRICK #1: GET ON THE RIGHT TRAIN (OF THOUGHT)
I’m an early riser and get out of bed with ease, starting my day thinking good feeling thoughts on purpose. Some days though, I lay there for a while allowing myself to emerge slowly but soon realize my mind has wandered to something crunchy like a person who never feels good to even think about let alone be around, and is creating conversations that will probably never happen. It is in that very moment I’m aware of it that I pop out of bed and say to myself quietly (so as not to wake my husband) “Oops! Got on the wrong train! Time to get up!” And I pick a new train of thought to get on. I actually imagine myself stepping on to a new train going in the exact opposite direction.
I get on the Happy Train (at any time of day I need to) and create positive momentum by thinking or rambling out loud about things that feel good to me.
A new day feels good. Sleep feels good. Waking rested feels good. Water feels good. Progress feels good. Soft clothes feel good. Hugs feel good. Seeing my bonus boys smile feels good. Stretching feels good. Exercise feels good. Helping people feels good. Laughter feels good. Vacation feels good. Fun feels good. Swimming feels good. My house feels good. My marriage feels good. Satisfaction feels good. Seeing my friends succeed feels good. A great story feels good. Ted Lasso feels good! Thinking like Ted Lasso feels good. Bonus parenting with Ted Lasso like vibes feels good. Being fun feels good. Being playful feels good. Rest feels good.
And so on. While it takes only 17 seconds or so to get the train chugging a lot in the right direction, I can ramble like this for 30 minutes straight. And guess what? I got some feel good momentum goin’!
KIDS ON THE CRANKY TRAIN
One day my youngest bonus boy was having a rough time and I could see how he was spiraling fast, so after he had a few moments alone I reminded him of the train idea.
“Hey bud, remember that drawing you did of Crankenstein at school? I love that so much I still have it. Well, I think you might have gotten on the Cranky Train a few minutes ago. Do you need help getting off the train or do you want to stay on it a while? Because that’s okay too. (He opted for the help.) Alright, let’s just do this: Hey Conductor Crankenstein! We’re getting off here! Bye!”
He laughed and off we went back downstairs to rejoin family night.
Several months later a similar thing happened again but this time he wasn’t interested in my train so I suggested a helicopter. He almost smiled but held strong. Airplane? Nada. So I got off that concept entirely, picked up a cool, colorful, mesmerizing toy he has in his room and started talking about how much I love it. He jumped on that train with me and off we went building a happier momentum leaving the Crankentrain in the dust.
GUIDED MOMENTUMS
Whether you realize it or not, your brain is creating momentum on a number of topics throughout the day. The proof of this is in how you feel. If you are feeling sad one day, consider what you have been thinking about all day. If you are angry, annoyed, excited, happy, passionate, notice what thoughts you have been ruminating on. You cannot be thinking about someone you love all day and be angry at the same time. Conversely, you will not find yourself happy if you have been thinking about everything that is wrong with the world and all the people who have disrespected you all your life. It is not possible. You are creating momentum with your thoughts all day, make the decision to think about how you want to feel and then think that in that direction on purpose.
Yes, this takes practice and awareness. I am in the process of recording several free guided Momentums on a number of topics, available here and have created an Instagram page as well: @momentums_by_meagan if you want to read them. If you would like help creating momentum on a specific topic in your life, contact me. I’d love to work with you!