For my brain, and maybe yours, it can easily be distracted by both external and INTERNAL distractions. Today will be day 38 of my car routine. Why haven't I done it already? Because I HAD to get food at a certain time. However, when I got back with the groceries, my body actually remembered the routine. Meaning, I realized oh I haven't eaten or drank any water yet! And the pull of the routine/streak is what allowed me to say "set a timer for 20 minutes, LEAVE the groceries on the floor, and the FIRST thing you're going to do is take your vitamins, drink some water, and eat some protein". And it wasn't easy. I'm soo used to being neglected that it takes a lot of WORK for me to remember that I even exist! But I did it! And I'm sharing this in the hopes it can help someone else.🥰 One mantra I'm trying hard to use (when possible) is BODY FIRST. What do I mean? I mean that for my own survival I had to live entirely in my head. But the body WILL break down if we don't pay attention to it. So, my new method I'm installing is that BEFORE I make any decisions, "body first". "Have I drank water?" This is a HUGE one. Our brains are made of a lot of water. This really does make a massive difference for me so I would highly suggest looking at this one seriously. What I currently do to work WITH my brain is I have a huge jug and I first fill that up. I add supergreens packet to it and call it my swamp water 🤣. And then I pour from that jug throughout the day. The jug itself is a constant visual reminder that my daily water is there. And I can either drink directly from it or pour it into a cup (it is kind of heavy). So I also have a goal to have at least one cup of water an hour. The jug also lets me know "if I drink this entire jug today, that guarantees I have drank at least 80 oz water. "Have I eaten protein lately?" This is also a HUGE one for me that I never knew. "Are my shoulders up?" Why do I want to ask myself that? Because for me, if shoulders are up, that means I'm "on alert". And we weren't meant to be "on alert" 24/7 😅 so that is a bodily cue for me that I'm carrying stress.

I want to welcome everyone! Please let me know how I can help. For me, it is imperative that people feel safe here. What is one thing you feel you already are good at, and one thing you are currently struggling with?

I'm learning more about the brain and I was able to memorize the first 20 elements of the periodic table!! I'm learning the principles of memory which is SO exciting when it doesn't necessarily come naturally!

Hi guys!! I have decided to continue to BE the love and support I so deeply want in my life! That being said, I've decided I'm going to start doing regular zooms on here. I'm thinking to start, I will do one zoom a week for live "executive functioning" and one for "body doubling" So, one zoom where we plan and trouble shoot, and another where we DO something together. I want this group to be a safe place for all of us. No task is too small or "obvious". Truly. Love you guys!!

I'm committing (gulp) to a new habit starting tonight, since my morning "routine" is 22 days strong.. At 10:00 pm (or before), I will turn my phone OFF for the night and put it in the upstairs bathroom. Am I on my phone THAT much?? No...but the fact is, I keep falling asleep with earbuds in😅😅..which means I am passing out at some point without realizing it.. So this is the next step in the evolution of my year of FOUNDATION and EXPERIMENTATION. I'm using the atomic habits framework to create it. I'm also scaffolding myself as I transition. I'm letting myself watch a show downstairs at night. And when I go upstairs, I can have my lamp on and read, etc. Just not use the phone. I'm going to think of it as putting my phone to bed. 🤣 I'm making it much less necessary to have to use willpower. If it is down the hall and OFF, it is much more inconvenient to use than to NOT use. Also, since I do tappings etc as part of my morning routine, having my phone waiting for me in bathroom will give me even more oomph to get up in the morning. This honestly wouldn't even be hard for me if I had a partner.. because I would WANT to spend the quality time with the partner. That's just how I am. But I realized I need to do it anyway. For me. To give myself a CHANCE at real restorative rest. Love you guys! I hope this encourages someone to start a self-loving habit as well! We are in this together 😊