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8 Mental Blocks That May Be Affecting Your Thinking Without You Even Noticing
Lack Of Sleep
Sleep is something that your body and mind need to be able to recuperate and combat stress on a daily basis. Some function relatively well with a few hours of sleep every night, but most need at least eight hours of sleep a day.
If you feel you are at the end of your ability to handle stressors, try taking a nap or going to bed early that night.
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Freewrite
When you are feeling stuck, start writing about whatever is on your mind.
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes. It may start out as a page of gibberish, but soon ideas will start to flow.
Tackle smaller tasks first
If you feel overwhelmed by how little you have progressed, switch to working on mindless tasks that require little attention and allow the mind to wander. Wash the dishes, organize your bookshelf, or do laundry.
By accomplishing small wins, you develop momentum and confidence to overcome your mental block.
Change your environment
- Having a neat, organized desk will improve your productivity and focus.
- A messy space can enhance creativity and help you gain fresh insights.
Play around with your home or office environment and discover what works best for you.
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Your mental health is like a wallet
This metaphor means seeing your mental health as a wallet: money comes in, money comes out. How much money is in there is how many adverse events you can go through while sustaining your mental...
Events that empty our mental health wallet
- The ways people are using social media has more of an impact on their mental health than just the frequency and duration of their use.
- Microaggressions and discrimination.
- Urban life: urbanites are 21% more likely to have anxiety disorders and 39% more likely to have mood disorders.
- Financial worries have been linked to mental health issues among university students, and about half of people in problem debt.
- Lack of sleep, a poor diet and alcohol consumption.
Investing in mental health
- Journaling has many science-based benefits. It can be used to reduce your anxiety or process traumatic events.
- Exercise is powerful medicine. Whenever you are feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed, try to go for a short run to clear your head.
- Talking it out. Not expressing your feelings will not help you process them. And talking about your emotions is not about receiving advice. Instead, it’s about having someone to share what you are going through.
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Describing mental fatigue
It is the feeling that your brain just won't function properly. People will describe it as brain fog. You can't concentrate, and simple tasks take too long. You find th...
Causes of mental fatigue
Contributing factors to mental fatigue are poor nutrition, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalances, or cognitive overload. Cognitive overload can take the following forms:
- When you focus on a single task for an extended period of time.
- When you spread your attention across too many things.
- Worrying about tasks. It is as mentally taxing as doing the task.
Give your brain high-quality fuel
Your brain is fuelled with the same food as your muscles. What you eat has an enormous impact on your cognitive functioning.
- Cut down on refined sugars as it decreases alertness. Aim for sustained energy levels throughout the day.
- Plan your meals in advance. If you wait until you're hungry, you're already low on energy and willpower and will reach for a quick energy boost in the form of sugar.
- Don't skip breakfast. Without it, you may likely crash in the middle of the morning. Eat more eggs, yogurt, and oatmeal to sustain your energy levels until lunch.
- Snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon to give your body consistent fuel.
- Stay hydrated with water. Mild hydration can negatively impact cognitive performance.
- Listen to your body to figure out what makes you feel best. The same nutrition advice won't work for everyone.