The Worst Thing...

2/19/2013

...is an incessant and stressful dream that happens at the end of a sleep cycle, keeping you in that purgatorial space between waking life and snooze, making it virtually impossible to snub the feeling for hours after starting your day, and therefore making just about everything in the world difficult.
Hey brain - thanks a lot, you jerk!

Write you own "worst thing" about what your brain does sometimes that makes life difficult for you.

28 Comments

Jeremy Williams

2/20/2013 01:03:56 pm

Well theres alot of things my mind does without me really wanting it too... for example i space out during class no matter what or how interesting the topic is. On the other hand i also have periods of time that I cant focus on anything.. i self diagnose (guessing on the spelling there) myself with A.D.D because it's likely i have it. In fact over the time its taken me to type this up its been about 45 minutes because of not focusing on the topic at hand. There's a multitude of things that my brain does that ticks me off but the highest on the list is amplify whatever is in my mind at that time. For example if i think of a horror movie, then a scary part of that movie will become a memory and my mind will trick me in to thinking it's real or something around me is related to the movie. Theres upsides to a highly active mind or being able to imagine things on the spot though but thats not the topic. I'll leave the comment by saying as fun as daydreaming and being able to imagine things on the spot is, it has its down sides when the the thing your mind can't let go of scares the daylights out of you or distracts you from getting assignments done the right way. ( NEED TO WORK ON STAYING ON TOPIC I KNOW BUT IT WAS AT LEAST IN THE SAME BALLPARK) [ capitol letters doesn't mean im yelling]
-Jeremy W

Tanabe

2/21/2013 03:02:06 am

Jeremy,
When I was 14 I was diagnosed with ADD. To this day, I don't really know what that actually means, because I know about 500,000 other people who have trouble focusing when they need to. I think the fact that we live in the Age Of Information has to do with about 95% of our straying attentions; we are constantly being bombarded with all sorts of stuff from every reach of the world, so how can we really be expected to pay attention to just ONE of those things at a time? Our society almost requires us to multi-task. So I know what you mean. It's crazy. Find anything ironic about our modern society?

Courtney Lutz

2/21/2013 01:14:05 am

One this my brain does that I really hate is thinking or not thinking when I don't want it to. I mean, thinking is fine. It's even a good thing. But when I think too much, my emotions go crazy. Mostly when it's quiet and I'm alone this happens. Sometimes I become really giddy from my thoughts, but usually I start crying. Also, sometimes I don't think. Like when a friend cracks a joke and I don't get it for like five minutes, it gets really annoying. My mind sometimes works really slow. But at other times it works way to fast.
~Courtney Lutz

Tanabe

2/21/2013 03:17:34 am

Courtney,
I think I know what you mean. Sometime it's difficult to control what your mind wants to think about. It could be that you think deeply. This is different from thinking slowly. You are absolutely right, though - thinking too much can mean paralysis. I recommend yoga & meditation.

Charlotte Brattain

2/21/2013 10:46:18 am

One thing my brain does that makes life difficult for me is make me obsessive compulsive. I have to have things done a certain way or I will get skittish and not stop thinking about that thing until it is done correctly. One example is when my family does the dishes. I alway end up redoing them because my family will put them in the dishwasher in a way that's different to mine. It's really frustrating that my brain won't let me just ignore stupid little things like that. Instead it keeps me all worked up until the problem is fixed.

Tanabe

2/21/2013 11:13:59 am

Charlotte,
Obsessive compulsive behavior is interesting to me. Have you considered what you'd like to do in life? There are many things in the world that are enhanced and even require that sort of idiosyncrasy...like forensic studies and detective work. Pretty neat!

Taslima Sidhu

2/21/2013 12:12:51 pm

The worst thing my brain can do to me is mind over matter. If i feel a certain pain and then i will think about as long as forever and keep feeling that pain. it drives me crazy!!!! Ill go to the doctor to get it checked out and there is nothing wrong with me witch just drives me more crazy because all i can do is think about that pain i once had and then feel it. it takes me awhile to make my brain think that this is not real but imaginary, i guess you could say that? So that is something that my brain does to me...

Taslima Sidhu
Period 1

Tanabe

2/22/2013 06:24:12 am

Taslima,
Have you ever heard of "phantom limbs"? It's when an amputee can still feel the limb they lost. Your reflection reminds me of this sort of phantom. Your pain resides in your mind, like a memory that you can still experience. I don't know the best solution, but I do know that you aren't too far off when you say "mind over matter" - did you know that memory is an actual physical presence in the brain?

Taslima Sidhu

2/25/2013 11:55:37 am

no i have not. Are you saying that the pain may still be there and what do u mean by that memory is an actual physical presence in the brain???

Tanabe link

2/26/2013 02:11:13 am

Here, take a look at this article from the Michigan Institute of Technology. It explains what I'm talking about. I'm not saying your pain is actually still there, but that the memory of the pain is. This makes all the difference because until you actually forget the pain, you'll still be able to experience it. This is interesting though, because it is that pain you feel which informs you of how to feel empathy for others who also experience the same pain. Without that memory, you would no longer know how it feels. Crazy stuff!

Tanabe

2/26/2013 02:18:45 am

by the way, the link to the MIT article is in that tiny arrow next to my name from my first reply.

Taslima Sidhu

2/26/2013 10:42:53 am

Thank You

Kim Bermudez

2/28/2013 12:53:49 pm

The worst thing my brain does is that it thinks too much. At night, if I plan on sleeping at 9pm, I'll end up asleep in 2-3 hours! I think too much. I over-think everything and anything. Another thing that my brain does is look at details about anything or anyone without meaning to. I study peoples movements, and not even realize that I am. If someone is lying, there's usually something they do with their facial expressions or hand movements that proves they're not telling the truth! I also love to draw, so detail always has to be spot on. I tend to look at someone's face and pay attention to where the highlights and shadows are located as if I were to draw them. You know how writers get writers block? I get drawers block ALL THE TIME because I'm very picky about what I want to draw and tend to get stumped on what I should draw. Well yeah... That's pretty much it.

Tanabe

2/28/2013 01:30:29 pm

Kim,
I'm the same way - and not only when it comes to writing or drawing, but also with stupid stuff like deciding what I want to wear (some days, for no obvious reason, this is really difficult), what I want to eat, whether to wear glasses or contacts, and, yes, when to go to bed. Every single night I try to be in bed before 10. This happens maybe once a week. Why? Because I always think of something else that I need to do. Life is crazy. The good news is, you don't have to be. And the best way to stay sane is to start working with an agenda as early in your life as possible. Sometimes it really sucks - I know, I resisted scheduling my life until like last year - but it really, REALLY helps. Believe me.

And I realize that my response kind of trailed off to having very little to do with your post, to which I apologize. But hopefully I've provided you with some good insight.

Kim Bermudez

2/28/2013 01:38:08 pm

Good to know that I'm not alone then in that way then. Hate it. lol

Rayne McCoy

3/6/2013 08:46:34 am

Sometimes while in classes, ill have the answer to something, but as soon as i get called on or go to write it down, it completely fades. When i get home and start homework, the thought comes back too me almost instantly. When we did those free writes it was so easy for me because i didnt have to think about what to put on paper. it just spewed out.

Tanabe

3/7/2013 02:23:57 am

Rayne,
I'm glad to hear that, thank you. Freewriting is difficult for a lot of people, it certainly was for me before I started getting serious about writing. It takes stamina, and an allowance to let oneself "not-think." If this comes easy to you, count it as a blessing - for most human beings older than 15, it is exceedingly a challenge.

That being said, I have a sneaking suspicion that you have thoughts of gold up in that mind of yours. I'd love to hear more from it in class, should you ever feel inclined :D

Rayne McCoy

3/11/2013 10:26:56 am

I have a lot in this mind of mine. I will consider sharing in class, i just have this feeling that my writing sucks. And i dont want to make a fool of myself in front of the class..

Joseph Moss

3/8/2013 01:25:39 am

The worst thing my brain does is that it doesn't know how to control my mouth correctly. Something like this can lead to getting many many mannnnnyyyyy referals and if my brain were wired correctly maybe I would get in like a lot less trouble. It would also help me be able to organize thoughts and be a better speaker. If I could think before I speak I could give people a much better first impression and not sound so foul or simply stupid.

Tanabe

3/8/2013 06:06:31 am

Well, Joey, the good news is you don't sound stupid - on the contrary, you've shown me that you are quite capable of reasonable and intelligent thinking. Part two of the good news is that you are, in fact, able to think before speaking. Sometimes it just takes practice.
Thanks for your posts!

Lauren Hudgins

3/8/2013 06:10:33 am

Something my brain does that I really wish I could control is add extra worry and stress on me. I worry about things that no one else worries about, and it becomes extremely stressful. Even when it comes to things most people worry about, I take it to the extreme. It's not like I want to, but it seems like I physically can't stop myself from freaking out about the little things. For example, when there is a biology test I freak out and can't stop thinking about it until it's over. I really wish I could stop it because it makes me physically and mentally tired to the point where I can barely get through the day. I try and help the situation by staying organized and involved in sports to keep my mind off things, and it really helps. I make jokes about it, but it really does bother me. I hope it gets better, but I am continually learning new ways to deal with it and calm myself down.

Tanabe

3/11/2013 10:56:29 am

Thanks, Lauren. I can most definitely relate to that. The best advice I've received is something you seem to already know: Make time to do something for you at least once a day; something totally unrelated to school. Let your mind just coast.

Claire Zielinski link

3/11/2013 10:19:10 am

Something my brain does that makes my life very difficult is I have seizures. Don't know why no one else in my family has them it's really strange; I have medicine for it so no worry's. Plus their rolandic seizures and only happen at night in my mind they give me terrible nightmares with some kind of back and forth motion involved like once I was in 101 dalmatians and was stuck carrying them running back and forth from one side of the room to the other. While on the outside world I'm having a twitching and drooling fit. Not the best thing in the world for my brain to do.

Tanabe

3/12/2013 10:41:46 pm

Claire,
Your description of the nightmares as having a "back and forth motion" is really curious to me, enough for me to now go look up what a rolandic seizure is for clarification. How long have you been experienced your seizures? Thank you for the post.

Claire Zielinski link

3/17/2013 07:35:26 am

I have experienced seizures my entire life though I didn't know I was having until the 5th grade. Right after my families trip to Argentina the night we got back. I always thought they were dreams and their very tiring so I would always go back to sleep right after I had them.

Pilar Alejandro

3/12/2013 12:36:47 pm

The worst thing my brain does is go off in its own little world no matter where i am. I always catch myself spacing off and totally not know what was happening or what i was doing. I can never focus on just one thing, my mind is always in different places. And i always worry about things that aren't really important, i always make things a bigger deal than they really are in my head but when i try explaining to someone out loud it sounds crazy, so im left thinking im some weird person that over thinks too much.

Tanabe

3/12/2013 10:48:20 pm

Pilar,
Trust me, it would be weird if you didn't think those things. A brain, in the process of helping us learn, also makes things exceedingly difficult just by the fact that it is a growing organism just like the rest of our bodies, and thus goes through maturation and awkward change just as much as our voices and teeth. Better times ahead, I promise. In fact, one day you may even find that spacing out will provide you with great relief and meditation. I know I have.

Sandy Childress

5/26/2013 03:26:42 pm

The most annoying thing my brain does is combining two words together when I am talking faster than I can think, or I will think of two adjectives to describe something and will combine them. I think it's actually funny even though it can a bit annoying.

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