The Caring Counselor

Definitely one of the less talked about parts of our well-being. We always talk about taking care of our bodies. Keeping our emotions in line. Using coping skills. How often do you nurture your intellect?

Of course, I too enjoy the days where I can kick back on the couch like a lifeless zombie. Yet, more often than not, I fuel my mind constantly. It is seriously how I am programmed. I know there are lot of individuals out there with the same blessing/burden (looking at you my neurodivergent peeps).

This is where I channel those racing thoughts into productive energy.

–Challenge yourself. Do it. Engage in mental stimulation. This is why I love my jobs as a mental health counselor and a psychology professor. In both capacities, my mind plays an essential role. When sitting there with a client, I am constantly gauging where the client’s mind and emotions are, planning my next move, and considering the best intervention at that moment. As a professor, my job evolves into taking a topic, condensing it down to its main points, and sharing this knowledge with absent-minded college students (just kidding, kinda).

–Do it consistently. Like I mentioned, it does not have to be every day, but it can be. The intellectual challenge can take on many different forms. It could be a new hobby, a daily puzzle, or taking on new responsibilities at home or work. Whatever you do, make sure it becomes part of the regular routine.

–Be social. Your social well-being plays a huge part in intellectual stimulation. There has been plenty of research supporting the importance of social support and our cognition. I think a lot of us underestimate how much intellectual energy goes into even a simple conversation between two people. You have to actively listen to them. You are reading their body language along with their paralinguistics. You are trying to keep your own body language in line. You then reflect back to them what they just said, or you are preparing your response. All of this happening while your brain retrieves memories and relatable experiences to the conversation. Make it that much more complicated, as you add more and more people.

–Capture your interest. Don’t do something for the sake of doing it. If you enjoy what you’re doing, naturally it will make you use more of your brain. Your attention is pulled into one focus, and you want to put more energy into it.

Train that brain.

-The Caring Counselor