real
life coach
480.998.5843
3
Ways to Conquer Brain
Freeze
By Kathy Gates, Life Coach
Word Count 884
The other morning I woke up
with a bad case of Brain Freeze.
I had scheduled a morning to write. I had my notes out on the desk, and
the computer booted up. Then I went
outside to have coffee on the patio, then puttered around in the kitchen, played
with the dog, and mailed a letter. I
just couldn’t get my brain to wake up and go to work.
For some people Brain Freeze (masquerading as procrastination) is habitual, and can have damaging effects. It’s easy to do things we want to do, but the things we find difficult or unpleasant are what we put off. In my case, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to write, or that I found writing difficult or unpleasant. I just found it hard to get started. There were so many more interesting ways to use the luxury of that quiet morning.
Simply, procrastination is often just a habit of making the wrong choices. It’s choosing to take a nap instead of mowing the lawn It’s opting to socialize with a co-worker instead of working on a project. It’s cleaning off your desk instead of getting prepared for a meeting. It’s checking out who’s on “The Today Show” instead of writing an article.
Now there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these choices. As an adult you have the luxury of choosing how you behave, and choosing your own responsibilities. And we all have responsibilities that we don’t particularly care for. But if you allow Brain Freeze to make choices that aren’t good for you, or that we don’t really want to make, then it’s time to put Brain Freeze on a leash.
“Just Do It” may be a great marketing slogan, but in real life we often need a little bit more to work with. To conquer Brain Freeze, you will need to change the behavior that works against you achieving the desired results. Remember that you are changing a habit, and it will feel uncomfortable and unnatural at first. But with practice, you can teach Brain Freeze that it is not welcome in your life. Here are three ways to do this.
1. When you recognize a particular task is difficult for you and that you continually put it off until the last minute, try designing a system to handle it, instead of just “putting out the fire” when it becomes a problem. For example, if you’re always running around late in the morning trying to find the kids’ homework and your keys and gym clothes, consider setting up a basket or backpack for each member of the family to collect things they need to get out the door. If you’re always late paying bills, consider setting them up on automatic withdrawal. You have set up a system, not just reacted to a singular problem.
2. Determine if Brain Freeze is signaling you that you have made a mistake in your choice. If you find it difficult to go to work in the morning, perhaps you are in the wrong job. If you find that you don’t want to go home in the evening after work, it may be that you are living in a place that is not healthy for you. Don’t continue a mistake. Admit the mistake to yourself first and others (if necessary), and make the necessary arrangements to make it right. One of my clients was a senior in college receiving a degree in Electrical Engineering. He was having difficulty finishing projects, doing homework, studying for tests. His parents believed that he was afraid to go out into the “real world”. But as we talked, it became apparent that he had never wanted to be an engineer and had allowed others to make those choices for him. He was spending all his time working in a restaurant where they were teaching him how to cook. As soon as he recognized that he had made a mistake, he was able to tell his parents how he really felt, make the change to get the training to be a chef.
3. We all have things we’re good at and things we prefer to do, and Brain Freeze can also signal that it is task that you really don’t like to do. Ask first, does it have to be done at all, and second, does it have to be done by you. Consider delegating the task to someone who would enjoy it, so that you can concentrate on things that you would devote more creativity and energy to. In my particular case, I love to mow grass and my husband hates it. I despise vacuuming, and I don’t do a very good job of it (in rebellion, I suppose). My husband doesn’t mind it, and always does a much more thorough job than I do. Easy tradeoff.
Finally,
REWARD yourself for a job well done.
This is very important and a step that a lot of people ignore.
A reward can come in any form you choose, from a simple affirmation to
yourself, to buying yourself a treat. Realize that the ultimate reward for
taming Brain Freeze
is that by being in control of what you do, and finding ways to do it
efficiently, you have given yourself more time to enjoy your life.
------------------------------------------
Kathy Gates is a Life Coach who believes that "Life Rewards Action". It's what you do TODAY that
will make a difference in your life tomorrow. She can help you set
priorities and goals, build healthy relationships, and take control of your
life. If you would like more information, please
email
kathy@reallifecoach.com, or call 480.998.5843 today!
Got a question or comment? I love to hear from you.