It seems like there is always too much to do. It feels like you need to catch up before you can start something new. And there just isn’t focus to get things done!
That scattered lack of focus that we associate with Too Much To Do, is often a symptom of our primitive brain being overloaded and stressed.
The primitive brain isn’t super smart. It’s really really powerful, but it can’t tell the difference between stress because you have too much paperwork to do, and stress because there’s a bear chasing you. The primitive brain instinctively reacts in a very similar manner to both.
Your brain pumps you full of adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones so you can “Fight off that paperwork” or “Flee from that to-do list.”
The problem is… those chemicals are GREAT for helping you run, or fight, but NOT good for cognitive thinking or problem solving. Your poor cognitive brain is trying so hard to take care of all the things you want it to get done, and it’s swimming in a soup of distracting and concentration-limiting chemicals.
It’s rather like trying to perform surgery while drunk. It’s not effective, efficient, and mistakes are going to happen.
One of the reasons your to-do list may be so long is that you’re trying to operate machinery (your cognitive brain) under the influence (of a scared primitive brain).
When you take just a little time to calm your primitive brain, you can get a surprising amount done in a short time!
Let’s do some tapping for that!
Karate Chop: Even though I feel overwhelmed with all I have to do, and it seems like the list never gets shorter…I’m open to relaxing and finding a more efficient way forward.
Even though I feel stressed and there is just too much to do… what if I’ve been doing a really good job in a tough situation… and what if I could make it easier for my brain to operate?
Even though I hate that fuzzy, distracted, rushed feeling… That’s just my primitive brain trying to help… and unfortunately getting in the way of my progress. I can retrain my brain and make all this LOTS easier!
Top of the Head: There’s too much to do!
Eyebrow: I can’t do anything new.
Side of the Eye: I have to catch up!
Under the Eye: My brain feels overwhelmed.
Under the Nose: I jump from task to task.
Chin: It’s hard to get anything done.
Collarbone: I feel so frustrated!
Under the Arm: It never ends!
Top of the Head: What if that’s just my primitive brain.
Eyebrow: It’s stuck in flight, fight, freeze.
Side of the Eye: I can help it relax.
Under the Eye: In fact, I’m doing that right now.
Under the Nose: I’m tapping and calming it down.
Chin: I can stop bathing myself in fear chemicals,
Collarbone: And start focusing LOTS clearer.
Under the Arm: I bet I could get more done then.
Top of the Head: As I calm, I can focus and get things done!
Take a deep breath.
Notice how your body and your brain feel. My brain gets fuzzy and foggy when I feel overwhelmed. And that makes it really hard to get any one thing done. I usually start and stop 10 different things in an hour, and just feel more frustrated!
Scientifically, we know that when we feel stressed or overwhelmed, our primitive brain does try to help by sending that chemical soup to our bodies and brains. Learning how to calm and retrain your primitive brain can let it not only get out of the way… but help you!
Whether you meditate, do yoga, tap, or whatever path you take to calm, we encourage you to find a way to create a new, conscious relationship with your primitive brain.
If you’d like to join us in our Reprogram Your Primitive Brain course, where we guide you through simple, short steps to developing a new way of working with your primitive brain, there are just 2 days left to sign up! We’d love to help you calm that part of you and help you create what you’ve been longing to experience!
https://www.thrivingnow.com/primitive-brain/
Warm wishes,
Cathy and Rick