I often get asked the question: How do you find time in the day? Managing kids, a house, a career, exercise, cooking, chores and activities is not easy. We all have the days where we feel like we are winning, everything is running like a ticking clock and then we have the days when the alarm is sounding every hour- when you turn up to school with a missing swimming kit, or you forgot about an important meeting or everyone has their cameras on in a zoom call and you are in PJs with bedhead. I have been there. We’ve been there.

We have 24 hours in the day, part of it is spent sleeping and the rest is spent managing our lives and often the lives of those who rely on us. The efficiency of those hours we have can depend largely on how we manage and harness our mental energy.

By understanding how our mind works, we are better equipped to use our mental energy in the right way. Our brains are adaptable, they can re-route and re-wire to transmit messages. Every time neurons fire in our brain, it makes it easier for the same neurons to fire again down those same pathways. Every time you produce a thought it is easier for your brain to produce that same thought. This is incredibly powerful when we think about positive and negative thoughts. Anyone remember Thomas the Tank Engine? When faced with a challenge he would say “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”  And well- he did!

Now let’s learn a bit about our prefrontal cortex. Your prefrontal cortex helps you to set and achieve your goals, it is in charge of prioritisation, planning, organising and suppressing urges or irrational actions. Your brain develops from the back to the front which is why your prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until you are an adult. Why does this effect your efficiency during the day? If you find yourself struggling to think about what you should be focusing on or if you find yourself scrolling through Instagram or TikTok aimlessly, it’s time for you to rest your prefrontal cortex. How? Let’s talk implementation in the next article.