🧠Weekly Mind Sweep #72 | Manage Your Mind | Patience
May 2023
Week 70: Curated Conversation; Patience
Week 71: Mind Your Business; Patience
*Week 72: Manage Your Mind; Patience
Week 73: Contemplation; What’s on My Mind: My Thoughts on Patience
New to the Weekly MindSweep? Past issues live here.
Now, let’s sweep the brain…
Oh, hi, serotonin. You often get overlooked by our other favorite chemical, dopamine.
Deep inside the brain is a bundle of around 165,000 neurons called the dorsal raphe nucleus. When prompted into action, the nucleus produces the neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as a messenger to other areas of the brain. Two areas often in communication with the dorsal raphe nucleus sit just behind your eyes — the medial prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex. Together, this communication channel appears responsible for the virtue of patience. [Source]
Uh, Jamie - decipher this, please!
Some humans naturally produce more serotonin, and patience is a natural state.
And then, there are the rest of us.
In this fast-paced and impatient world, patience is one of the most challenging qualities to develop.
Research has shown that serotonin floods when a part of our brain is stimulated, and we miraculously have more patience. If our serotonin levels are low, we are impulsive.
But slow your role before just adding more serotonin to your life. Research also shows that this effect is maximized when we have a high probability of reward and uncertainty about the timing of the reward.
In other words, there is a difference between feeling like a child waking up on their birthday (oooh, I will have cake today) versus waking up the following morning (only 364 more days until cake).
The sooner you practice the skill, strengthen the muscle, and learn the art of patience, the easier and more peaceful your life will be.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy, Jamie! I've got this!
And then you find yourself at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
And your brain immediately switches to "I want everything. I want it my way, and I want it now."
Practicing patience is all about how you act.
Emotions generate in the limbic system, which is part of our "primitive brain," and that system controls fear, pleasure, and anger. So when an emotion begins, the limbic system connects with our prefrontal cortex to manage that emotion. The prefrontal cortex is like our brain's security checkpoint to keep our emotions in check.
In a neurodivergent brain, this checkpoint is weak, and sometimes the emotion will stampede past the guard without consideration.
What's an entrepreneur to do to strengthen their patience muscle?
Set yourself up for success:
The foundation of patience is a well-rested, well-nourished, well-hydrated body.
Manage your mind. Patience is a mindset. More patience = Peace of Mind
Focus on what you can control. Attempting to control what is out of your control is wasted energy.
You choose what to do with your feelings.
What can I do today? (I'm in a hurry to learn to be more patient!)
Breathe. Count to 10 so your logical and rational mind can catch up with your feelings.
Ask yourself why you are feeling impatient. Is this a life-or-death situation? (If so, please run!) If not, this is a great time to dig deeper and become more self-aware to respond more thoughtfully.
Take things one step at a time. Consciously slow down. Impatience is often because of overwhelm. Stop multitasking and focus on one thing at a time.
Practice. Do you really need that Amazon delivery today? Or, can you save the planet a bit and combine your orders to once a week or find it locally at the grocery store when you are already there? This small practice will lead to more patience in other areas of your life.
And finally, get support.
I see you with your 86 browser tabs open, post-it notes everywhere, and frustration that your entrepreneurial ideas still need to be realized.
Ok, maybe just one more tab.
Ready for support?
We can do it together. I can help.
Where to find me
EVERY MONDAY: 8 am - Curated Conversation - Zoom
THINK TWICE: Did you miss our Live? I’ve got you; the replay is available inside the Chickbook Creative Community. Are you NOT A MEMBER YET?! Join the group here.
MISS MY VOICE? Check out recent podcast episodes.
What I’m reading
25th Anniversary Edition of Bird By Bird; Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
A little birdie in my life sent me this beautiful gift in the mail. I’m excited to deepen my experience with being a writer and learn a deeper understanding of the state of mind a writer could benefit from. #ThankYouEmily
Learn more about Anne Lamott.
What I’m listening to:
Content with Character
Four Questions to Ask When Taking on a New Project
My friend Emily Aborn's new podcast, Content with Character, is officially LIVE! This is the podcast for entrepreneurs ready to take action, think outside the box, and experiment with some unconventional approaches to content creation and visibility.
(It's like she's speaking our language!!)
If I know anything about Content Copywriter Emily Aborn, she'll be by our side every step of the way (and probably keep us laughing) as we learn to create content with more ease, inspiration, and character!
(Her laugh is infectious, she loves my puns, and I've learned to be a better writer with her support!)
Make sure to subscribe to Content with Character on your favorite podcast platforms!