Brain Fog

Brain Fog

This morning, I woke before my alarm, got up and dressed and was headed out the door when I sensed something was “wrong.”  I checked several times  to see what was feeling wrong about my oft-worn workout pants, but didn’t detect anything amiss… until, I realized they were on wrong-side-out. I am soooo happy I realized it before leaving home, because I suspect someone, even if they didn’t see the seams on the outside and the label they might have noticed the pretty obvious, white (black pants) crotch reinforcement.

Sigh.

Thankfully, with pants on right, I made it to the gym with minutes to spare for the 5:30 a.m. BodyFlow class.  Why is no one else here?  Oh. Today is THURSDAY (as in not Friday). The class this morning is Spin…. and I am in flipflops, since yoga is barefoot.  Can’t pedal a bike in flipflops. Shouldn’t lift weights in flipflops. Shouldn’t do any elliptical machines in flipflops.  Just go home (at 5:30 am!).

Sigh.

I diagnosed myself with “brain fog” which made me look up more info on that commonly used term.   http://www.prevention.com/health/brain-fog-and-your-health

After reading more about it, I think that actually, for me, waking in the middle of a dream and bounding around to get to a class just had me moving along before I was actually awake. Back at home, after a cup (or 2) of coffee, having time to wake up and focus, I think I will make it through my day fine.

This morning, though, makes me think about focus.

How often do I miss things because I am not focused on what I am doing? Simple things.  Like when my husband is talking to me and I am reading the paper and miss what he says. Or when I’m watching Jeopardy and I think I can carry on a conversation with my daughter on the telephone without missing something she tells me. Or when I am sitting in church and planning my afternoon in my mind while missing a potentially life-changing truth being spoken or sung?

Or, to use an extreme and potentially fatal example, like thinking I can be in complete control of a moving 4,000 pound vehicle while texting or checking email. (True confession, I thought I was able to do two things at once while driving a car until I blew through a stop sign that is on a familiar and regular route I take…..fortunately, I learned my lesson with no ill effects except for increased heart rate for a few minutes and a shamed face.)

My point is that we can blame a lot of things for what is simply not being focused. Then, we can waste a lot of time googling possible diagnoses, finding explanations, wondering if there is something wrong with us, when really…

we just need to take a deep breath,
realize we are not always 100% “on,”
and then get back in the saddle and ride on.

No need to diagnose ourselves with elaborate explanations.
More sleep.
A few minutes to focus.
Thinking before jumping.
Then, we’re awake and on our way.

 

 

T R Y   T H I S : Make Something Happen

 

photo credit: noir city via photopin (license)