Mental Activity, Energy, and your Brain

This post was on one of the blogs I follow--I found it very, very, very interesting. The brain is such a curious thing.

How Plateauing Occurs: Pace vs. Potential

I often lapse into that automatic thing where I work (I clean offices part-time) and when I get home, I'll think, did I remember to do this or that, because I honestly can't remember doing it. Or sometimes, I'll be there and turn around and really think about what I'm doing, and I'll look at a few desks and think, oh wow, I don't even remember dumping those garbage cans, or dusting a particular desk.

It's sort of a freaky feeling, like you really weren't there and all of a sudden you're back. It often used to happen when I was locking up, too--not just at this job, but at others, too, or even when just locking the door at my own house. I can't tell you how many times I've doubled-back to be sure I locked a particular door, or turned off the stove.

Another thing that I found interesting is how the article states that we use up a lot of energy to perform mental activity. No wonder writing can be so exhausting! It also explains why it is so important to write often, so that the brain becomes more used to the activity, and hence, why it will become easier to do.

I also came across this nice little article on the brain for those interested:

Your brain...

Do you lapse into automatic pilot during your day? And, if you're a writer, are you in a place where writing has become an automatic exercise? I am so not there...lol.