{"id":134,"date":"2021-11-30T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T11:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/141.148.246.190\/index.php\/single-post\/my-brain\/"},"modified":"2022-04-20T11:42:08","modified_gmt":"2022-04-20T11:42:08","slug":"my-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/30\/my-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"My Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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My brain decided to distract me today. It told me a list of all the things I needed to do, so I wrote them down. Then it told me I didn’t have time for the things I wanted to do, but I tried to do them anyways. And it reminded me again of that list I made. Hello, brain, thank you very much. I’ve got it handled.<\/em> But my brain thought urgency was needed. Really, brain? I don’t think I need to vacuum the stairs right this very second. Can’t it wait? <\/em>But my brain insisted, and I relented. Because really, with this thing hanging over me, how am I supposed to do anything else? I can’t just shut it out. That would be unreasonable. So I vacuum the stairs. Happy, brain? Can I get back to the thing I was working on?<\/em> It seems hesitant at first, but allows me to sit at my chair and stare at a blank screen and think, okay, I really need to add milk to the grocery list… <\/em>So I do that. Because God-forbid I somehow forget one of four main ingredients I consistently buy twice a week. Then I think, what else do I need? Maybe I’ll make cinnamon buns this weekend… Ooh, I better go downstairs and check that I have all the ingredients.<\/em> And, yeah. Predictably, I do that. I check, and I add to the grocery list. Boy<\/em>, I think, this list is getting long. Maybe I should buy groceries today. Otherwise, there will be too much to carry in one trip. <\/em>So I put on my shoes and my coat and I walk to the grocery store, and I buy all the things, and I walk home, and I put everything away, and then I’m hungry for lunch. Is it really lunchtime already? Well, I’m not big on sandwiches so I guess I’d better fry up some chicken and make a wrap. <\/em>So I cook and eat, because I’m hungry. And I scroll through my phone because, hey, it’s my lunch break. I’ll take the break and be motivated in the afternoon. <\/em>My brain agrees: “Yes, easy.” And then it’s one o’clock. One already?!<\/em> I think in dismay. Okay, okay. <\/em>I sit at my desk again and stare at a blank screen. My goal today is to write 2,000 words. I’ve written three, and then deleted them. Good start so far. You know what might help? I need to clean up my desk. It’s cluttered, and that’s why I’m distracted. <\/em>So I organize my papers and stack everything in a corner, and then my brain reminds me to glance down at my list. Oh, right, I wanted to make naan tonight. I really need to get the dough started so it can rise for a few hours before I start on the curry.<\/em> I go back downstairs and mix and knead. My brain insists I listen to a podcast (“Entertain! Entertain!”), so I do. The dough takes fifteen minutes, but the podcast is twenty-five. I can’t focus if I don’t know how it ends, so I choose to listen to the last ten minutes. Once that’s done, I’ll definitely get back to my writing. <\/em>My brain agrees: “Of course you will!” Wow, my brain can be so encouraging at times. Well, if I’m going to listen to the last ten minutes of the podcast, then I might as well multitask. I’ll start on the laundry. <\/em>So I throw in the laundry and switch out the towels, and see that the mirror is spotted. There’s still five minutes left of the podcast, so I wipe down the mirrors. Well, I might as well do the windows too while I have everything out. My brain can’t argue with that logic, obviously, so I do all the windows but my podcast is over. Thank goodness for the next episode <\/em>(it’s only twenty minutes) so I might as well listen to the end.<\/em> On goes the day. Oh, crap. It’s five. <\/em>So I fry up the naan and add spices to curry, and prepare a big supper, then eat all the supper. But now I’m exhausted (food makes me tired) so I guess I can take a short break. I turn on the Switch and play for a bit. The sun has set, so it’s too dark to be productive. I watch some Netflix and pop up some popcorn. Then I crawl into bed and read on my kindle. And now it’s eleven and my brain is tired and tells me it’s time to sleep. (“Yawn! Yawn!”) So I do<\/em> turn off the lights and close my eyes and my brain reminds me of all the things I should get done tomorrow. So I look at my phone (you’re not supposed to look at your phone before bed) and type out another To-Do list. Then finally I sleep, and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to write. Then my brain decides to distract me again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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My brain decided to distract me today. It told me a list of all the things I needed to do, so I wrote them down. Then it told me I didn’t ha<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[25,27,26,24],"series":[],"class_list":["post-134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essays","tag-brain","tag-essay","tag-rant","tag-stream-of-consciousness"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/pexels-suzy-hazelwood-3631711.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/music.amazon.ca\/podcasts\/09c34bbc-b359-49af-a286-31830ed5634c\/short-stories","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_play":{"key":"google_play","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Play","class":"google_play","icon":"google-play.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0lcQCRs52MfYlKs35lVX4K","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/feed\/podcast\/default-podcast","embedCode":"

My Brain<\/a><\/blockquote>