How I Resolve the Blank Mind Syndrome

Have you ever forgotten why you went somewhere? I'll give you an example: An idea flashes across my brain to get something from the bed room. So I put down the book I'm reading and head for the bedroom. I get to the bedroom and my mind goes blank. I simply cannot recall why I came into the bedroom. So I go back out into the living room and continue reading. There is no sense getting frustrated over it. But I think that if I re-read what I read before, it might stimulate my memory. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't work.

Have you ever sat down to write an article and after writing the first few paragraphs your mind goes blank. You ran out of things to write. This happens to me more often than I like to admit. Usually I'll read about the topic in a book or watch a documentary on the topic on TV or search for the topic on the internet. Where ever I find the topic I take short notes. I don't write sentences. I just write short phrases.

Other times I'll leave the computer and go out to a local fast food joint and get a senior coffee for my senior moment. At other times I'll try taking an omega 3 fish tablet (Don't ask me how that works. I have no idea!)

My point is: the more resourceful one is at stimulating one's mind, the better the chance of lifting oneself out of that blank mind syndrome. Maybe Psychiatrists or Psychologists have another term for it. But blank mind syndrome will suffice for this article.

It even happened to me at work. I would place something somewhere and then completely forget where I placed it. Things are especially bad when my allergies are bothering me. I can't seem to remember anything.

I remember when I worked as an engineer. I would have seven or eight cups of coffee a day to stimulate my mind. Don't ask how often I visited the rest room. The coffee worked well. Another thing that works well (if I am not at work) is to take a walk and relax. The more frustrated I become, the less chance of resolving my blank mind syndrome.

And then again, sometimes I'm at my peak performance. Everything just comes into place and I zip out an article in an hour.

And it's not like I'm forgetting how to do basic functions. Sometimes I know what's wrong. Like I'll be sitting in front of the computer and suddenly everything will go completely out of focus. It's really bad when that happens at work. But at home, I can rest my eyes for a while and then resume what I'm doing.

I'll tell you the day I'll be in real trouble. That day I'll go out to buy my wife a birthday present (she's big on presents) and when while I'm in the store, I'll forget why I'm there. It's almost as if my wife has a sign posted on the front door, 'Don't come home without it!'

So here are some tips for those who experience the blank mind syndrome.

Bang your head against the wall. (Not recommended)

Take a break in the rest room. (I want management to provide reading lamps in every stall)

Go to the cafeteria to get a coffee. (Hope I don't forget why I went there when I get there.)

Close my eyes for a few moments. (I fake it by rubbing my eyebrows so the boss doesn't think I am asleep. Although once I almost fell out of my chair.)

Take a walk. (Can't do this too often at work.)

Read a book. (That ought to put me to sleep!)

Everybody has their own way to breaking the blank mind syndrome. So far, the best way I found to do it when writing is to read -- and get a coffee.