The Benefits of Oatmeal Brain

I don’t know if this happens to you, but when stress piles up in my life, my body starts to shut down. Sleepiness and a lack of energy takes over. I forget simple things. I forget complicated things. My body and brain dissolve into a pile of mush.

When Covid-19 swept through our lives, I think it’s safe to say it brought a fair degree of stress along for the ride. All of us wrestled with questions we didn’t expect to face. How do we manage work? School? Bills? Groceries? Our routines are not only upside down, but planning for the future is next to impossible when no one has any answers. That’s when stress threatens to take over and the oatmeal brain kicks in.

As it turns out, oatmeal brain is a blessing. It’s my body’s reaction to confinement, and even though it took me a while to view it this way, it’s a good thing. Here’s why:

It’s a signal. Oatmeal brain tells me it’s time to make a different choice. It says, “hey, instead of focusing on the things you can’t control, why don’t you take a breather? Why don’t you write?”

When real life shuts doors and has no answers, I can turn to my WIP and write about possibilities. I can throw myself into hopeful, joyous, strangely-flawed characters and explore a world built from imagination.

When my thoughts feel itchy and uncomfortable, I can write them out, turn them loose, and follow where they lead.

There have been days when all I’ve needed to get back on track was five minutes staring out the window and imagining what other people are thinking.

There have been days when I’ve felt so overwhelmed all I could do was look forward to a new day. That’s okay, too.

Here’s to looking for the possibilities in each new morning, and to giving ourselves grace as we find ways to move forward.

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.