Brain-fog and the Pandemic Brain

Article

Didier Marlier

July 02, 2021

From Disruption to Engagement

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I usually write about Disruption Economy, Leadership and Transformation. Once, back in 2019, I made an exception, quoting a very interesting TED talk by one of the specialists of sleep, Matt Walker (see article).

I did that because I consider my mission to be to support leaders, particularly during the disruptive times we are called to live. And today’s post is about what I hear a growing number of leaders complain about…

2020 was a tough year for me. After the busiest year of my career (2019), which allowed to reconstruct what the 2008 crisis had financially challenged, another dark prediction, Covid, was on its way. And just to make things worse, my relationship with someone I was very attached to, went South at the same time. Rapidly, after the isolation and confinement struck, I felt invaded by a strange fatigue, a lack of punch, I gradually gave up sports (“helped” by Covid which closed fitnesses and ski-slopes). I had 10 to 11 hours long nights (when my habit was closer to 6) and still woke-up exhausted. I started to write down everything in my little black booklets and still was often incapable to remind myself what I had suddenly come to do in that room at home. My work took 3 to 4 times longer to be executed… I started to feel very worried about what was happening to my brain.

Talking to many specialists, diverse hypothesis were offered: It must be your double ARN vaccine that has provoked an exhaustion reaction from your body… You probably have caught a Long Covid infection… It may be a consequence of all these 18/24, 7/7 days and weeks you forced yourself into all those years… Payback time! But, intuitively, somewhere I knew this wasn’t the problem…

And 10 days ago, I came across two articles, talking about Brain Fog and the Pandemic Brain… That was it! That is what so many of us are going through. The pandemic brain is a very serious and violent reaction of our brain (somewhere described as PTSD) against the platitude, boredom, routine under the “Covid Empire”… Luckily remedies exist (sports, meditation, music) which will help bring the brain plasticity back when… the Covid pandemic will be under control.

I really encourage you to read those short articles, for yourself and for people you know who may need your help on the topic.

Enjoy your leadership journey!

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