I keep losing things. And double-booking myself, having to then cancel on friends. I have too much on my mind!
It’s the busiest time of the year at work and there have been some staff changes in that I have a new editor working. None of this is bad. The new editor is great, and she’s not “new” in that she was promoted from another department. Also, I love this time of the year: spring lectures, conferences, award ceremonies, and, of course, Commencement!
But I have a couple of medical appointments coming up that I keep thinking I CANNOT FORGET ABOUT and a trip coming up with my mom that I have yet to finish making all the arrangements for.
So, it’s one of those things where my mind is always swirling, and I feel I’m always in a rush. And let’s not forget sleep. This overactive mind hasn’t been letting me catch my Zzzzs.
Adding to this is the fact that some friends I don’t see often have been giving me the guilt trip because I can’t come to events here and there. And that’s not wrong on their part. The way I’m reacting to it, with slight anxiety and guilt, is what’s wrong here.
It’s why I walked out of the gym last week leaving my wireless earbuds in the locker. It’s why I just walked off the bus without my super practical yoga bag, which had my very beloved and less than two months old Jade yoga mat and Manduka hot yoga towel, makeup and other accessories, and, perhaps most important, my breakfast and lunch.
Here are some things I should keep in mind, and so should you, if you’ve been a bit overhwelmed and forgetful as of late via Bustle:
Stress’ tentacles can take hold in pretty much any of your brain or mind’s functions, and that includes your memory. A study in the journal Science found that stress can activate an enzyme called “protein kinase C” in the brain, which can short-circuit our short-term memory (not news to anyone who has ever had their mind go blank right before a huge test or high-pressure wedding toast, of course). The enzyme deflates our ability to focus — especially when we’re coping with multiple stressful situations.
A single stressful situation can make us have tunnel-vision focus, which is why you may forget your house keys on a day when all you can think about it a big meeting at work. But if you’re trying to navigate your way through multiple stressful situations? Forget about it (literally).
I’m sure you’ve read about how multitasking ten projects forces you to do about one-tenth of the job you’d do with any of them if you just focused. But it turns out that that spread-thin focus isn’t just bad news for anyone trying to do a decent job — it’s bad for your memory, too. Overextending yourself with too many tasks can cause stress, which can cause your memory to fail you, and frequent interruptions can make it hard for your brain to form new memories.
So only one tab open at a time from now on. Ha ha, sorry, just messing with you. But maybe try to keep it at somewhere under 10?
In case you were somehow not already obsessed with your chronic lack of sleep and all the health problems it can lead to, it can also cause you to forget important birthdays, bat mitzvahs, and dental appointments (OK, maybe you forgot the dental appointment on purpose). Missing sleep can lead to stress and anxiety, which in turn can lead to forgetfulness, which can then lead to more stress, which can then lead to more forgetfulness.
It’s kind of like the circle of life, if the circle of life was only made out of things that are horrible.
I already left a message on the bus company’s voicemail. They’re kind of an informal company, so I’m not hopeful I’ll get it back. So I’m doing that thing where I’m trying to be positive and I am thinking that if the bus driver keeps it, and gives it to his wife (if he has one), maybe she’ll be curious about the yoga mat and start to practice. Namaste!
Scene By Gina 