In one group, a client shared that her key to success was the realization that she could choose to put her own needs first. She had been taking care of loved ones and literally making herself sick by skimping on sleep and exercise. By seeing herself as the sole caretaker, she had neglected her true self, made herself miserable in the process and put on a “fake it till you make it” facade.

"If we don’t get enough sleep, it makes us feel lonelier, and it fundamentally messes with the way we perceive other people, and how we interact with them." Shuka Kalantari from The Science of Happiness episode 116.I have read so much research regarding sleep, especially with regards to Turbo Thinkers. We already know so much about how sleep affects our bodies and our brains, how it affects us physically and cognitively.

My family and close friends know that I regularly need to get my nature fix or I will go crazy. Like mindfulness, nutrition, exercise, sleep and human connection, I prioritize my need to spend time outdoors in a natural setting. While many studies have shown that time in nature improves ADHD symptoms, I personally need it, and will create time for it in my schedule.

I just had a client that raised such a great question: How do I know when I am honoring my needs or avoiding something? She had been allowing herself to sleep and rest at home a lot, but was also feeling a bit guilty about it. As the coaching conversation flowed, she decided to write two columns with the headings: Avoidance and Active Rest.

In one of my Turbo Think Tanks today, a client realized that she wanted to keep track of what she HAD accomplished, rather than beating herself up for what she had not done. By shifting to a celebration of positive progress forward, she could focus on her strengths and her secret sauce. She could build a bank of evidence, proving to her inner critic that, “Yes! I can get things done!” We call this a Ta-da list, and I find that it is just as important or even more important than a To-do list.

Someone recently asked me, “What is the #1 piece of advice you’d give to Turbo Thinkers?” I thought about it for a moment, then replied, “Be yourself.” If only it were so easy and I have to recognize that it’s sometimes a difficult task.

This week launched the Spring 2022 Turbo Think Tanks. We now have two “advanced” groups for clients that have already participated in at least one group or 1:1 coaching program with us.I love the first day of Advanced TTT because it feels like the best reunion ever. I am literally bouncing on my stability ball with excitement. One client yesterday said he felt like a puppy wagging his tail. He had been looking forward to starting up again so much.

One of my dearest friends came over for a porch visit last night. We shared freshly picked Japanese plums and a glass of wine as we caught up, she on my swing and me in a rocker, listening to the wind chimes and palms swishing in the breeze. She reminded me that we hadn’t seen each other since Mardi Gras, and so much had happened: overnight canoe camping, beach volleyball, trail biking, blues concerts at the square, and more.

Today someone asked me my opinion of group coaching, and I faltered, not knowing where to begin. I ended up simply gushing, “I love it!” I love the synergy, the transformation, the progress, the A-ha moments, the switch from shame to confidence.

So many of my clients are filled with shame because of the countless negative messages they have received over time. The negative talk gets internalized to the point where their own self talk has become negative too. Our turbo thinking brains excel at rumination and catastrophizing. Our brains can be champion naysayers, flailing us with whips and chains of humiliation and degradation.

Many of my clients have been struggling lately with revenge bedtime procrastination, so I started to write about this act of deliberately putting off sleep in order to enjoy “me time” with stimulating but useless entertainment. I thought about how common it is for Turbo Thinkers, how to implement strategies for a bedtime routine, and how sleep improves our brain function.

When my son began fifth grade, his homeroom teacher had each student write a letter introducing themselves, and later, on Parents’ Night, I got to read it. A few lines in, my son had written, “I have ADHD and that means I’m creative.” I almost cried. My son got it. He understood that his brain is wired uniquely.

As Turbo Thinkers, we sometimes have trouble regulating our emotions. We feel things really intensely! How can we be aware of our emotions in our bodies? How can we use that information? How can we calm down our nervous system to regulate our emotions? When we have the ability to regulate our emotions, we can activate our executive function skills. For example, we can move out of the paralyzing state of overwhelm towards task initiation.

In recent years, more and more of us find ourselves working from home, working at a desk, and Zoom weary. How about a walk to get the blood flowing to the brain while improving mood and cognitive function? Don’t just do it for your body. Do it for your brain! I need it too! Exercise naturally boosts the key neurotransmitters: serotonin (mood), norepinephrine (focus), and dopamine (reward-system, movement). Norepinephrine boosts the signal quality of synaptic transmission, while dopamine decreases the noise of neuron chatter.

It’s 2022 and after living two years into a pandemic, self-awareness is key to progression.Together with clients, we develop awareness of what is going on in their turbo thinking brains as the first step towards improvement. Without awareness of what we are currently doing, thinking and feeling, we cannot change and step into a greater version of ourselves. How can we become more self-aware as turbo thinkers?

Can you take 15 minutes to write down everything in life that you value? These could be grand, abstract ideas, such as world peace. It could be small and personal, like the warm gooey sweetness of fresh pecan pie. You do not need to have these in your life right now, so it is not a gratitude list. Do you see a pattern? If you could put these into a few categories, what would those headers be? These are your core values.

A lot of my clients this week have been focused on communication. They have developed the awareness of what their bodies feel and what their brains need. They have been able to pause and redirect. They have been able to effectively communicate and self-advocate, and they recognize these abilities as wins!

Setting and achieving goals requires a different approach when wired with a Turbo Thinking brain. When our goals are motivated by fear, such as fear of consequence, fear of disappointing others, or fear of not being good enough, we put ourselves in crisis mode so that our cortisol levels skyrocket.

I just returned from a stunning trip to Costa Rica, where I had the opportunity to stay in a tiny cabin at the base of a volcano. My trip overflowed with the simple pleasures of immersing myself in nature, eating simple, whole foods, feeling love and living la pura vida. I could be fully present and mindful while appreciating every moment with eternal gratitude.

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that this past year was one of trial and error? It felt like the year of the cha-cha-cha, with a lot of steps forward and backwards, sometimes tripping, sometimes laughing, and sometimes simply enjoying the music allowing ourselves to flow with the rhythm.