How’s your brain right now?
Is your thinking a little bit fuzzy? Do you find that you’re forgetting things more frequently than usual? Are you having some trouble concentrating? Is your motivation in a bit of a slump?
You’re not alone.
According to a Fast Company article from earlier this month, the pandemic may be inhibiting our ability to make every day decisions. A psychology professor at the University of Texas explains that the driving force behind this foggy phenomenon is mental stress. He says, “Stress decreases our working memory capacity, so we have fewer cognitive resources to wrap our heads around all the different options, even for things that are relatively inconsequential.”
It’s no coincidence that these are also symptoms of depression. A Harvard Medical School publication further elaborates on these psychological symptoms in saying, “Depression can actually change your ability to think. It can impair your attention and memory, as well as your information processing and decision-making skills. It can also lower your cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt your goals and strategies to changing situations) and executive functioning (the ability to take all the steps to get something done).”
In the wake of COVID we have faced new stressors personally and professionally and depression is on the rise as well. Combined they create a perfect storm in your brain.
Is your thinking a little bit fuzzy? Do you find that you’re forgetting things more frequently than usual? Are you having some trouble concentrating? Is your motivation in a bit of a slump?
You’re not alone.
According to a Fast Company article from earlier this month, the pandemic may be inhibiting our ability to make every day decisions. A psychology professor at the University of Texas explains that the driving force behind this foggy phenomenon is mental stress. He says, “Stress decreases our working memory capacity, so we have fewer cognitive resources to wrap our heads around all the different options, even for things that are relatively inconsequential.”
It’s no coincidence that these are also symptoms of depression. A Harvard Medical School publication further elaborates on these psychological symptoms in saying, “Depression can actually change your ability to think. It can impair your attention and memory, as well as your information processing and decision-making skills. It can also lower your cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt your goals and strategies to changing situations) and executive functioning (the ability to take all the steps to get something done).”
In the wake of COVID we have faced new stressors personally and professionally and depression is on the rise as well. Combined they create a perfect storm in your brain.
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