Did you know the brain uses 25% of the body’s energy? That’s why when I write all day I get up and feel like I ran a marathon! I had no idea until recently that the brain needs attention the same way the body does. I eat a certain way to maintain my health; I exercise my body for the same reason. My task of late has been to learn how to manage my brain.

The obvious question here is, well, who’s doing the managing? That would be my higher self, the loving parent who’s infinite and eternal, totally forgiving, compassionate and kind. The part of God that’s in me, as me, as Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray Love fame would say. The eternal Now, as Eckardt Tolle of The Power of Now would say. God, Higher Power, the Universe, the Great Spirit, Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Higher Self, I’d say.

So my first task is to connect with that loving, strong, spacious God, through regular prayer and meditation. Lately I’ve come to understand that some physical movement–a walk; yoga; just some stretching, is a good way to start. So much tension, sadness and negativity is held in the muscles and joints. If I only apply mind-effort to those states, I’m probably going to have a harder time getting where I’m going. But if I attend the body kinks, aches and blockages, I’m far better off.

Then, during the day, I need to keep choosing healthy thoughts. We all have in us what the Jungians call the shadow side, a side that talks trash and pushes us to do stuff that’s not in our best interest. But we don’t have to let that side rule us, or even manifest in destructive ways. One way this saboteur comes through is in extreme negativity towards self. But, as Jill Bolte Taylor says in My Stroke of Insight, “the decision that internal verbal abuse is not acceptable behavior is the first step toward finding deep inner peace.”

But we can’t unthink a thought, or tell ourselves what not to think. (Don’t think about trees. See? You’re thinking about trees!) What we can do is think new, loving, wonderful thoughts. That sweet man Eknath Easwaran, who wrote Words to Live By, suggests finding and using a mantra whenever troubled thoughts strike (as well as for meditation focus). I’m struggling to try to remember that, but progress not perfection, right? I find it helpful to memorize and recite prayers and Bible verses to myself, first as part of morning worship time, but then, throughout the day, as a way to keep my wild negative mind on a peaceful, kind, loving, useful track. The more I use them during the morning time, the more they spontaneously kick in during the day. Consciously doing this is building the mental habit of positive outlook, which in turn opens me to God’s graces. Which is where I need to live, just for today, that I may be of maximum use to do the things my higher power has sent me here to do. Strong body, strong mind, strong spirit. Does it get any better than that? I think not!

Take a nice, honest walk with yourself. You never know who you might meet.

I write (and coach writers) for a living, but I also write for my life. Writing is a wonderful tool for getting to know yourself, clearing your head, and learning what your Best Self wants for you. Here’s how I use writing to help me feel calmer, saner and more present in my life:

Free writes, when I just pour out my heart, with no attention to grammar, punctuation, even sense. Stream of consciousness, some folks call it. On a good day, I just write and write. For years I did three pages a day, as recommended by Julia Cameron, who wrote The Artist’s Way. Handwritten is ideal; it’s earthier and more visceral. You can destroy the writings if you like, or store them away privately, or call a trusted friend and read the juicy, important bits. The main thing, though, is that these are for you. No one is going to grade you. This is not about bad teachers and red pens. This is about your life.

Letters to God, when I let good ole HP know where I stand, what I want, and what I’m grateful for. God knows my heart. But I need God to know that I know. I always tag “…if it be thy will” on to any requests. I don’t want to play God. Maybe God has better in store for me than I can imagine, right?

Postcards and notes to others, when I let my peeps know how much I love and adore them, how grateful I am they’re in my life. I carry stationery and stamps with me when I travel, to use bits of time to send out a little something. When I write something sweet to another person, I feel better about myself and life.

And of course, this wee blog, my little conversation with you, where I share what I’ve learned in hopes someone somewhere will find it helpful.

When my brain seizes up, as it often does, and I can’t think what next, I have a little stockpile of slogans, sayings and affirmations that bring me back to myself in the moment. Whew! Then I’m able to hear my inner wisdom over all the head-chatter, and do my best—which really is all anyone can ask, right? (My 30-day compassion-to-Gay retreat continues!) Ten of my favorite in-the-crunch one-liners:

1.Promise less, produce more.
2.It’s not how you feel it’s how you function.
3.To live in the future or in the past is to deny God.
4.Nothing is more important than my mental health. (Or, its variant, [Insert worry, crisis, etc here] is trivial compared to my mental health.)
5.Do I want to be right or do I want to be happy?
6.Only God is perfect. Perfection is not a human quality.
7.God is not a labor-saving device. I have to do my part.
8.Easy does it but do it.
9.What other people think of me is none of my business.
10.I am enough, I have enough, I do enough.