Have you ever thought about your brain like a bank account? I sure hadn’t until I paired up with the fantastic Melissa Wolak. Melissa has been in the brain game for years, and I believe we share the same superpower in translating what is happening in the brain into truly applicable, easy steps for changing lives through mindfully noticing your mind.

We’ve been friends for years but I had never heard Melissa speak about draining your brain bank account and budgeting your brain dollars. Pair that with her Star Wars analogies and her super real, honest and aware mom game, and you’ll be so glad you listened!

About Melissa Wolak:

Melissa Wolak, MS, CCC-SLP guides motivated individuals to transform their lives by changing their thoughts, lifestyles, habits and brain health. As a holistic mindset and transformation coach and speaker, she provides education and empowering strategies to support functional, healthy lifestyle changes, productivity and wellbeing to live in more alignment. These changes also decrease the effects of chronic stress and optimize the brain’s potential while preventing cognitive decline and disease. She earned her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Communication Science Disorders and is earning her brain health coach certification and an advanced mindfulness practitioner certificate. She has 20+ years working with clients in the education, wellness and performance industry with additional training in the areas of Brain Health, Food as Medicine, Memory, Mindfulness, Anxiety and Stress Management. 

You can find Melissa Wolak on all the socials and on her website. melissawolak.com

Episode #8: Melissa Wolak: How to Spend Brain Dollars Mindfully 

If you are a new listener to The Rooted Family Podcast, we would love to hear from you. Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

In this Episode of The Rooted Family Podcast...

• Holistic practice is incorporating mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, cognitive, social, really connecting the dots because the mind and body are so connected and we're really seeing that many illnesses.  (10:30)

• We need to be taking care of our brains as much as we do our car. (15:41)

• What do I need? Am I feeling foggy, right? Am I feeling sluggish? Am I feeling overwhelmed or burdened or is there a lot of tension? Do I have a headache? So learning to listen to what the brain is communicating is very powerful.  (16:33)

• And the brain is wired to keep us safe. And so it does have a negativity bias and a filter. So it's often scanning our environment for what could go wrong. And it's in survival mode, which now we hear quite a bit.  (18:27)

• We actually did use this with our treatment of people with brain injuries and I thought, well wait a minute, why are we only using this framework for people after their foreheads have been injured and their brains are healing.  (22:30)

• Because if I spend my brain dollars on cleaning up your room right, then I don't have the brain dollars necessarily to schedule your play dates or yeah. And that's where they go, oh wait a minute. (23:51)

• But then I say, all right, well let's look at the positives. Those deposits, what are they? And not really, that's a cognitive task in itself. (26:38)

• And you know, I kind of think of that force field that comes up around beautiful blue lights that allows me to still be present with people. But it just gives me that room to feel what's best for me to choose my action stops to make those conscious decisions right before I over commit (34:23)

Follow our Podcast

• The Rooted Family Podcast

This Episode's Question:

Now that you’re thinking about your brain in terms of deposits and withdrawals, what are you going to do differently?

Join the Conversation

You know I love to chat and I’d love to chat with you! Snap a screenshot and tag me as you process this week’s episode. Use hashtag #therootedfamily, so I can potentially share your screenshot on my story too! Also, leave a comment here and tell me what your favorite takeaway was and why.

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Twitter

If You Liked this Episode, Try this One!

Episode #11: 5 Easy Ways to Add Mindful Minutes to Your Day

More From The Rooted Family

• Be Grateful: 21 Gratitude-Boosting Family Activities Every day, for 21 days, you'll find new, fun, family-centered activities that will help you and your family learn to seek out gratitude. We're talking about small tweaks that leave a HUGE impact on how you see life. And when you invest in the 21 days, you're investing in your family level of connection and your child's entire future.