Welcome to Wisdom & Sol! If you haven’t subscribed, join our community of 63,014 intelligent, curious folks who want to boost their emotional well-being by subscribing here.
You're trying to write a report, but your brain is re-playing last night's argument on repeat. Then it starts to worry about tomorrow's dentist appointment. Then back to that embarrassing thing you said in 2019. Meanwhile, you've written exactly three sentences in the last hour.
Sound familiar?
Your brain is like a browser with too many tabs open. They may be things like:
"Did I lock the door this morning?"
"How will I deliver the presentation next Monday?"
"Should I have taken that other job?"
Instead of slowing down your computer, those tabs—and what could be 47 other ones that may be open—are slowing down your entire life.
Each tab uses mental processing power, so it’s no wonder you feel exhausted by 2 p.m.
Research shows that an average American checks their phone 96 times per day. But that's nothing compared to how often we check our mental "worry tabs." Of course we're operating at a quarter of our capacity!
Your brain opens all the tabs in your mind for one reason: It thinks it's helping. Got a problem from last week? The brain opens a tab to "solve" it by replaying it endlessly. Worried about next month? The brain opens another tab to "prepare" by imagining worst-case scenarios.
But replaying last week's argument doesn't change what happened, and imagining disasters doesn't actually prepare you for anything real.
We spend ridiculous amounts of mental energy on future problems, yet, 85% of what we worry about never happens. Of the 15% that does occur, 79% of people said they handled it better than they thought they would.
It's time to stop wasting your mental energy.
What Actually Works
If you find yourself thinking about way too many things at a time, here are practical strategies you can use even in the middle of a busy day:
1) The Two-Minute Brain Dump
When you notice your brain cycling through the same thoughts, grab a piece of paper and write them all down. Don't analyze them, don't solve them, just dump them out of your head onto paper. Set a timer for two minutes and write as fast as you can.
This isn't journaling or reflection—it's mental decluttering. Instead of having constant activity on so many tabs, you’re filtering out the important ones, bookmarking them to visit later and closing the unnecessary tabs.
2) The "Not My Problem Right Now" List
Make a list with three columns:
- Can't Control (other people's responses, past events, random disasters)
- Can Control Later (next week's presentation, tomorrow's grocery shopping)
- Can Control Now (this email, this phone call, this task)
When a worry pops up, mentally file it in the right column. If it's not in the "Can Control Now" column, it doesn't deserve your current mental processing power.
3) The 10-10-10 Rule
When your brain starts spiraling about something, ask: "Will this matter in 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 years?"
Most of our mental chaos fails the 10-minute test. That text you're waiting for? The awkward thing you said? The imaginary disaster scenarios? In 10 minutes, you'll probably be worried about something completely different.
4) Make the Present Your Default
Develop a ritual that helps you stay present. For example, try tapping your wrist and pairing it with the phrase "I’m here." You can use it when you’re doing something you enjoy, like stargazing or walking in the park. One technique that works well is starting this practice during calm moments—like when drinking tea after a long day. Over time, you can use the tapping as a cue to pull yourself back to the present during stressful moments. It's not about affirmation but it's about building a habit that says, "This moment is enough."
If you follow all these tips, your future self will thank you. But more importantly, your right-now self will actually be present to receive that gratitude.
Help us make this newsletter even better for you! Was this issue useful? What would you be excited to read about next? Reply to this email with your thoughts and suggestions. We read every response!
Want More: Tools to Declutter Yourself
This Edition’s Sponsor: 1440 Media
Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.
Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.
Along the Same Lines…
We love you,
Mona & The Sol TV Team ❤️
Lastly, some housekeeping…
If you can't find the newsletter, check your spam folder. If it’s there, mark it as “not spam.”
Whitelist our email. Add our email address [email protected] to your contacts listor your Primary inbox in Gmail.