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Do you ever feel like your mind is overflowing with negative thoughts as a caregiver? Well, mine certainly was this past week. I was buried under the weight of concerns about my appearance, and with Denis’ oncology visit, my anxiety was through the roof. I was stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts, so I began to question their utility. Are they really helping us or just adding to our emotional burden?

Through this journey of navigating negativity, I stumbled upon the intriguing concept of Reticular Activating System (RAS), our brain's very own filter for information. It's a little like a lint filter that sometimes gets clogged with all the negativity. I learned how to recognize when my RAS filter is overloaded and how clearing it can help manage my mental health. 

This journey doesn't have to be undertaken alone. Together, we can learn to retrain our RAS and flip our negative thoughts. I discovered that with a few brain games and some practical strategies, I could restore a positive mental and emotional state. I began setting reminders with positive affirmations, getting myself into motion, and finding my caregiver community. This not only helped me to regain control over my thoughts but also improved my overall wellbeing. And guess what? You can do it too. Let's embark on this journey together to understand and reprogram our mind filter.

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