I noticed a tendency to reach for a podcast or shiur when I had a lot on my mind and some housework that needed to get done.

And when I paid attention, I found (probably not surprisingly) that once the podcast was over, my brain felt just as noisy as before. Sometimes more so.

So I've adopted a check-in with myself:

If my brain feels calm, I might want to listen to something. (Or I might just want to enjoy the quiet!)

It's so simple, but it's been a game changer.

We don't need to listen to anything to get ourselves up and going. When you give your brain some space to do it's thing, you'll be amazed what it can work out on its own.

And if you are feeling spacious (or aren't there yet but want to understand this better)--make sure to check out this week's episode where I go into this whole concept much more deeply.