Rewire Your Brain: Practical Self-Management Strategies That Actually Work
- Crystal Tomlinson
- Sep 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 17, 2024
Alright, so in the previous post "Self-Care: Shut Up Already", we busted the myth that self-care is just a bubble bath and breaks. We dove into the brain science behind self-management, and I promised we'd get into the juicy stuff. So here we are - it's time to rewire your brain. We're talking about brain-based strategies that'll help you manage stress, regulate emotions, and get through the day without losing it. Let's get real - we all have to move from knowing to doing. Let's explore what might work for you.
Quick 🧠 Recap
Your Reticular Activating System (RAS) acts as a filter, helping you manage what you focus on - whether it be stress or chill.
Self-management isn't just about control. but more of an understanding of your brain's response to stress.
If you want to feel less frazzled, you have to give your brain new habits that help it shift from overwhelm to focus.
Neuroscience Nugget
You can't forget about the fact that your brain can change and adapt to new ways of doing things. It's called Neuroplasticity and it's really cool! The more we practice self-management, the stronger those brain pathways become, making it easier to depend on that strategy when you need it.
My brain loves to go dark mode and make it the default, so I have to work at training it to focus more on gratitude and strengths rather than destruction and despair.
Interrupt The Stress Cycle
When stress hits our brains go into survival default mode. To stop the amygdala from sending out alert mass texts, we need to break the cycle early. These make for great moments to pause, take time to ground yourself, and return to the present. Even if just for a short time. Remember, keeping it simple is the secret sauce. Try and share some of these. Remember...don't knock it til you've tried it...like on repeat.
Build Small, Positive Habits
Neuroplasticity works by strengthening the pathways you use most often. So, if you regularly practice mindfulness or focus, your brain starts to default to those patterns. The key is always starting small. Super stoked about these!! I don't know about you but post-it notes or one of my teacher comfort items. I must have multiple stacks with me at all times and use them for everything. Thinking about the number of times post-it notes are shared gave me the idea of just putting my mindfulness practice prompts on them. Duh! It's like creating a ripple effect with each note. There are nine different, relateable. prompts to choose from and you can get 20% off with
CODE: WELLNESS20. Trust me, you want to get these for yourself and everyone else!
(sorry about all of the exclamations, I'm just excited)
Ms. T Never Stops Talking About Journaling
Your brain only has stamina for about 90 minutes. So taking mental breaks helps your brain stay sharp and prevent burnout. When you journal, in any way, it activates your pre-frontal cortex, encouraging reflection and rewiring your brain for better self-management. If going hard isn't your thing, start small with just a few prompts each day. Maybe try these:
What went well today?
What can I let go of?
How did I manage my stress today?
Let's Wrap It Up
Here's the thing: You don't need to overhaul your life to master self-management. But if you start taking small steps - rewiring how your brain responds to stress, building better habits - you'll see big changes. Feeling and seeing this progress is what keeps me going as well as helping students. Keep it simple, keep it consistent, and keep moving forward - your brain's got this!
The Little Things Do Matter
Mindfully Yours,
Crystal @MsTTalks
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