• Beany Brain
  • Posts
  • Beany Brain #87: Did Not Finish + A Pre-Phone Pause

Beany Brain #87: Did Not Finish + A Pre-Phone Pause

Author

Abigail Munday
March 31, 2026

Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.

Table of Contents

Did Not Finish

(But it’s OK!)

I think by now you know my favorite podcast is…

It’s not fluffy; it’s not empty “happiness.” Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth really do offer concrete hacks for a more thoughtful and joyful life.

Anyhoo, Gretchen talks about some people being “completists.” She’s had listeners write in to say that they have felt like they’ve had to listen to every single one of her podcast episodes, and she herself has mentioned that she’s felt guilty for not finishing certain books.

As a (hopefully recovering) perfectionist, I’ve also been in the completist camp. If I haven’t finished a book or movie or podcast episode or season, I’ve kicked myself.

Last week my husband told me about a podcast episode he hadn’t finished because he got annoyed with the person being interviewed.

A light bulb clicked on for me.

It’s OK not to finish some things like books, podcasts, songs, movies, playlists.

These are not life and death issues.

It’s really OK.

Goodreads, the app I use to keep track of my reading, also recently introduced a “did not finish” category.

Hooray!

For neurodivergent people like me who battle perfectionism and its sometimes debilitating tentacles, the fact that an app I use and love now features a “did not finish” section carries with it a feeling of release for me.

Even small steps are steps.

Is there something today in your life that there’s no need or desire to finish?

Photo by Abigail Munday

Ha Ha Haiku

A funny haiku for you every week in every newsletter, whether it’s one of my own or one I curate for you. HA. Ha. Haiku.

Achoo blooms achoo

Achoo achoo snort bless you

Love language of spring

(Abigail Munday)

Photo by Abigail Munday

A Pre-Phone Pause

To stop myself grabbing my phone for no reason, I’ve tried a few different things.

I’m currently taking a break from Facebook till after Easter.

Maybe longer.

Maybe forever.

Susan Stiffelman, a marriage and family therapist whose email newsletter I read, said that she has a good pause strategy before reaching for her phone, which she in turn got from someone else.

Here’s what she wrote:

So before I logged back into email on Monday, I did a simple practice from Thich Nhat Hanh: the mindful pause.

Here’s how it goes:

Before you check your phone or open your computer....

Pause for a breath.
Stop and take one or two slow, quieting breaths.

Notice your body.
Feel your feet on the floor, the chair supporting you, the rhythm of your breathing. Notice any tension, softness, or movement inside.

Set an intention.
Ask yourself, “What am I hoping to achieve on my device?”

Proceed with awareness.
Begin your task while staying rooted in your body and your intention.

Switch off when complete.
When you’ve done what you set out to do, step away, rather than wandering off to look at one more post.

These small, intentional pauses help us use technology as a tool, instead of getting swept into its endless distractions.

Now if I could only pause to remember to pause.

Photo by Abigail Munday

Yeehawesome!

Yeehawesome! is a happy-brain roundup in each issue of Beany Brain. What’s happening that’s good in brain land? What’s bringing me joy?

  1. One of my favorite life heroes is the Punjabi princess, suffragette, and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Sophia Duleep Singh, and now there’s a temporary exhibit at Kensington Palace about her life. I would love to go. Read about her story here in The Guardian, and I also highly recommend this biography by Anita Anand.

  2. You know I ADORE manatees. Take a look at this live manatee cam in Florida. Even if you don’t see a manatee, the fish are amazing anyway. It’s mesmerizing.

  3. A repurposed vending machine in the UK will spit out a small artwork on paper for you for 50 pence (proceeds go to a homelessness charity). The art is contributed by locals. What a clever idea.

Quote of the Week

“We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, and a nation.”

Bryan Stevenson, American lawyer, social justice activist, law professor, and founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative

Beany Brownie Points and Extra Bonus Funniness

(source unknown)

Wonderful Wednesday

Wonderful Wednesday was a day once a year in college when they would suddenly and surprisingly call off all classes and we’d play all day. The cafeteria provided special fun food and we’d do stuff outside like slip ‘n slides and jello wrestling in sumo suits. This segment of Beany Brain is dedicated to that memory of silliness and fun—no words, just a photo from the week that I’ve taken or found that reminds me to let the joy in. Since Beany Brain is published on Wednesday every week (at least, Wednesday in Japan), I hope you enjoy this Wonderful Wednesday.

Photo by Abigail Munday

Today’s Beany-full Summary:

  • Even if you don’t finish (books, podcasts, movies), it’s OK.

  • An intentional pause strategy before you reach for your phone.

  • Go forth in Beany joy. What will help you feel yeehawesome this week?

Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.

If you’re enjoying Beany Brain, please share with a friend or seventeen at www.beanybrain.com. Cheers big time!