When Your Brain Won’t Switch Off

We are being pulled in multiple directions. Bosses, leaders, employees, parents, spouses, siblings, friends. The list goes on. And right now, the people we are connected to have greater needs than ever, while our own wellbeing is under pressure from every angle: career, financial, social, community, and physical.

I don’t know about you, but my brain works overtime trying to solve all this uncertainty. The result? Less sleep and more stress.

Why Our Brains Struggle With Uncertainty

Brains hate the unknown. They are designed to keep us safe, which is why we cycle through 12,000 to 40,000 negative thoughts a day. Most are not new. They are the same worries circling again and again. My mind often circles around thoughts like these:

• Will my business keep growing the way it needs to?

• Will my family stay healthy and supported?

• Will things get any easier to balance between work and life?

Leaders Need to Look After Themselves Too

If you lead people, it is more important than ever to look after yourself. Many eyes are on you, looking for certainty and hope, however small. But you cannot offer that if you are running on empty.

Three Techniques That Help

I use three simple techniques I first came across in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I often share them with leaders who need to slow down and regain perspective. Watch a short video explaining the approach.

1. Walk (or breathe). In my corporate days I used to walk loops around the buildings where I worked. Movement clears the mind. If you cannot get outside, try breathing. I like the Navy SEAL “box breathing” technique. Here is a guide.
   Walking is not just calming, it is powerful. A Harvard Business Review article, Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Walk, shows that walking helps us reflect, boost creativity, and rethink problems.

2. Journal. When I started journaling it was a game changer. Try a brain dump: open a blank document, set a timer for 10 minutes, and type everything that comes to mind. Do not save it when you are done. Or use pen and paper and throw it away afterwards.

3. Schedule one hour a week just for you. For that hour you are not a boss, employee, parent, partner, or sibling. You are simply you. Take a nap, read a book, enjoy a coffee, or watch a show.

The Payoff

These practices do not only keep you grounded, they give your brain the break it needs to find fresh solutions. Our best ideas rarely come when we are “on the tools.” They show up when we step away.