It’s 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. Last weekend, Mother’s Day, to be exact.
My husband took the kids to the park and gifted me a few hours of quiet. Of peace. Of space to do as I please.
“What are you going to do he asked?”
“Work of course, I have so much to do.”
And truthfully working is self-care to me. My job as a nutritionist lights my brain up. I adore it. It fuels me. So, a quite moment to work is a break to me.
I made my self a salted maple decaf latte and climbed into bed. My favorite place to relax.
[These beans are quite exquisite and refreshingly bold, the best mold free flavor I’ve ever tasted.] CAROLINE to save.
And then I thought, nope. I’m going to gift my brain some space to exhale and picked up my latest book, One Good Thing. Goodness I steamed to the end because it had me hanging on every page. It’s a refresh for your nervous system. Beautiful and calming, captivating but not in the thriller manner.
I also made my summer reading list and am SO excited to dive in.
Reading has been medicine to me lately. Moments when I feed the baby or have 5 minutes before school pick up. Swapping scrolling for reading is a brain exhale, a moment of peace that shifts me into a better place mentally.
I find myself lately asking if I am really stressed or anxious, or if my brain is loud? My brain is crowded by voices, news and the latest trend.
Often it’s not just the lack of sleep or the full days that stress our nervous system, it’s a brain that has not space to breathe, to exhale.
The brain needs a break, just as much as the body.
Quiet space, breathing room—a brain break engages our Default Mode Network, which strengthens memory, boosts creativity and reduces stress or burnout.
A brain that has space to exhale is medicine.
When the brain shifts into Default Mode Network, it can rest, process information, and generate new ideas.
[Default Mode Network is when the brain is in a state of active rest. Not sleeping. Not hardcore working. More the daydreaming state. A state most of us adults rarely go into. Empathy, creativity, generating new ideas all rely on the DMN.]
Do you really need another productivity hack OR do you actually need margin, space and pause?
Think about when your best ideas start to flow . . .?
It’s the moment before you fall asleep, when you are in that dreamy state.
It’s on a run or walk in nature.
It’s in the shower.
All times when your brain exhales.
Pause is productivity. Pause is medicine to the brain.
When your brain is in Default Mode Network, your prefrontal cortex is engaged—this is your rational, calm brain.
Putting your brain into this restful Default Mode Network isn’t just essential for focus, memory and brain power but it’s KEY to emotional regulation. If you feel all over the place, up and down, anxious or frazzled, ask yourself, did your brain have any quiet time? Did your brain have a break? Did you allow your thoughts to wander?
Go back to being a child for a bit, do you remember day dreaming or imaginary friends? My kids’ creativity and imagination truly amazes each day. This is because they have SPACE to let their imagination run wild, to let their brain and body have margin.
The go-go-go mentality and overstimulation of modern culture is the antithesis of unstructured play and time. We celebrate our kids for “just go find something to do” yet hardly do it ourselves.
Here’s a few ways you can allow your brain to exhale…
Add beauty to your space—flowers, plants, soft lights, a candle.
Notice beauty—the way the light hits in the evenings, flowers in bloom, a smile.
Organize a specific space or drawer.
Take 5-10 minutes to organize your thoughts, make a drink and a little treat to snack on before jumping into your to do list.
Simple stand and be while waiting in the grocery line rather than scrolling.
Create—chop, cook, paint, bake.
Drive in silence.
Read in the margin moments—the car line, between meetings, before bed.
Unstructured play—we tell our kids to do this, why don’t we?
Go for a run, gym workout or walk without your phone or headphones.
Unplug from digital devices. I often “loose” my phone on Saturday mornings.
Have a picnic.
Have a weekend or day without anything on the calendar.
Running, swimming.
Do a task that is opposite of your skill set—for example: if you are a writer, engage in something more mathematical (playing cards, puzzles). If you are more science and mathematical focused, take up photography, painting or baking.
Plant yourself in an awe inspiring location. Change of location = change of pace both physically and mentally. Take your meeting on a walk outside rather than inside if able, take a weekend drive to the country if you live in the city, wander through a museum.
The more I give my brain an exhale, the more energy, creativity and patience I experience. A brain exhale isn’t a luxury, although as a mom to 4 it often feels like one, it’s medicinal to me.
A few minutes here and there give me life.
Try it this week won’t you?
xx Caroline
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