I Once Thought I Was Losing It

Have you ever caught yourself going to get something, but when you went to the room, you completely forgot what you were looking for?

Imagine if this happens over and over again. This has happened to me. I had no problem with memory or recalling things I used daily - it was short-term memory. I had to pay close attention to conversations, especially when interviewing them, so I didn't miss those details. This happened for some time, and I thought, "oh my goodness, am I losing it?" Or was this the post-COVID brain fog researchers talk about? Is it stress? Exhaustion?

That period of my life was acutely stressful, on top of the chronic stress I have dealt with as a primary care physician, business owner & mother of young children. I remember not feeling on top of my game. You see, I juggle a lot of hats, and I have multiple responsibilities. I have various schedules, meetings, and a whole lot more. As a small business owner, I'm the CEO, HR, Marketing Director, Financial Planner, and much more, and over time, this plays a toll on a person.

Many of you in my LinkedIn circle are busy professionals. Your job requires you to be at your best game - at all times. It might feel uncomfortable to admit we are anything but on top of our games. Why? Because most of us were trained or worked in demanding, judgemental, and outcome-driven environments at the expense of wellness, any sign of weakness are shunned.

Does this sound like your environment?

Stress is a silent killer. You might think this sounds very strong, but I don't mince my words. You see, stress affected my memory, joy, and productivity. Until you discover the root causes of your stress and deal with them on a mind level, you will not likely achieve the results I was able to achieve. Let me briefly explain. Our brains have two sides, the right, and the left. The left side of our brain is our critical side; some call it the survival brain. This site helps alert you to danger and encourages you to escape at all costs. This side of the brain is on edge, evaluating risks even when none exist. This side of the brain contributes to raising cortisol, a stress hormone. Some of the impacts of raising cortisol are: increased blood pressure, negative emotions, and decreased productivity.

The right side of the brain is our creative side; some call it the growing brain. This site helps alert you to opportunities and encourages you to explore at all costs. This side of the brain is in a relaxed state and is conducive to creativity and problem-solving. The right side is empathetic. The right side looks at the world with a glass half full mentally. When this brain region is activated, it contributes to releasing oxytocin and dopamaine- these are feel-good hormones.

Now, let me ask you a question What side of the brain do you think most of us spend most of our time? The right or the left? The thrive side or the survive side? Most of us spend our time on the left side of the brain, and therein lies the problem.

The magic started when I could shift my thinking, moving quickly from left-brain review to right-brain thinking. I was able to think more clearly than I ever had before. I was able to make difficult decisions, aided by my thoughts being filtered through the creative, empathetic, right brain (also known as the sage).

You are what you think ultimately. I became what I thought. I became the possibility despite the impossible circumstances. Of course, physical fitness and a nutritious diet helped significantly, but without me dealing with challenges at the root or mental fitness, I sometimes found myself going in circles.

I once thought I was losing it, and quite frankly, I was. I was losing sight of my true essence, things that brought me joy, the creative and fun-loving side. Don't get me wrong, I was competent in what I was doing, but competency requiring continuous, stress filed effort is challenging for even the best of us. I know I am strong, resilient, intelligent, and so on. However, I now add adjectives like creative, solution-oriented, and deeply insightful.

In this newsletter, I talk about productivity and leveraging the playing feel. The secret truly is mental fitness, which most people haven't tapped into. So if you would like to learn more, please use this?LINK ?to book a complimentary Zoom call.