My brain is functioning, but slowly

[jay]

After a nap this afternoon, following a movie outing with DK, mouseman and purplecthulhu to see "Signs".... a bit religiously heavy-handed, perhaps, but very well produced suspense/horror, almost Hitchcockian. And with funny moments... "They're 30-year old nerds who've never had a girlfriend! They form secret societies..." Hm... so that's how the cabals get started. patgreene will like this movie, I think.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've felt slightly numbed, slightly slowed... not quite my-brain-is-turning-to-mush, but perhaps it has lost a half-step. I'm missing openings in conversation and muttering inanities... this morning therealjae noticed and jumped on this, asking me if I'd become a Rogerian psychologist (a la the Eliza program), simply paraphrasing and repeating back what was heard rather than adding any value to a given conversation... at Haughton, I'd sometimes withdraw from conversations over the past two weeks because I didn't feel that I had anything worth saying. Or the energy to invest in saying it.... a marked change in behavior.

Simple example: when eck asked me this afternoon what music I liked, and then what CD I had most recently gotten... I just blanked. On something that simple...

At the same time, physiological coordination has waned slightly, as well.... in the field, I took a couple of pratfalls. And my typing has gotten worse lately, slower and with many more typos. Four just in writing (gr, make that five) this entry. And my toes are still numbed and tingly.

Prolonged sleep deprivation or stress? Endorphins? Lack of exercise reducing blood flow to the brain (drat, that's six) and extremities? I don't know what's going on. Right now, I wish I could just curl up and do nothing for about two or three days, then do some vigorous (seven...) exercise. Instead, I'm off to Minneapolis tomorrow for business, then home for five days, then off again to Washington, DC next week.

Comments

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling out of it and don't have much energy. *hug* Hopefully after you come home, you'll start feeling better and get back on track. Maybe taking a few walks w/ me around the marshes will help.

Out of curiosity, have there been any physiological studies done on how people are affected by 24/7 daylight? This may just be your biorhythms readjusting, combined with the stress and sleep dep. FWIW, I didn't have anywhere near the conditions you've had to endure, though I had the long hours for a while -- and I feel pretty sluggish, too.

I suggest we take a day off and just go to Kiva. That, and try not to do anything that requires loads of energy, and hopefully catch up on sleep. Other than that, if you want to hold that party at your house sometime after you come home, let me know and we can start planning.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

Walking around the marshes would be delightful. A good mix...

Some of this is post-crisis crash, or could be messed-up rhythms, but it began (at a low level) before I left home and before we tested in FFC.

Kiva sounds like a good prescription, along with nothing too taxing this week ;-) The party... in two or three weeks, but I'll need to check with patgreene first...

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}} My hunch? You've been traveling a great deal for two months, and working long hours, and trying to maintain your extensive social network (which has its rewards, but takes time) and have had a "Sleep is for wimps" attitude. : > It's finally caught up with you -- low level sleep deprivation over enough weeks can make your brain turn to jello. (Remember what it was like with newborns in the house? Sounds similar to that.) You need sleep.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... it is a bit like the thick-headedness I remember with a 3-month-old not yet sleeping through the night... I got 6.5 hours last night, not bad. Thanks for the hug!

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

It sounds to me like you need, and are long overdue, a good 9 days holiday (only five days off work, right...? :-) like wot we've just had. A good mixture of slobbing, vigorous exercise (e.g. day-long horse rides) and top-quality socializing but early bed times :-)

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that sounds perfect. Even the early bed times :-)

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Sounds like an extended period of travelling and sleep deprivation. I expect the 24 hours daylight doesn't help either.

Staying in the same place and getting a decent amount of sleep would be my prescription, but that may be tough for you to arrange.

As to typos (2 in this sentence (three) so far), that may be more to do with typing position than any loss of coordination. I find I get worse at typing when I'm at an unfamiliar desk/table/tray. Since you've been moving around I doubt you've had a chance to get used to a particular workstation...