Popcorn Brain

The other day I described my brain as an air popper without the lid on. Or at least with the bowl in the wrong position. (If you haven’t ever had an air popper, ​watch this,​ imagine leaving the top of the chute off, and you’ll get a picture of how I was feeling.)

My mind was racing, mostly with ideas for work. A new workshop series. Content for the professional learning cohort. A list of to-dos for the Mid-career Mentoring Network. Newsletter topics. People to reach out to for the Cohort Pilot and for feedback on a new (BIG!) program I am developing.

Those things probably mean nothing to you, but if you read that paragraph at high speed and in a different order every time, that is what was happening in my brain. I started one thing, made a mental note about another, started another thing, and so on. That’s where the misaligned bowl comes into play – some of these ideas were captured – albeit all over the place – and others were lost.

It was after dinner, maybe 7:45pm. I knew I needed to get my sh*t together.

At times like that I feel an urge to stay on task and take advantage of the ideas – “I’m thinking of all these great things! I should keep working!” But if I do so without any parameters, I run the risk of popcorning all over the place until it’s way past my bedtime. And when it’s that unfocused, it’s probably not going to be an efficient use of time.

So I took out a notebook and wrote everything down I was thinking about in an unorganized list and then closed my computer and separated myself from it physically. I either opened up a book or turned on the TV – I can’t remember which – but I distracted myself with something else.

I know that I work best in the morning. Sometimes an evening can be productive for a very specific task, but it was clear that I was spiraling. With fresh eyes, daylight, and a good night’s sleep, I could look again at my popcorn pile and separate them into organized “bowls” which I could tackle one at a time.

I share this story for two reasons. One: I love a fun visual analogy. I keep thinking about that air popper and laughing. Two: It’s a gentle reminder to myself, and to you, that it’s ok to walk away. The good ideas will come back in the morning. When your mind starts bugging, do just enough to allow yourself to walk away (making a list is my go-to) and then do just that – walk away!

What do you do when you have “popcorn brain”?