Physical Movement Primes Mental Movement
Feel like your dragging mentally and just can’t get anything done? Maybe your head is swimming from stress. Or you can’t calm your mind and focus. Get a little physical activity in! Physical activity wipes the brain clean and prepares it for mental activity like nothing else.
There’s a reason that Steve Jobs liked his walks. The mental benefits of physical activity are profound.
Expending some energy on physical activity results in a very real physiological effect. Our bodies react to physical activity in a number of ways, many that I’m not qualified to preach. One of note is the increased blood flow to the brain and endorphin release. Expending physical energy creates mental energy.
Now to get a little bit less science-y and more abstract.
Two Energy Buckets
I find that by viewing my energy levels as two separate buckets, I am able to better manage my energy. I’m also able to “create” my own energy (to a certain extent) when needed. I believe all humans have two energy buckets:
- Mental energy
- Physical energy
We spend long periods of time during the day expending energy from just one bucket. Rarely switching to the other bucket. This lack of switching results in a long, constant drain from the in use bucket. Leaving the other bucket largely untapped.
We need to give each bucket time to replenish. With most of modern life spent using our brains, our mental energy buckets are constantly under siege. We need to give those buckets a break and a chance to refill! How do we do that? By expending some physical energy.
It’s also important to distinguish between mental fatigue and physical fatigue. When we experience mental fatigue, we often conflate it with physical fatigue. This is wrong. Physical fatigue is entirely unique, something we don’t usually experience on a daily basis. Mental fatigue is more common (assuming you’re not a physical laborer).
Get Physical when Mental Energy is Low
When mental energy is low, it’s time to tap that physical energy. Not only does it give our mental energy bucket a chance to refill, it speeds up the refill speed. Physical movement creates mental energy.
Physical movement wipes clean the brain. Physical movement primes mental movement. Movement is medicine for the body.