My Brain is a Washing Machine;

Or maybe a suitcase or a root beer float...

“I have a theory about the human mind.  A brain is a lot like a computer. It will only take so many facts.  And then it will go on overload and blow up.”  ~Erma Bombeck.

---

Has this ever happened to you?  You’re relaxing at home when suddenly you hear a loud Thump, Thump, Thump coming from your laundry room.  You rush to the room and discover that your washing machine has come alive, bumping and squeaking its way halfway across the floor.  Panicking, you lean all your weight into the maniacal machine, stopping its charge until the spin cycle ends. 

The author wrangling her overloaded washing machine.

Ok, you don’t do laundry, you say.  Fine.  How about this?  You’re packing for a trip only to realize that your ‘things’ are overflowing your suitcase by at least five inches.  No problem.  You place your suitcase on the floor and proceed to sit on it.  There’s a little whoosh of air as it compresses and you struggle to zip one side closed, then you slide your butt to the other side, praying the seams won’t pop when it’s being thrown from the conveyor belt to the plane. 

You don’t travel you say?  Sure. Well, how about a root beer float? (my favorite)  You load a big scoop of vanilla ice cream into a tall, frosty glass, then pour in a generous amount of root beer.  Boom.  A volcano erupts and molten lava (ok root beer foam) rushes to the surface while you are slurping as fast as you can to prevent a catastrophe. 

And This is Related to Kindness, How?

So what does this have to do with kindness? Well…. pretty much everything. Before you can be kind to others, you need to be kind to yourself. You need to love yourself, nurture yourself, and take care of yourself.

If you overload your brain with ‘stuff’ and keep trying to cram more things in there, you’re eventually going to experience Brain Fog. Yup. Brain Fog. That’s a real thing.

If you’ve ever experienced washing machine brain overload (scientifically called Brain Fog) then you know that feeling of being out of balance, your brain filled beyond the max, what happens when you try to cram just one more thing in there. 

Brain Fog happens when your brain is overworked or stressed.  Neurologically, this causes high levels of inflammation in your brain, changing the hormones in your body that affect your mood, your energy, and your focus.  That imbalance in your hormones can throw your whole system off, just like the overloaded washer. 

It can sneak up on you.  You think you can handle everything.  You take on more and more.  You multi-task to the max.  And then you realize that you’re forgetting things, you’re having trouble completing simple tasks.  Your thinking is fuzzy and you feel a little scatter brained.  You may have trouble sleeping, get headaches, have mood swings, develop a cough or fever and feel tired all the time. Pretty terrible, right?

You might think that brain overload is a problem just associated with younger people who are working, juggling personal and professional lives.  Nope.  Brain fog is for everyone!  (Well, not little kids)

Brain Fog is not dementia.  A recent study showed that older adults process too much information and that can create cluttered memories.  They have accumulated so much information over time that it takes longer to filter through everything, which is why older adults often don’t have instant recall of information.  They get frustrated when they can’t recall as quickly, which creates stress, making the problem even worse.  It’s a vicious circle.

What Can You Do To Fix or Prevent Brain Fog

Here are a few ideas to help you fix or prevent Brain Fog:

• Relax. It’s OK if you don’t get everything done. Really. It is.

• Don’t let others pile things on you – they can throw things into that washer, too!  Learn to say ‘no’. 

• Take a break from your phone and computer.  Yes, I know, they are your best friends, but they will forgive you. 

• Exercise.  Just moderate walking reduces stress and calms your mind.  It’s like taking that big, wet blanket out of the washer.   

• Write down things that are on your mind before you go to bed.

• Create a prioritized list of things to do.

• End each work day with 5 minutes reflecting on what went well.

• Before leaving work, write down what you plan to do tomorrow.

• If you’re older and you don’t remember something right away, cut yourself some slack and relax. Pat yourself on the back because you are practically a walking encyclopedia!

• Take breaks during the day to unwind and stretch whether you’re at work or just being a couch potato.

• Remember, “If what you do is who you are, then when you don’t, you aren’t.”

The funny thing about Brain Fog is that we do it to ourselves. By trying to be and do Everything, we end up being able to do almost Nothing.

So if your personal washer is overloaded, try taking a few things out. Your machine will work more efficiently and what you put in it will come out wrinkle free! And most of all, be kind to yourself. You deserve it.

---

Have you ever found yourself in a Brain Fog? How did you feel? What did you do to get better?

---

May your week be filled with kindness to yourself, 💜

PS - Visit the Kindness Magnet Library for a collection of all the articles.

Kindness Magnet is now read in 47 countries. Help me reach all 195 by sharing the newsletter!