8 Ways to Combat Brain Drain — Beyond Brain Integration

Your eyes are tired. Your brain is fried. And you physically don’t feel much like moving. Even though you perhaps haven’t done a bit of physical exercise you are feeling sluggish and unmotivated. It’s happening to all who are on the computer for several hours a day. We are feeling Brain Drain.

Here are 8 simple tips to help you bounce back from and minimize Brain Drain and the physical fatigue that goes along with it.

1. Before getting out of bed set your intention to flow through your day . (Having the right mindset from the get-go is key.) My go-to technique for this is heart-focused breathing and prayer. But you can also do mental visualization. Seeing yourself easily moving through and responding to the stress of the day with great energy and vitality. (Your actions follow your thoughts.) You have to think about it, before you can make it happen. This simple routine can be a game-changer when done consistently!

2. Move. As you work through your day, set a timer to get up at move every 1-2 hours. You can take a walk outside – not to the pantry or fridge. 😉 Do jumping jacks, push-ups, jog or march in place, squats, or good ol’ burpees. Another option is to try some static stretches or planks. (If you don’t know what some of these are, do a quick online search, “How to do ____.”)

3. Give your eyes a break. Look up and away from the screen every about every 15 minutes. Move your eyes around. Have your eyes follow the line of the ceiling in front of you and the walls to your side. This is a super simple technique we can all do that can help give our eyes a much needed break.

4. Wear protective eye glasses that block or limit the blue light especially later in the day. The blue light emitted by electronics affects melatonin production. Melatonin is needed for a good night sleep.

5. If possible, get outside and/or work near a window to get more natural sunlight. Gaze outside and find something that makes you smile. A plant or beautiful tree. The clear sky. The neighbor’s dog. The light from the sun helps initiate the body’s production of energy via the melanocytes. Perhaps that will be a topic I tackle another day. Fascinating stuff! But for now, just know that sunlight likely helps our physical health more than we realize so be sure to make time to bask in its light and warmth.

6. At night, before going to bed, shut off the WIFI. (Better yet, avoid WIFI and use hard-wired devices.) Apparently, the speed is actually faster and more reliable than wireless. WIFI is constantly emitting electromagnetic energy or signals that are not harmonious with our systems. We can do our bodies a favor at night by giving them a break from this invisible yet very real electro-smog. If you aren’t convinced WIFI is affecting you, just do a 2-week test. Shut the WIFI off every night for two weeks and see if you notice a difference in your sleep.

7. When your work is done, unplug. Try to do this at least two hours before bed. This is critical. We were not meant to be plugged into electronics all the time. They serve their purpose, but need to be kept in their place and used as tools. Find a good book with real paper pages, that is uplifting to your spirit. Engage in outdoor activities like hiking, biking, playing volleyball, or go chat with your neighbor. Go to the gym. Try learning a new craft, instrument, or language.

8. Stay hydrated with pure H2O. Not drinking enough water contributes to feeling tired and getting headaches. The current rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces each day. So a 150 pound person would shoot for 75 ounces. When we are physically active we need more pure H20 to replace what we sweat off. The purest water I know of is distilled. I know this goes against the flow. We’ve been told it’s dead water. But here’s the deal — our water supply is tainted with chemicals and radioactive elements that even reverse osmosis doesn’t seem to get out. Distilled is the only method that leaves us with pure H20 at this point in time. Perhaps this will change as time goes on, but for now I try to drink distilled water whenever possible.

Now you have set yourself up to have a great day! Or at least to flow through the challenges of the day with greater ease.

Blessings as you combat brain drain!

—Anita