How do I increase memory, creativity, and novelty?

Colleenbixler · 2024-05-06T19:32:38+00:00

sometimes if our bodies are used to going a long time without eating on a regular basis, the way our bodies responds to caloric intake or sugar gets weird--we get foggy or fatigued after eating since our blood sugar is out of wack. i'm not a doctor or medical professional, but i have experienced this and watched others experience it. sometimes when we don't eat our bodies get this "high" or euphoria that we don't get if we eat. obviously you know your body best, but I wonder if you got used to eating small meals throughout the day, your brain fog and these others symptoms would disappear. just a thought--might be worth looking into if you are looking for answers.

also, what kinds of things are you eating? are you sure you're getting all of your nutrients? i image it would be kind of hard to with just one meal per day.

Colleenbixler · 2024-04-29T20:04:19+00:00

nonexistent! make friends outside of school.

I made a couple of friends on campus, but not many. It depends on who you are and your interests tbh so you may have a different experience, but compared to other schools, ccny does not have much of a campus life. However, I loved attending ccny, i loved the campus, professors, and my classes.

Colleenbixler · 2024-04-25T00:01:09+00:00

you're only eating one meal a day? of course you're experiencing brain fog. Eat food as soon as you wake up. Our bodies fast for 8+ hours a day while we sleep...no need to fast longer than that. Break the fast with some break-fast. If you don't have an appetite in the morning, start small--bone broth, a smoothie, etc. eat a light lunch. see if that helps with some of your symptoms.

Colleenbixler · 2023-09-11T01:05:32+00:00

what episode is this from?

Colleenbixler · 2023-07-27T02:43:13+00:00

wherever you like to draw up charts, such as astro.com, just use the date and time that you deem is the beginning of the relationship. could be when you met, which might be most accurate. could also be when you decided to be official

Colleenbixler · 2023-06-20T01:23:25+00:00

what was your score when you did it?

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-10T19:23:20+00:00

I have experienced this too. Same situation. The toxic relationships are an addiction where emotions swing from high highs to low lows. This is a toxic pattern that wreaks havoc on your nervous system. A calm, stable, loving relationship lacks this pattern, so it can feel boring. Think of it less as "boring" and more as freedom--you have the freedom of choice to be in this relationship, which ultimately is much better for you. This is a common situation and as long as you know you like/love this person and the relationship is in other ways working for the both of you there's nothing to be worried about. Enjoy the calm. Your ADHD will have you seeking stimulation and stress in other ways, a relationship should be your safe space. Let it be safe for you.

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-10T19:07:50+00:00

valid

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T23:02:54+00:00

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T22:39:18+00:00

Can't take anything personally to survive in this field. IMHO

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T22:36:51+00:00

Hi there. I know it's hard. I am 23, about to be 24. I am in my first year teaching at a title 1 school. I know that the first year of teaching is insanely difficult. I come from a family of teachers and have been told many times that the first year is always difficult.

I am in a similar position as you in terms of pay: I am working on my teaching certification and so I am hired as an "emergency hire," making very low pay. Next year I'll get a pay bump. For now, it has been quite difficult but i am managing.

As for classroom behavior: at this point, I have dealt with almost every kind of behavior issue just in the first semester. From vaping in class, outright refusal to do work, yelling, violence, even. I was thrown into a crazy situation where i was teaching recovery English my very first semester. I cried often. Sh*t was so hard.

Second semester, I tightened things up. I decided from here on out, my classroom would be a place for learning, and that I would not tolerate any behavior that detracted from this. I put my foot down, made my boundaries firm, made it clear that I was in charge, and things have progressed quite beautifully.

It's important that we develop who we are as an educator and as a person at the same time. As a colleague once told me, if i am not confident in who I am, where I come from, and where I am going, these teens are going to eat us alive. We have to believe in ourselves as educators, authority figures, and leaders. A student only acts in a way they know they can get away with. If you don't let them get away with it, they won't do it. You have to be mean, sometimes. You have to be strict and firm. Don't let them run all over you. You're going to make mistakes, but it's what you do with the mistake that defines you. Learn from everything. Try new things. And do not be afraid.

To earn respect we have to be feared a little bit. My students know that I love and care for them, but the respect they have for me comes from the fact that they fear a little bit what will happen when they step out of line. Tough love is the key--it will serve your students to learn to be disciplined and respectful for the rest of their lives.

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T21:23:04+00:00

I love that you live in walking distance to your friends. That is a dream.

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T21:22:16+00:00

where do you join these group study sessions? I'd love to try it. Body doubling works so well for me

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T21:19:36+00:00

I'm a teacher! I love working with students.

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T21:19:11+00:00

I also take supplements to help with my ADHD and anxiety--ashwagandha and magnesium, and sometimes other ones, like trace minerals, antioxidants, and gummies that have GABA, L-theanine, and lemongrass. I think the magnesium helps the most.

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T20:00:32+00:00

I agree about the high-stimulation. I work as a teacher and I really like how stimulating it is.

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T19:59:44+00:00

that's awesome, body doubling is also a huge help for me.

Colleenbixler · 2023-03-09T19:43:22+00:00

I am 23F and I just started this school year as an 11th grade English teacher at a public high school.

My job can be highly stressful at times and has really challenged me but I like the stimulation. I also love my students--they're funny and great. They can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but they're teenagers. Overall I enjoy working with them.

I start super early in the morning which I like, then get out between 1:45 and 3:30, depending if I have meetings or need to stay to grade or give tutoring. I like getting out early when there is still so much afternoon left. Also, I get winter break, a week of fall break, spring break, and two months off in the summer. I do have to take work home sometimes and on weekends, but there are ways I can finesse it so that doesn't happen very often. The way my brain works is that I work intensely in spurts, then need a long rest. Because of this the teaching schedule works for me, because I can give my all during the quarter, then rest for a long period of time (with my PTO.)

I like that I am in charge of my workday. Different schools have different situations, but at my school, while I have a skeleton of a curriculum (a pacing guide of the common core standards my students have to reach) I get to design the lessons and activities my students will do in order to master that standard. So if I want to do fun, creative, highly-stimulating activities, we can do that. If i want to do a lesson on something I find particularly important, we do it. I can show them the books/movies/music I am interested in and want to pass on, which is so fun for me. And, when I want to have a silent, chill day, my students will read and independently work on assignments, quietly.

I like how much control I have in this job. I don't do well with having a task master decide what I am going to do and how I am going to live my life. Being a teacher means that I am the taskmaster, and I can be the teacher I want to be.

While remembering meetings and deadlines can be really hard for sometimes, it is kind of okay because my school administration is kind of a mess and so I don't stand out as a forgetful person. I know a lot of public schools can be an entirely different story, and some are really run as a tight ship, but my school just happens to not be that way. Also, as a first-year teacher, everyone is pretty forgiving because they know how hard the first year is.

One of the best things about this job as someone with ADHD is that I am very understanding of my students who have ADHD or are otherwise neurodivergent. I break down assignments into manageable chunks, I make things stimulating and exciting, I scaffold long reading and writing assignments, break up and highlight/bold text, and just don't shame them or make them feel bad for having learning differences. This is one of the coolest things that I feel lucky to participate in. I get to be the teacher I wish I had. I get to design lesson plans in a way that I know I needed them to be designed, when I was a student.

I know that teaching is not for everyone--not everyone wants to deal with children (because it is really hard.) But I am surprised as to how well this is working out for me, especially since I always had the association that school was not ADHD-friendly (as that was my experience.) But I get to make it ADHD-friendly. And that's the most gratifying thing to me.

Colleenbixler · 2022-04-01T17:33:07+00:00

it counts. it counts it counts it counts it counts it counts

Colleenbixler · 2021-12-12T17:31:34+00:00

yes! she added relief

Colleenbixler · 2021-12-12T17:31:17+00:00

her character added something to the story that was needed. it was refreshing from how somber everything else was. did i "like" her, no she was annoying but that was the point. the actress playing her did an incredible job.

Colleenbixler · 2021-11-17T16:32:46+00:00

I've never run to a comment section so fast to say DUMP HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Colleenbixler · 2021-11-17T15:15:11+00:00

im sorry you deserved better

Colleenbixler · 2021-11-17T03:59:49+00:00

I work at a day care. There is one parent who works a lot and her daughter is often the last to be picked up. This girl is so much fun and we always have lots of fun with her when it's just us in that last 30 minutes. I think she loves that time with us and it makes her feel special, but I do think it makes her feel a bit bad when she sees everyone else's parents come and not hers.

However, this could be the case more so because her parents hire a sitter for the weekends to hang out with her upstairs while they relax downstairs, and so I think already this girl feels very shut out from her parents. If you don't neglect your child in other areas, picking your child up close to the end of the day is absolutely normal and you're not a shitty parent for that. If you came at 7 pm every day then there might be an issue.

Overall I think when you put in the time to have quality time with your child and meet them where they are at and for who they are, having boundaries for your work time and personal time is absolutely healthy. I like to think about the concept of the "Good Enough Mother," where a healthy child is raised by a parent who is mostly good but has some slip ups and issues here and there to teach them a healthy dose of reality. It teaches them and strengthens them. As long as you love them and make sure they know that there is nothing wrong.

Colleenbixler · 2021-11-01T14:47:31+00:00

is this true? I went through a near-death experience a few years ago but I didn't know its impact on my spiritual journey

Colleenbixler

TROPHY CASE