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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Time Blocking Isn't Enough (Try Energy Blocking Too)

By Genie Love • November 5, 2025
This one's for you if you've time-blocked your day perfectly... and still feel like you're fighting against your brain. You've got the time chunks. You know when you're supposed to work on things. You've followed all the advice about blocking out 90-minute segments for hard tasks. But your brain doesn't cooperate. Sometimes you have the energy for deep work. Sometimes you don't. And you end up staring at your calendar, frustrated that you can't just power through like you're "supposed to." Here's what I've learned about working WITH your brain's natural rhythms If you have ADHD or autism, your brain likely doesn't work consistently throughout the day. Think of a car on cruise control - your brain probably doesn't do that. Your brain revs up higher in some parts of the day. It revs down much lower in other parts. Your whole body follows these energy fluctuations. It's very hard to be consistent in your energy all day long. And that's not a failure. That's just how some brains work. So here's what my clients like: Energy Blocking Once you've time-blocked your day - you have a chunk of time here, a chunk of time there, maybe some 90-minute blocks and some smaller blocks scattered throughout - you add another layer. You match your tasks to your actual energy levels. Here's how it works: Step 1: Create two running lists Make a list of tasks that are hard for you to do. Make a list of tasks that are easier for you to do. And here's the critical part: "Easy" and "hard" are completely personal to YOUR brain. For some people, making phone calls is easy. They love chatting with people. For others, that's incredibly hard. For some people, sending emails and organizing them is easy. For others, that's incredibly hard. For some people, it's incredibly easy to nerd out on data, dive in deep, and figure out where there are discrepancies and mistakes. For others, that's really hard. This is designed for you to decide what is easy and what is hard for YOUR specific brain. Step 2: Check in with your body When you come to a time block, check in with yourself. How are you feeling? Are you calm and ready to go? In a good, clear mental state? Or is your energy lower? Are you just not really with it today for whatever reason? Step 3: Choose from the appropriate list If you're feeling good and clear-headed, choose something from your hard tasks list. Dive into the challenging work that requires your best energy. If your energy is lower or you're just not feeling it, choose from your easier tasks list. Still productive. Still getting things done. Just matched to your actual capacity in that moment. What this looks like in real life For me, the end of the day means I'm losing steam. My daughter knows not to ask me for help with homework after 8:00. I’m spent. But I have clients with ADHD who actually rev up in the evening. They're ready to tackle their hardest work after dinner. Some people are sharp first thing in the morning. Others need a couple hours to fully wake up. Some people hit a wall after lunch. Others get a second wind in the afternoon. Your pattern is yours. Energy blocking lets you work with it instead of against it. Key Takeaway: Time blocking creates the structure. Energy blocking makes that structure actually work for your brain. You're not failing when you can't consistently perform at the same level all day. You're human. Your brain has natural rhythms and fluctuations. The key is having options. When you reach a time block and check in with yourself, you have a menu to choose from based on your actual state, not some ideal version of consistent productivity. Hard tasks when you have the energy. Easier tasks when you don't. Both are productive. Both move your work forward. One just acknowledges reality. Give it a try  What time of day is your brain at its best? And when does your energy tend to dip? What would change if you matched your hardest tasks to your highest energy times? Try energy blocking this week and let me know what you discover. 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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Please Don't Fill Every Gap in Your Schedule

By Genie Love • October 24, 2025
Discover why your brain needs real rest—not “productive breaks.” Learn how doing nothing for a few minutes can boost creativity, focus, and calm.
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