News from Getting Clear Linda Anderson, MA, MCC, SCAC

October 2010               Featured Article:   Getting Rid of Stuff Tips, Tools and Wisdom:   The Toleration List Getting Healthy:   Why We Want Less BMP and More Noggin in Our Brain And How to Get it!      Ask Linda:   CogMed Working Memory Training Getting Rid of Stuff     While the squirrels are furiously packing nuts away in holes in the ground, I find myself doing just the opposite. Fall brings out a certain energy suppressed during the hot humid months of summer. I want to divest, reduce and throw out. I understand that this energy doesn't take over everyone, but I suspect that quite a few people feel the urge to make changes and knock a few tolerations off their list in these colorful cooler months caught between summer and winter.   I can be ruthless at letting stuff go. And still, I have way too much stuff all around me in this old Victorian house. Americans, in particular, buy stuff, collect it, store it, build bigger closets for it, reorganize it, complain about the stuff, donate it, and then buy more stuff.    The one thing I know to be true is this--none of it goes with me when I go.  Stuff doesn't matter.  I don't need Oprah or Chopra to teach me that life is about relationships, sharing moments, learning, and connecting. Add to this, enjoying the wonders of nature, being in nature, and this is what my most satisfying memories are about.   Enjoyment does not come from having stuff and taking care of it. So, it's autumn, and I am de-squirreling, and it feels great.  I am celebrating "letting go."   I have a lot more celebrating to do. How about you?   Tips, Tools and Wisdom - The Toleration List A toleration list is a list of all the things you have been piling on your "to do" list and then some. It especially includes all the incompletes in your life and unresolved annoyances. To make a toleration list, write down everything you have been meaning to do--fix the doorbell, get the toilet repaired, clear out the attic, get the oil changed, go to the dentist. Let it all out on paper. There is no sense in carrying all that clutter in your head.   Next, take the toleration list, look for the easiest thing to do, and do it, or look for the one toleration that would really give you the biggest bang for the buck, and take care of it. Sometimes, by taking care of one really big toleration, you will find that you knocked two other tolerations off your list, as well. You can pay someone to fix that toilet that won't flush. Good for you! That's a delegation!  Or you might pick clearing out the attic for a weekend activity and have your partner or a willing friend work with you.  That's synergy.   You get the idea. Delegate, dump (just cross it off the list, it's never going to get done) or do it. First, contain all those tolerations on paper, and then add the magical element of choice to the task of dealing with them.   Getting Healthy - Why We Want Less BMP and More Noggin in Our Brain And How to Get it! Exercise is good for the body and the brain. It increases blood flow and affects memory, concentration and abstract reasoning. However, what is it, exactly, that happens in the brain when you exercise? Scientists have been asking this very question. We know that exercise increases neuron development. This is called neurogenesis.  This is good news for mice, rats, and humans.  Here's some of what science now adds to this picture. There is something called bone-morphogenic protein (BMP) in our brain that seems to have more negative effects as we age. Simply put, it puts a damper on things. The more active BMP is, the more inactive stem cells become, and this results in less cell growth.  Exercise counteracts the dampening effect of BMP and increases something called--now get this--Noggin! The more Noggin in your brain, the less BMP, and the sleepy adult stem cells awaken.  What increases Noggin? Exercise! Go on! Get moving! I didn't make this up.  Read more here: Phys Ed: You' re Brain on Exercise By: Gretchen Reynolds July 7, 2010 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/your-brain-on-exercise/     Ask Linda Ask me about CogMed Working Memory Training! You can improve your attention through a scientifically validated program of exercise! Read more here: http://aworkingmind.com/wp/ www.gettingclear.com Linda@gettingclear.com Specializing in Coaching Adults with ADHD CogMed Working Memory Coach