Returning to Baseline (again... and again...)

Genie Love • April 14, 2025

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I’ve just felt a little off-center this past month. Some things have come up in my personal life that have thrown me a bit. I'm feeling a little shaken as I learn about Internal Family Systems (IFS) and digging deeper into some of the choices I make. I’ve also intentionally put myself in a beginner’s role in a few areas of my life. After two decades of being a well-respected teacher, I’m now a beginner at corporate consulting—learning marketing, sales, and business development. I’m also a beginner at Taekwondo, practicing in a room with black belts...from high school students to people in their 60s who’ve been training their whole lives. There’s so much to learn, and so many mistakes to make.


Maybe you can relate? Those times when you feel like you’re off your game and just trying to manage the overwhelm and get back to baseline.


Sometimes my coaching clients feel a little off-center. They might be coming to terms with a new diagnosis, and it’s bringing a flood of old patterns and behaviors up for reexamination. Others have hit their personal threshold of overwhelm and feel frozen. Some are coming out of a long “meltdown” phase, trying to find themselves again...or maybe for the first time.


And you might not even know this is happening with someone on your team. Maybe they’re so good at masking or pushing through that you don’t recognize the signs of overwhelm—until they can’t take it anymore. And by then, it might show up as an emotional moment at work… or a quiet decision to leave.


Here’s what I teach when people are feeling off:

At the very minimum, what do you need to do to have a baseline successful day?

Not your ideal day. Not your most productive day. Just the minimum.


Here are a couple of things on my personal list:

  1. Morning journaling. Oddly, for someone who doesn’t love writing, I really look forward to getting up earlier than everyone else and getting my thoughts out. Even if just for a few minutes.
  2. Cyclical breathing breaks throughout the day. They’re short, they’re easy, and they’re active. It makes me feel like I’ve done something good for my mental health.
  3. A walk outside. Even a few minutes just to feel the air on my face.
  4. Prioritizing the top things I must get done for work—and time-blocking them.

And... surprise! Here’s what doesn’t make my baseline list: Meditation.


I have an app I love. I know it’s good for me. But on some days, I just can’t make myself stop moving and do it. And that’s okay. My baseline list has to be healthy and achievable. So, how about you? I bet your list looks different from mine.


Maybe just pause for a minute and ask...What are the small but meaningful things that help you feel like you’ve had a baseline successful day?


And how can you use this strategy to support your team members who may be struggling whether it's visible or invisible?

Ready to LEARN MORE?


Set your yourself up for success.

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Neurodiversity Unboxed: Insights and Strategies for Inclusive Workplaces

One Client, Three Calendars, and a Strategy That Actually Helps

By Genie Love • July 21, 2025
Calendar Management I’m working with a client right now who’s juggling a lot: -Primary caregiver of two kids -Starting a new leadership role -In grad school -Building a passion project that could become a business It’s a lot. And it requires her to find time to do all these things without dropping the ball. And, she also has ADHD. She’s had coaching before through her employer’s contracted provider. But it was traditional coaching. Lots of open-ended questions with the goal of “uncovering your own solutions.” And like many of my clients, that approach didn’t work for her. When you’ve been trying to “figure it out” for decades and you’re still struggling, insight alone isn’t enough. That’s not how I work. I’m a teacher. I teach strategies that I think will help. We’ll try them out, reflect on what worked (and what didn’t), revise the system, and try again. And we’ll keep going until we land on something that works for you. So what are my clients working on? -A retired person burning out from a cause they care deeply about -Someone newly promoted and overwhelmed by meetings and competing priorities -A client with decades of therapy who still doesn’t feel emotionally regulated -“Successful” people who struggle with basic daily tasks -Professionals stuck at a certain level because of social or communication challenges -Employees on PIPs because traditional “in-house” coaching hasn’t helped Back to my client… The strategy we landed on? Make it visual. And consciously spend time looking at it. She hung three large calendars on her wall: one for work, one for school, one for personal life. And 2–3 times a week, she schedules a few minutes to do nothing except stare at those calendars. Just look. See what pops up. Her results? She says it almost feels indulgent, like a mini break (sounds lovely). And, she’s more aware of what’s coming up, she spots holes in her schedule to plan ahead, and she’s caught things she otherwise would have missed. (Like an appointment for her son she’s certain she would have forgotten.) If you’ve tried all the productivity hacks and nothing sticks, maybe it’s time to try something different. Coaching doesn’t have to be vague or abstract.  Let’s find what works for your brain. Schedule a free consult to see if coaching with me is the right fit. Book time with Genie Love: Personal Discovery Call Or just reply and tell me what you’re juggling right now. I’d love to hear.

Let’s talk about that always growing, never ending “to-do” list.

By Genie Love • July 9, 2025
The lists you make. Sticky notes around your computer. Notebooks and apps intended to keep you organized. I give you permission to let go of all feelings of failure with the failed organizational systems. If you have an ADHD brain, you’re likely collecting thoughts and notes and to-dos everywhere. You’ve tried all kinds of systems and tools and hacks, and they haven’t worked. I give you permission to be ok with and embrace your scattered systems. Organization may never be your thing, no matter how hard you try to follow the “rules.” You have all the tabs open because of all the small things you need to do: read an article save a doc (but you’re not sure where) record notes from a meeting follow up with someone... Here’s what I suggest: Make your piles. Sticky notes, random papers, tabs, notes from your phone, just gather them. Collect everything into one notebook. Keep the tabs open. Block an hour (or more) twice a week to deal with all of it. During that time, sort through: Emails sitting in various inboxes Your sticky note piles Your open tabs Your notebook Your ever-expanding to-do list Move anything urgent into your calendar. Start your next to-do list with things that can wait. Revisit old notes and ask: What still needs action? What’s already handled? What just resolved itself without me? This works because ADHD brains love to move fast. One thing ends, and we’re off to the next. Pausing to close tabs and tidy up notes is not motivating. So set aside the time. Turn on your favorite focus music. And deal with the piles. And, if this is one of your colleagues...it may look crazy, but it doesn't mean it doesn't work. Let me know how it goes.  P.S. Yup, I was on a Zoom without a pen and took notes with a highlighter. Yes, I'm 48 years old and this happened. The struggle is real. The note is now going in the pile to be dealt with later this week. Want to learn more about my work? Website: https://neuroautonomy.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt_ciMlkbqElTXqRZLLWWGg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genielove_coaching/
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