2024 has been a tough year for many people, myself included. Whether it's rising costs, health, business or perhaps just nothing seeming like it's going to plan.
What's happening in this crazy world where everything seems more difficult, people appear more brittle, and life seems so overwhelming at times?
Neurologically it has been confirmed through research that all our brains are working hard.
We are not spending enough time thinking about the right things to solve our problems. Thinking is done in the prefrontal cortex where logic sits. If we don't start working on our problems, we stay within the limbic system - where it is ourselves talking to ourselves about ourselves.
I sometimes forget what I do for a job and just sit feeling despondent and wondering when this tough time will end. As I write this, I'm coming out of such a moment.
It ends for me right now, how about for you?
I'm not going to tell you that you need to go for a walk, to do something you enjoy, to think of three positive things, to do breathing techniques, or to connect with someone else. Not if you don't feel like doing those things.
They are all good for you, in fact they are very good for you, but sometimes we just need to focus on moving forward - one step at a time.
Writing this post has been incredibly helpful in bringing attention to what is happening inside my own head. Writing is great for us because it brings attention to the areas in our lives that need focus, it brings clarity of thought, it puts things into a detached perspective - it is as though another person is writing.
Writing will never replace talking with someone, with a real person, someone with whom we can share and care about our challenges. But what can you do if you don't feel up for talking, or don't know who to talk with?
If you feel like everything is overwhelming at the moment, write the answers to these questions on a piece of paper:
1️⃣ What are you going through?
2️⃣ How is it making you feel?
3️⃣ What can you do about it to move forward?
If you get to step 3 and can't think of anything to do about your challenge, then maybe your solution for now is simply to keep moving forward - step by step, day by day.
Picking yourself up and carrying on is not easy, in fact, some never can without continued support from something or someone. Finding a way back up is different for us all, the common ground is that you need to keep going. Keep reading, keep writing, keep talking, and work hard to find what will work for you.
Forward is the way we are heading and that is where we need to direct our focus. Always remember that.
What is in our past is in our past, it is the future that we should now focus on.
Let’s talk!
My Brain Is Working Hard, Too Hard It Seems!