When I get overwhelmed I can actually feel my brain shut down. It just seems to stop. I can intellectually know what I have to do. I can even write it on a list, but when it feels like too much, my engine stops running. You’ve probably experienced this!
I am taking care of this in the following ways:
– I have a coach who sits with me to make sure I do my work in a timely manner. Yes, this may sound odd to many, but without this, I can spin in circles all day.
– When I’m depressed, I set up appointments to meet friends in the afternoon and then go there early and do my work. If I am going to Starbucks at three and I get there at one with my computer, I will work.
– I meet a friend and we work together on our computers.
I write about all of this in Get it Done When You’re Depressed, but I still have to remind myself to use the strategies.
Right now, I am sitting here looking at my messy desk. I am so thankful I’m meeting a friend to work in just a few hours!
Julie
This above all else frustrated me the most when things started disentregating in my life.
I was an orginizer. A doer. Everyone turned to me to make sure things got done. I use to have a catalog in my brain where I stored all the info and could pull it down as needed.
Not anymore. Now I have to find a routine, use little tricks, etc to keep my brain working. Above all keep it active.
But my pat line is. “oh well when I dumbed my brain, I dumbed alot of responsibility with it.”. Everyone laughs. It is funny but yet it is sad when you are use to the kind of brains we have.
But as all else in life, you learn to adjust and do what you need to to make it work.
I wasn’t sure what category this fell under, but here goes!
Have you heard of anyone else having the exact opposite of the effects of caffiene? I can wake up in the am feeling refreshed, however about 30 minutes after drinking a caffenated beverage I am exhausted for the rest of the day. It’s all I can do to stay awake most days. My brain feels sluggish and “mushy”.
Hi Denise,
Everyone responds differently to caffeine. I know people who can drink coffee right before bed! I would say that you’re having an allergy type reaction to the caffeine. The best way to know is to see if black or green tea causes the same problem! Julie