| Call mental exhaustion what you will: dead head, | | | | The obvious causes for this kind of dysfunction stem |
| study head, sleepy head, brain drain. It's the numb | | | | from a lack of sleep and a proper diet, at least for |
| feeling that swells deep inside the cavity your brain. I | | | | me. Think of your brain as having its own gauge. |
| know the feeling firsthand. As a Radio-TV-Film major | | | | When you put the pedal to the metal and |
| attending college, I get it nearly every waking | | | | concentrate in full throttle, the rational diagnosis is |
| moment on the day before a due date. One of my | | | | that the gauge steadily drops to zero. From that |
| rituals is writing screenplays, and I really can't stress | | | | point onward, you're just grinding gears. To no |
| to say how often "brain drain" happens. It sneaks up | | | | surprise, the body needs nutrition and rest. Deprive |
| and jabs you square in the skull; and in next to no | | | | yourself of those two vital components and, well, |
| time you're about ready to collapse in the throes of | | | | your influence over your own body will gradually slip |
| Dreamland. It's as if you were blackballed down a | | | | away. It's not a matter of ridding yourself of this |
| blind alley. | | | | mental exhaustion; but on a broader scope, it's a |
| It happens, like that, all the time. | | | | matter of regaining control over your body. |
| My efforts to combat the problem surfaced only | | | | Good sleep does not necessitate the amount of time |
| recently, and I say this to emphasize both the ease | | | | slept. It is about knowing your body's own biological |
| and the probability of a "cure." Mental exhaustion | | | | clock. I discovered that not only did I wake up earlier |
| sweeps in during times of increased study and | | | | the sooner I went to bed, but I also felt more |
| concentration. Stress may be a factor, but it surly is | | | | refreshed throughout the day. Think about it: how |
| not the only cause. As a writer, brain drain always hit | | | | much time do you spend awake versus sleep? The |
| whenever I pushed myself to overcome a bout of | | | | two should work toward an ideal balance; otherwise, |
| writer's block. I would focus intensely for hours at a | | | | a large chunk of sleep after a long and tiresome day |
| time. And like an unseen cloud overhead, it would | | | | does not restore the balance. The bottom line is this: |
| enshroud my skull. My natural instinct would be to | | | | a long day that was spent half asleep (we all know |
| plop my head face-down atop the table. The day | | | | those kinds of days), met with an overdue long night |
| would go swirling down the drain by the time I woke | | | | of sleep, will not equal a refreshed tomorrow. |
| up. | | | | Besides taking up a better diet, the other solution is |
| Needless to say, mental exhaustion can really sap the | | | | to practice a better study routine. Breaks may seem |
| time out of the day. It may even lead to depression | | | | unprogressive to a study session, but in actuality |
| and increased anxiety, but hey, I'm no psychologist. | | | | they are invaluable. Your brain, like your legs, cannot |
| I'm a student, and what I do know is that it's a big | | | | run for so long without slowing down or sitting |
| time killer. Sitting down with an open book but a | | | | completely. |
| closed mind has to be one of life's biggest | | | | Of course, just remember the difference between a |
| frustrations. | | | | break and a distraction... |