Brain Fog, Mental Confusion, demotivation and tiredness at work (average, jobs, company)

[mikeyking]

I guess those that perform the best at work - are generally those who switched on, motivated, not tired and in a good frame of mind.

I find myself sometimes mentally foggy, perhaps some due to lack of sleep, and other times due to just being bored, or other times its not due being to connect the dots and connecting your job to the organisation - therefore the work your doing has no meaning to you. Some of its down to poor short term memory, anxiety, and too much day dreaming, and overthinking - which is hard to stop.

At meetings I find myself stifling my yawns or struggling to concentate when being explained things, and craving to eat sugary foods and lots of coffee. A task that demands a few hours of good concentration usually gets done with lots of procastination over many hours.

Other times you have domain experts in one area speaking in their own jargon, or a project or area they have been working on in great detail who expect you to understand in detail areas your not connected to or have no knowledge or expertise. There is just not enough time and information overload, too many things to get your head around which are outside your job area.

And on top of that we have typical corporate type office jobs where knowledge is power, and people are routinely undermanaged, therefore no one is going to give your any pointers or real help.

The goal is mental sharpness, clear mind, and good knowledge of the organisation, people to allow you better decision but so often we unprepared.

At the moment my action plan is:

reading the evenings on work stuff
intending to use gym in the morning before work, long hard workout
Coffee, sometimes ginseng and other stimulants as required.
Brain Training,

Any help would be appreciated who have faced this - I feel this is the key to significantly improving work performance. I'd pay anything to have a good concentration at work.

[andywire]

Coffee will only take you so far. Plenty of rest, a good breakfast, a multivitamin and a balanced diet is the way to go. Try exercising if you can fit it in 3X a week.

[Z3N1TH 0N3]

I feel like you've described me.

I think diet and exercise play a big part of how you perform. When I eat well and work out, I feel so much more focused on my job and generally in life. If you can, use your lunch break to take a stroll. We have a gym at our facility, so sometimes I work out during lunch, shower, then head back to the office.

[Pruzhany]

Get a sleep study done as you may have a sleep disorder. You may have Sleep Apnea. Stay away from caffiene. If the sleep study doesnt come up with anything then see if your dr will perscribe you a test script of provigil.

[sware2cod]

A visit to MD to make sure all is ok. You describe what could be symptoms of many medical issues.

Also could be the issue of corporate america pushing you too far (overload, too much work and too much detail in too many different areas of extertise) and your brain and body is reacting to this, against your will.

[Xeon1210]

Originally Posted by NeilVA

Stay away from caffiene. If the sleep study doesnt come up with anything then see if your dr will perscribe you a test script of provigil.

Caffine is great. Nuvigil is better than provigil though.

[Pruzhany]

Nuvigil is better than provigil though.

Same drug, new name to protect patent.

Same Drug with New Name? Provigil Becomes Nuvigil to Protect Patents. Drug Company News. - Health and Medical News You can Use

[mikeyking]

Originally Posted by sware2cod

A visit to MD to make sure all is ok. You describe what could be symptoms of many medical issues.

Also could be the issue of corporate america pushing you too far (overload, too much work and too much detail in too many different areas of extertise) and your brain and body is reacting to this, against your will.

Basic alertness, and being properly awake at work can be managed with exercise, diet and sleep. Recently being doing Dual N back training which is good for giving your brain a little speed boost/improving work memory.

I think a lot of its down too much details, and expectations to be an expert in many areas outside your area. Its the nature of corporate jobs where your expected to be all things to everyman - as opposed to just providing a service or being an expert in one area like a business.

The problem is in order to really succeed in the average corporate job requires lots of work in the background, and preparation - rather than just coming in and doing the job.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by sware2cod

A visit to MD to make sure all is ok. You describe what could be symptoms of many medical issues.

Also could be the issue of corporate america pushing you too far (overload, too much work and too much detail in too many different areas of extertise) and your brain and body is reacting to this, against your will.

An underactive thyroid is what came first to my mind. Could be something else, of course, but tiredness, mental fog, that fits the description.

[peet111]

I'd suggest trying to cut through some of the BS. It's good to be dedicated and it is good not to yawn or fall asleep in front of your boss whatever, but I would think strategically in terms of what good some of this drivel is going to get you in a year, 5 years whatever. And most meetings, conference calls, whatever, are full up to the ears with drivel, even if they "want your input." Get the jargon down, speak-up, get recognized for something. Not always that difficult but try to choose a strength you want to explore because they will want you to do it again. I'm assuming you aren't a consultant or a project manager as the "overload" would already be familiar to you. But if you get a strength recognized perhaps this could lend a bit of focus to your position? Well, let's take mikey off the morning drivel call, he has more important things to do.

Sleep apnea can be serious and suggest a different work out is needed especially if they find a heart issue, even if minor. I have known people who went to a sleep center and it worked out well for them. Excessive yawning from what I've read is also an issue but not much concrete except perhaps lack of sleep. No stimulants or supplements after a certain time, even work outs too late can cause problems.