One morning Sheila was baking cookies, about six pans altogether. Two were set onto the washing machine to save space – the machine happened to be in use. It wasn’t long before those pans of cookies were on the floor. The extra vibrations at the washers end cycle shook them over the edge. Sheila of course was upset about losing the cookies.
When I came home later that day with the car, I was more concerned about remembering to take a parcel out of the trunk. I did get it but I forgot to turn the engine off – for three hours.
Bad things can happen when one loses focus on the main issue if you’re distracted by other thoughts. Even in a world of radical inequalities and bitter partisan divides, one thing apparently still unites us: nobody can focus.
Bonnie King is an instructor at the University of Arkansas says, “If your brain is turning into mush, you’re not alone.” My biggest embarrassment is forgetting people’s names even the same ones over and over. I can’t forget a face or a story a person tells me though, just the name. I’ve tried memorizing but that never works for anything. Rhyming names was next (Sandy & candy, Mike & spike) but was far too limiting. Then I thought of remembering by a prominent feature of the person. Maybe a large nose or big ears – but so many have big noses and big ears to be eligible, it wasn’t efficient..
Researcher Bonnie King has done lots of research on how our brains function is being conducted, especially during times of stress. On top of that, COVID-19 or the fear of contacting it, affects our ability to clearly think, learn, and remember. “We were/are on alert day-in and day-out because we don’t know what our lives will look like,” she said.
It’s not a lost cause though, King said. Research shows people who learn positive ways to deal with stress, can actually grow their brain power. I’ve been walking virtually every evening for 6 months and have noticed no effect on my brain whatsoever.
But when my brain is like a hot pan of scrambled eggs, being of sound mind is almost impossible. Even simple tasks are hard. I started wondering what’s wrong?
Too much to keep track of seems to have turned everyone’s brains to mush, including Sheila and me. We spend too much time trying to remember appointments so that we wait for the reminder, a day or two in advance. I’ve made myself a prep list that is stapled near both doors that I look at as I leave the house, a reminder to take my wallet, keys, watch, water. etc with me.
You can train yourself to lessen feelings of distraction with meditation (provided you can focus on that). For me and many others, the sense of attention-diffusion is usually the result of anxiety: I feel bad about all the things I should have done but haven’t, preventing me from rarely finishing anything.
However, I’ve gradually come to understand the real skill is to consciously postpone everything I possibly can, except for one thing which I can then complete. With more successes under my belt the skill is enhanced.
Feeling overwhelmed by so many demands and being overextended is epidemic these days because of unrealistic times it takes. Brain fog isn’t a medical condition, but it does affect your ability to think and focus, increases absent-mindedness, and difficulty recalling or retaining information. Brain fog can also lead to a vicious cycle of anxiety. That is a heavy load to carry!
The question is: how do you get out of this funk? I like to rest in a chair for 30 minutes staring at the wall or the business channel (I have no investments so the chatter is meaningless).
Experiential designer Maday Martinez recently shared: “Movement fills the moment making it impossible to experience stress about the future or worry about the past.” Play helps us move out of our funk and enjoy the present.
I guess I’m more used to a mushy brain than Sheila is. She’s worried it’s a sign of things to come. Not me, my brain has always been mushy.
