未雨绸缪

Fight with your own demon- 三思而后行

Often when we are physically under the weather, or just not well-rested, we often have more pessimistic view on things, we may be more fearful, protective, or even suspecious on things around us; often the thoughts in this period do not reflect the real picture of the reality. We can't prevent these thoughts. Let it come, it may be helpful to make us more careful, prepared for the potential negative consequences and add a conservative voice in the process during our decision making. Let it come, and face it, let it shake up your soul (sometimes), or just let it make you think more (most of the times). Let it go through your mind, it is a form of work when you are in-bed, sometimes half-sleep, half-awake. I may call it, "in-bed" work, or "inner working". Through these, you process many thoughts, all aspects of your life, start to make notes what to do, what to be cautious about.
Just do not make decisions or take actions purely based on these thoughts. Let it come, let it go. Hang on! Think over again when you are fully energetic, and fully awake. Then, make decisions and take actions.

when you are mentally exhausted, stay away from decision making, do not judge

When you are mentally exhausted, your mood is in the downward trend; you may be more suspecious, or more protective, etc.... bottomline, you are not in the best position to make decisions, then, don't do it. If possible, let things go, let it be, let yourself recover; then attack on major issues.

When you are mentally exhausted, you may feel helpless, powerless, vulnerable, "impotent"-not fully functional, with no vigor...... Don't judge yourself! You just need rest and recovery. You have to let yourself. Do not judge other people as well, as you are more suspecious, more protective, more possible make biased judgement. So, do not make any judgement. If possible, stay away from people; keep the bad feelings on hold, wait till you recover, wait when you have 100% yourself, give another look......

Don't make damage to yourself when you are mentally exhausted and vulnerable!!!!

physical excercise and quiet reflective mind idling are the keys to recover from mental exhaustion

alcohol is NOT the solution of relaxation - it depresses, it drags down

Alcohol does uninhibit, and relax superficially. However, after intensive mental work, your brain is most in demand of recovery, need to the brain to do the recovery function. Neurons in your brain is most vulnerable to injury. Alcohol intoxication, especially overdoes, may injury the vulnerable neurons permanently, preventing the neuropathways to fully recover. The seemingly relaxation from alcohol is again, just like a busy traveling vacation, an escape from the real recovery, delaying the real recovery.

So, never use alcohol to relax after intense mental work. Instead, do some light excercise, and let your mind wander and doing nothing - that's the best way to recover from mental exhaustion.

recovery from mental enhaustion! - let it be, let it wander, let it idle...

Intense creative writing for extened period of time, such as grant writing and scientific article writing, can overactivate wide range of neuropathways, as the neurons does not have enough time to re-uptake the neurotransmitters, resulting in extended activation, like a short-cut, fail to disengage; then, the neurons are exhausted with neurotransmitter and result in "total blank", neuropathways can not be activated anymore --that's "total mental exhaustion".

That's why you need to rest, need to take breaks during intense creative writing. And it is also important to take some time off after a big intense writing project over an extended period. Just let it be, let it wander, let it idle, give enought time for neurons to recover, clean up residual neurotransmitters in the synaptic junctions, synthesize new neurotransmitters, build new synaptic vesicles, and get the neuropathway clear and ready..... This is extremely important to keep sustained, sharp mind, longevity of healthy and sharp mind.

Let it go, let it be, let it wander, let it idle, no decision to make, no guilty to feel (as you are not working as hard) (as you have worked extremely hard)...... let it regroup, let it recover, let it rebuild, stronger...... be reflective, be quiet, be collective, ....

Vacation doesn't necessarily help. If your vacation is filled with busy travel and sightseeing, running everywhere; it adds new use of other neuropathways and new activities. The exhausted part of the brain is recovering, but not necessarily the fastest recovery, may be actually delayed. A leisure, relaxed vacation may be more suitable for such recovery.......

Steve Job's inspiration 3 - death is the single most important tool to help me make big decisons

Remembering that I will be dead soon, that is the single most important tool I've eve encountered to help me make big decisions.

Stay hungery, stay foolish!

Steve Job's inspiration 2 - find what you love; love what you do!

You got to find what you love; and Love what you do!

Keep looking don't settle (before you find it)!

You will know when you find it.

Steve Job's inspiration 1- connecting the dots

You can not connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect the dot looking backwards. You have to believe, believing the dots will connect sometime, somwehere down the road!!!