Thinking Cookies!

I've decided my first post of the year is going to be a sweet one!  

This definitely is not the healthiest of posts, but I’m going to level with the both of you on how I keep my focus.  When I sit down to write, I tend to have a package of a certain sweet snack by my side.  I call them, “Thinking Cookies.”  Don’t laugh.  We all have that snack that we really believe helps up think and work, mine just happens to be a cookie.  Why is this I wonder?  Why do we tend to think better while we are nibbling (or sometimes scarfing) away on a treat?  Maybe it’s a comfort thing.  Luckily, science has shown us that it’s really just the sugars and fats increasing the dopamine levels in my brain, thus making it easier for me to focus on the characters in my stories, and all of their secrets.  So, do I really like cookies, or do I just like the dopamine?  It’s probably not worth thinking about—Nah, I like cookies, and they make me happy.  I function better, and I write better, when I’m happy.  Simple as that!    

And by the way, it really doesn’t matter what kind cookie.  My go-to is usually the Oreo, but I can get by with just about any kind of cookie—chocolate chip, no-bake, peanut butter, sugar, or those butter cookies that come in the tin can—the list goes on and on.  As I’m writing this post, the thinking cookie of choice happens to be my wife’s homemade oatmeal cookie.

So, as I said at the beginning, I know this isn't the healthiest of tips, so please save any shame you might want to throw my way.  I know this is not a great habit, and I promise it is not a regular habit either.  Either way, I face the consequences of it often and have to work hard to burn off all the extra calories I put into my body, and even then it still doesn't feel like enough.  

Do you have a favorite snack when you’re trying to concentrate?  I’d love to hear all about it, as well as what you do to cut yourself off when you know you’re about to over do it. 

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