Approx. 3800 words

3 mental “spoons” per hour required to read and understand

Written by Julie Goodie

Mental exhaustion is no fun. It leaves you in a state where even the simplest of mental tasks becomes difficult. It leaves you feeling sluggish and lethargic to the point where you are unable to handle your daily responsibilities. If it continues on for too long, you risk complete mental breakdown or burnout. Not good!!!

You would think that would be enough unpleasantness to get you to do everything in your power to avoid mental depletion???!!!

But, as it turns out, preventing mental exhaustion is not always that easy. It’s not always that simple. Frying your brain, on the other hand, is as easy as 1, 2, 3… It’s as easy as burning a pot of rice!!! And if you’ve burnt a pot of rice before, you know that it happens when you make one or more of the following mistakes:

Cooking it on a burner that is set too high,
Cooking it for too long, and/or
Cooking it without enough water.

Similarly, when it comes to your brain, you can just as easily burn it out by:

Tackling mental tasks that are way above your capacity,
Performing complex mental tasks morning, noon, and night, and/or
Not taking enough breaks, in between, to rest your brain.

When you buy a bag of rice, it usually comes with a list of instructions. It usually tells you how much water to use per quantity of rice. It also usually gives you advice on cooking time and stove temperature. Additionally, different types of rice come with different sets of instructions. To come up with all those instructions, food scientists conduct experiments by trying out different amounts of water, different cooking temperatures, and different cooking times.

When it comes to your brain, however, unfortunately, it doesn’t come with its own set of instructions. There is a general guideline, yes, that recommends that people not go over 4 hours of deep mental work per day. Alas, that guideline cannot apply as is, equally to everyone, since we’re all so different when it comes to mental capacity:

Some of us are able to handle more mental complexity than others,
Some of us are able to work at complex mental tasks for longer amounts of time per day than others, and
Some of us need less frequent breaks than others.

**********************************************

DO YOU KNOW YOUR LIMITS???

Let’s play a guessing game!!!

Answer the following questions to determine how well you know your limits…

How much mental complexity can YOU handle? Select from the following which comes closest to YOUR maximum capacity:

One (1) mental “spoon” activities like listening to music or watching TV,
Two (2) mental “spoon” activities like tracking your expenses or answering emails,
Three (3) mental “spoon” activities like learning a new concept or writing a report, OR…
Four (4) mental “spoon” activities like creating something new or strategic planning.
Once you’ve determined YOUR maximum capacity, then…
What is YOUR daily limit (in minutes or hours) for complex mental tasks (at YOUR maximum capacity)?
How many minutes can YOU work at YOUR maximum capacity before you need a break?

Keep your answers close as we will check on them later to see how well you guessed all of the above.

For now, just know that most people tend to overestimate their capacity!!!

We shall see later if YOU are more of an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist…

**********************************************

Do you often feel mentally overloaded? Do you often feel mentally overwhelmed?

If so, then you’re probably regularly going over your limits. You’re probably not always respecting YOUR maximum mental capacity. You’re probably not always respecting YOUR daily time limits. You’re probably not always taking the amount restorative breaks YOU need throughout the day.

Your limits might be very different from those of your friends, family, and colleagues. Your limits might be higher or lower than those of your peers. If they happen to be lower, there’s no use in feeling defeated or less than. It’s not a competition!!! The important thing is to know where YOUR limits lie so you don’t exceed them… So you don’t exhaust yourself to the point of burnout!!!

But how do you determine YOUR limits? How do you determine YOUR maximum mental capacity? How do you determine the maximum number of hours YOU should be spending daily on complex mental tasks? How do you determine the number of breaks YOU should be taking daily?

Well, the best way to determine all of the above is to experiment. The best way is to test your limits: to determine the point where you’re on the verge of exiting your OPTIMAL ENERGY ZONE, to determine the point where you start entering your FATIGUED ZONE:

Mental overwork can lead to a buildup of toxic byproducts in your brain. Therefore, testing the amount of toxic byproducts in your brain by performing a lumbar puncture to test your cerebrospinal fluid would be the most objective way of testing your levels of mental fatigue. But that wouldn’t be any fun now, would it???!!! So, instead, you could run an electroencephalogram (EEG), or a functional MRI (fMRI) to objectively measure when your brain starts to be affected by too much activity. But that wouldn’t be very practical either now, would it???!!!

A much less invasive and much more practical way of determining your maximum mental capacity, in the comfort of your own home or office, is rather simply to experiment by testing how much mental complexity you can handle, and for how long, before you start slowing down, before you start showing signs of mental fatigue…

SIGNS OF MENTAL FATIGUE

Overworking your brain, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, is a lot like overcooking a pot of rice…

When you’re cooking a pot of rice, you know that you’re in trouble, that you’ve reached the edge, when your rice starts to split apart, when it starts to become mushy and clumpy. And you know that you’ve gone way over the edge when your rice starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, when it starts to burn.

When it comes to mental fatigue, there are also a few telltale signs to be on the lookout for…

Unfortunately, though, the first signs to manifest themselves, those that point to the fact that you are close to reaching the edge, that you are starting to slow down, can be very subtle initially, and easily missed. So, you have to tune in very closely to how you’re feeling. Plus, you also have to be very knowledgeable about all the signs to be on the lookout for that indicate a mental slow down, that indicate a slight reduction in mental capacity, that indicate that you’re starting to be a bit diminished mentally:

Your thought processes start to slow down.
You start to feel mentally sluggish.
You become less alert.
You are more easily distracted.
You start to have trouble paying attention.
You start to have trouble focusing and concentrating.
You start losing your train of thought.
You start making more mistakes than usual.

As soon as you start feeling any of the above signs, it should be your signal to step away from your mental work. It should be your signal that it’s time to take a break to allow your mind to rest and reset. Because, if you don’t stop to rest, at least for a short while, at this point, then you’ll be well on your way toward feeling even more diminished mentally:

Your productivity will start to be impacted.
You will start having trouble remembering (become more forgetful).
You will start feeling a bit confused (much slower to understand).
You will start having difficulty following a conversation, a TV show, a podcast, or other.
You will start having difficulty in understanding what you’re reading.
You will start having difficulty in making decisions.
You will start experiencing increased restlessness (struggling to relax).
You will start experiencing increased irritability (short fuse and short-tempered).

If at this point, again, you decide to plow on through without taking enough time to rest, you’ll be headed toward even bigger troubles than before… You’ll be running the risk of becoming completely mentally burnt out!!! You’ll be running the risk of becoming completely mentally dysfunctional!!! You’ll be running the risk of:

Feeling completely bogged down, stuck, and lethargic.
Your productivity coming to a complete stop.
Being no longer able to take care of all of your daily responsibilities.
Feeling completely overwhelmed (unable to cope with any added stress).
Getting into more fights and conflicts.
Social withdraw and isolation.
Having increased anxiety.
Being unable to relax.
Increased trouble sleeping.
Suffering from significant changes in mood and/or behavior.
Becoming more pessimistic and cynical.
Increased feelings of depression.

Now, if you recognize yourself in any of the more serious signs of mental fatigue and exhaustion as listed just above, or if you think you’ve already reached the point of complete mental breakdown, I strongly urge you to take the time to consult with a health professional, if you haven’t already. I strongly urge you to consider getting some professional help, at this point. Reaching out for help is not a sign of failure. It’s rather very courageous!!! It’s taking good care of yourself!!! And… You deserve it!!!

SPOON THEORY 2.0

Spoon Theory was introduced back in 2003 by Christine Miserandino, lupus warrior and writer, in her essay entitled "The Spoon Theory" (https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/). In Christine’s Spoon Theory, the Original Spoon Theory, it is understood that people have a limited amount of energy (a limited amount of “spoons”) to get them through each day. It is also understood that when people try to spend more “spoons” than what they have to spend (their maximum capacity), on any given day, they usually end up feeling diminished or dysfunctional at some point throughout the day. And it is understood that if this continues on a regular basis, day in and day out, over long periods of time, people run the risk of complete physical and/or mental exhaustion and burnout!!!

Of course, Spoonies (people who identify with Spoon Theory) are fully aware of all this: of the risks of trying to function over capacity, day in and day out. So, they aim to get to the end of each and every day with a bit of leftover energy. They aim to get to the end of each and every day with a few LEFTOVER SPOONS!!! And to assist them in doing so, they have created a whole series of “spoon” counting charts to help them better manage their “spoons”.

Spoonies know that different tasks require different amounts of energy to perform. They know that the least intense of tasks, like say simply laying in bed or watching TV, require the least amount of energy or “spoons” to perform. Spoonies know that only one (1) “spoon” equivalent is needed to simply lay in bed or watch TV, and that more “spoons” are required for more energy demanding tasks. So, in their “spoon” counting charts, Spoonies divide activities or tasks into different categories (or columns) depending on the amounts of energy they require to perform.

When Spoon Theory 2.0 was created (a mix of the Original Spoon Theory with a few new scientific elements), a brand new MENTAL SPOONS Equivalents Chart was produced in which activities are divided into categories (or columns) depending on their level of mental complexity (according to Bloom’s Taxonomy) to help Spoonies better manage their mental “spoons”:

Free DOWNLOAD Here

DETERMINING YOUR MAXIMUM MENTAL CAPACITY

The above chart, along with knowledge with regards to all the signs of mental fatigue, can help you determine your maximum mental capacity. The first step in doing so is to determine the amount of mental work your brain is able to “bench press”, or the level at which your brain is able to operate for at least 10 to 15 minutes without showing any signs of freezing, serious confusion or overwhelm.

If you take a look at all the activities listed in the 4 mental “spoons” column in the above chart… Are there at least one or two activities that are within your capacity? Are you able to independently make all your life changing decisions? Would you be able to plan a Walt Disney World Resort itinerary, on your own, for you and your family, to make the most of your time at the park, to optimize your experience?

If all of the 4 mental “spoons” activities listed in the above chart are beyond your capacity, then take a look at all the activities listed in the 3 mental “spoons” column, and then ask yourself if any of those are within your capacity... And so on, and so forth… Until you determine YOUR maximum mental “spoon” capacity or how much YOUR brain can “bench press”. The answer will be either: 4 mental “spoons”, 3 mental “spoons”, 2 mental “spoons”, or 1 mental “spoon”.

Once you have established how much your brain is able to handle in tiny 10-to-15-minute bursts, you are ready to work through the next three (3) steps, by answering the next three (3) questions, that will help you determine YOUR maximum mental capacity:

How much mental complexity are YOU able to handle on a repetitive basis? What is YOUR brain’s deep work capacity?
What is YOUR daily time limit for complex mental tasks? What is YOUR daily time limit for deep work?
How long can YOU work at a complex mental task before you need a break? What do YOUR ultradian performance rhythms look like?

STEP 1 - DETERMINING YOUR BRAIN’S DEEP WORK CAPACITY

To determine YOUR brain’s deep work capacity, you need to find the level at which your brain can work for at least 30 to 45 consecutive minutes before starting to show any signs of fatigue, before needing to take a break.

Is your brain able to handle 4 mental “spoon” activities for at least 30 to 45 consecutive minutes before needing to take a break? If not, then is your brain able to handle 3 mental “spoon” activities for at least 30 to 45 consecutive minutes before needing to take a break?

If you’ve made it this far in reading this article, your brain’s functional capacity is probably at least at 3 mental “spoons” per hour. Unless, of course, you’re still reading but are having a lot of difficulty in understanding much of what’s being explained. In which case, then, your brain’s deep work capacity is probably a bit lower than 3 mental “spoons” per hour: like say, somewhere between 2.5 to 2 mental “spoons” per hour.

Your brain’s functional or deep work capacity is the maximum level at which you should be working your brain on a repetitive basis. Because, attempting to repeatedly work your brain at your “bench press” level or higher, for any length of time, is just like trying to do reps at the gym with weights that you can only barely lift once. At the gym, if you try to do reps with weights that are beyond your capacity, you’re at a very high risk of injury. Similarly, in the office or at home, if you try to push your brain too hard, beyond its natural capacity, you’re at very high-risk burnout. And you don’t want that… Trust me!!! It’s much better to be honest with yourself, here, even if it hurts or stings a little at first... It will be much better for you in the long run!!!

STEP 2 - DETERMINING YOUR DAILY TIME LIMIT FOR DEEP WORK

After you’ve established your brain’s deep work capacity, you’re ready to determine YOUR daily time limit for deep work. In order to do so, I suggest you experiment with different daily time limits, over at least a whole week, to determine if:

You’re able to perform complex mental tasks (at your brain’s maximum functional capacity) for a total of 4 hours per day without becoming mentally diminished or completely mentally dysfunctional, or
For only 3.5 hours per day before becoming mentally diminished or completely mentally dysfunctional, or
For only 3 hours per day, or
For only 2.5 hours per day, or
For only 2 hours per day, or
For only 1.5 hours per day.

Now, if your daily time limit for complex mental tasks turns out to be less than 1.5 hours per day, then maybe in determining your brain’s maximum deep work capacity you got a bit overly optimistic? Maybe you overestimated your brain’s maximum functional capacity by at least a bit? If so, no worries. It happens. No need to beat yourself up. If that’s the case, then, at this point, all you have to do to is to reduce your brain’s maximum deep work capacity from before by one level either by:

Going down from a 4 mental “spoons” per hour maximum to a 3 mental “spoons” per hour maximum, or
From a 3 mental “spoons” per hour maximum to a 2 mental “spoons” per hour maximum, or
From a 2 mental “spoons” per hour maximum to a 1 mental “spoon” per hour maximum.

And then, of course, you will need to experiment again, for at least a whole other week, at this new maximum, to determine YOUR daily time limit for deep work, before moving on to the next step…

STEP 3 - DETERMINING YOUR NATURAL ULTRADIAN PERFORMANCE RHYTHMS

Wouldn’t it be great if you were able to work at your maximum mental capacity from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed!!! Unfortunately, that’s not the way your brain works. Your brain naturally rather operates in ultradian rhythms, which resemble oscillating waves: with peaks and valleys. Where the peaks represent top performance, and the valleys represent sub-optimal performance or times when your brain needs to stop, rest and recharge.

To function at peak performance, your brain needs to burn sufficient amounts of oxygen, glucose, and other energetic fuels. As your brain does this, it produces metabolic waste, snippets of data, and cellular debris that build up in your system, and need to eventually be cleared-out. And as it turns out, your brain’s waste clearance system is most active when you sleep and when you rest. So, in order to better clear out all its toxic waste, your brain needs regular breaks, at regular intervals, throughout the day… There’s just no way around it!!!

If you decide to white-knuckle your way through all of your low-mental-energy dips, throughout the day, your energy and focus will eventually crawl out of the valleys, yes, and return to somewhat higher levels of functioning, but your performance will never be able to reach as high a peak as before (as you were able to reach earlier in the day). And if you continue on like this, skipping way too many breaks along the way, throughout the day, by mid-afternoon you will end up in a slump, unable to function properly, unable to think straight, groggy, and moody. And that’s not what I want for you!!! Rather, what I want for you is for you to be able to stay as much as possible in your OPTIMAL ENERGY ZONE!!! Throughout all the minutes of all your days…

And, in order to do so, your brain is going to have to take breaks at regular intervals (either every 30 minutes, every 45 minutes, every 60 minutes, or every 90 minutes depending on YOUR individual capacity).

To determine the frequency at which YOU are going to have to take breaks, I suggest you experiment over the course of a few days… Test different work periods to see how fatigued you get after working for different amounts of time. Also, figure out how long your breaks need to be for you to get back to place where you feel recharged and ready to get back to work.

Now, of course, your recharging will be much faster if you make sure to take REAL breaks. REAL breaks being periods of time spent in low mental “spoon” mode, spent pursuing brainless one (1) mental “spoon” activities, like, say, for example:

Stretching,
Taking a walk,
Sitting outdoors,
Gardening,
Catching up on housework,
Listening to music, or
Simply breathing deeply, in and out.

**********************************************

NOW… BACK TO OUR GUESSING GAME!!!

Now that you’ve experimented… Now that you’ve run a few tests to determine YOUR TRUE LIMITS…

Now’s the time to compare those TRUE LIMITS to your GUESSTIMATES from before...

Were you a bit overly optimistic before? Are you the type to overestimate your capacity?

Were you a bit pessimistic before? Are you rather the type to underestimate your capacity?

Or…

Are you more the realistic type? Already well aware of where your true limits lie?

**********************************************

MANAGING YOUR MENTAL ENERGY

No matter if you’re an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist, when it comes to managing your mental energy, knowing your limits is only half the battle. The other half is making sure that you stay within those limits: that you stay away from mental tasks that are way above your capacity, that you respect your daily time limits for mental work, and that you respect your natural ultradian rhythms. In short, you have to stay away, as much as possible, from overworking your brain.

Because, overworking your brain, on a regular basis, is a significant contributor to mental fatigue. Though, it’s not the only contributing factor, of course. There are also many other factors that can lead to mental fatigue, mental exhaustion, and eventually mental breakdown… Like… For example:

Poor sleep,
Unhealthy eating habits,
Lack of exercise,
Too much multitasking,
Trying to do it all on your own,
Not enough quiet time,
Not enough quality time with loved ones,
Problems that are not dealt with,
Too much stress,
Too much noise,
Too much clutter (physical and/or mental),
Too many distractions,
Not enough light,
Not enough sunshine, etc.

There are so many contributors to mental fatigue, it can quickly get to be awfully overwhelming!!!

So, in order to help you make sense of it all, to help you determine what’s causing YOUR mental fatigue, and to help you set YOUR goals toward A MORE ENERGETIC YOU, I’ve created The LEFTOVER SPOONS CHALLENGE. It will have you work through 9 steps, in 6 weeks, to help you better manage your mental AND physical energy so you can LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!!!

Also, I’m currently working on a course entitled UNLOAD YOUR BRAIN… It will have you work toward reducing your mental load so you can:

Sleep better!!!
Improve your mental health!!!
Strengthen your relationships!!!
Take care of what matters most to you!!!
And finally, enjoy your life more fully!!!

Sounds good to me!!!

If you’re interested in learning how to reduce your mental load, I strongly suggest you sign up now, with your email address, below, so that you can be notified as soon as the course is up and ready…