Fatigue and zoning out while practicing? [Bob project]

[Bob]

Does anyone else have this or a solution?

My mind "disengages" sometimes while I'm listening to music or while I'm practicing.  I'm guessing it's something like a hypnotic effect.  It usually happens when I'm tired.  Soft, slow sustained sound does it.   My fingers keep playing and my minds just drifts off -- very lulling, not really unpleasant except it's annoying when I need to get something done.

This is a problem for practicing.  How do I practice something slow when I'm tired without zoning out like this?

Or, does anyone have any suggestions for dealing with fatigue while playing?  The sleepy kind of tired, I mean.

Does anyone even know what I'm talking out?

[bernhard]

Does anyone even know what I'm talking out?

Investigate the causes of your fatigue. If you have woken up at 6:00 am and you are trying to practise at 2:00 am, it is natural to drowse.

Also eating too much refined carbohydrate can cause an insulin shock, which will make you feel really sleepy 10 – 20 minutes after eating.

Constant fatigue may also be a sign of intoxication. Our environment plus industrialised food is highly toxic. Go into a detox program. Both alluminum (form cooking utensils and wrapping) and mercury (from tooth fillings) can cause fatigue.

You may also be depleted of vitamins and other nutrients.

Also lack of regular exercise really slows you down.

Here are some options for you to try:

1.      As you feel fatigue setting in, stop the playing and take a quick cold shower.(ouch!)

2.      As you feel fatigue setting in, stop what you are doing and do a headstand (if you don’t know how, learn. In the meantime, just use a sofa and make your head below your heart). Doing a head stand for one hour will make up for one whole night without sleep (I know, I did it).

3.      As you feel fatigue setting in, stop what you are doing and go for a brisk walk in the fresh air.

4.      As you feel fatigue setting in, stop what you are doing and have a quick nap (10-15 minutes), followed by a cold shower (optional). Churchill used to do that (the nap, not the cold shower) and attributed his boundless energy to it.

5.      Start a program of regular, consistent and vigorous exercise.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Dave_2004_G]

Are you sure doing a headstand for one hour is safe?  

Dave

[bernhard]

Are you sure doing a headstand for one hour is safe?  

Dave

You are absolutely right, it is not safe if you are not used to it. I should have explained better:

1. I just mentioned doing a headstand for one hour as a replacemente for one night sleep as an illustration of its power to ward off fatigue. I am not advising that anyone loose a night sleep or do one hour handstands to make up for it (although it will work if you ever need).

2. If someone has never done a handstand before it is unlikely that they will be able to do it at all, and if they do, it is umlikely that they will be able to do it for more than a couple of minutes. So there are some safeguards in place.

3. If someone has never done a headstand before, I strongly suggest that they learn it from a qualified/skillful yoga instructor, since many things can go wrong (very wrong: your body weight will be supported by your neck).

4. If you want to do long headstands (more than 5 minutes) make sure to build up slowly. It can take a year or more before you get to the ten minutes stage.

5. Also make sure you are healthy before you embark on any program of physical activity.

6. And when I said to take up regular, vigorous physical exercise, the same applies: if one is out of shape, one must build up to it and start slowly.

Thanks, Dave.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Rob47]

Bernhard

I've read alot of what you write and you always have useful advice for anyone asking.

And I am dead serious when I say this to you.  If you can do a headstand for an hour, or even 10 minutes........you realize your potential as a break dancer? Think about the head spins you could do!

Give it a try.

Looking back this is the stupidest thing I have ever said in my life, but I'm going to post it anyway.

Rob47

[comme_le_vent]

so why do headstands relieve fatigue?

and why not just quit sleeping together and do an hour headstand every day?  it would give you like 7 hours more time every day.

was this the method da vinci used?    

[bernhard]

so why do headstands relieve fatigue?

and why not just quit sleeping together and do an hour headstand every day?  it would give you like 7 hours more time every day.

was this the method da vinci used?    

I feel fatigued   only of contemplating the enormity of a proper response for this question. Here is the brief version:

1. Headstands (done for a few minutes) will immediately relieve mental fatigue. They will not relieve physical fatigue (for that a good night sleep is the best, although massage and a hot bath will do wonders too).

2. The main reason (40%) is the massive influx of blood to the brain. There are also myriads of other little reasons that added up make up the remaining 60%. But as I said I feel fatigued to explore all that.

3. Doing headstands instead of sleeping will no work on the long term because you will get mental refreshment, but not physical refreshment. You will be fine mentally (although people may doubt it if you spend a lot of time doing headstands) but you will collapse physically.

4. Sleep is essential for learning to take place. It is when one is sleeping that the uncosncious integrates new skills/knowledge. In fact you will know that you are mastering something when you start dreaming with it. The day you dream you are perfectly playing your most ellusive piece is the day you have started truly learning it. So time spent asleep is time well spent.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[erak]

You need a lot more than good head stands to be a good break dancer   [/offtopic, sry]

[squinchy]

4. Sleep is essential for learning to take place. It is when one is sleeping that the uncosncious integrates new skills/knowledge. In fact you will know that you are mastering something when you start dreaming with it. The day you dream you are perfectly playing your most ellusive piece is the day you have started truly learning it. So time spent asleep is time well spent.

A few weeks/months? ago on ABC News, there was a segment on a study about sleep. Subjects were basically subjected to a really, really long typing exam consisting of four numbers. Most started slow, but became much faster as the day went on and they became used to it. However, the speed always plateaued off. The subjects then had a good night's sleep, and results in the morning of a similar typing exam were much better.

I've never had a piano dream before. Wait-no, I have, but that was just a replay of a really embarassing incident that occured involving the piano. I have had dreams about math, however.

[thomas_williams]

I've never had a piano dream before. Wait-no, I have, but that was just a replay of a really embarassing incident that occured involving the piano.

Well, actually, I've read that most of one's dreams are not remembered upon waking.  So in all probability, you  have had piano dreams before.

I happen to remember one piano dream I had some months ago-- maybe a year.  I dreamed about playing Liszt's La Campanella, which I'm still not up to  .

[Bob]

Thanks for all the replies -- Some new ideas...

Realistically, it's tough to get enough sleep all the time.  Does anyone have suggestions for staying productive while getting less-than-ideal sleep amounts?  Esp over the long-term?

[Shagdac]

I agree w/ Berhard. I think exercise is one of the best things you can do when you need to re-energize. One would think it would tire you more, but it raises your heart rate, blood pressure, increase circulation, and you usually feel great afterwards. When I am feeling that tired a quick jaunt around the block will usually revive me. Also, if you know that you are going to have to get by with only say 4,5 or 6 hours a night for any length of time, make sure that the sleep you get is "Quality" rest.
Sound, deep sleep. You can get used to a ritual at night to signal your body it is time to calm and get ready to sleep. It can be anything from listening to music, playing, reading, but it should be something that is different that what you were doing an hour before you go to bed. Maybe even a hot bath, tea, etc. and do this each night before retiring. Your body will become accustomed to going to sleep after this and your rest will be better. I don't really go for the drug induced rest, tylenol PM, Excedrin PM, etc. Also....I have friends that swear by a quick nap in the day...they swear that 10-20 minutes will pick them right up and they are not tired anymore. This personally does not work for me. Once I'm asleep, I don't want to wake up after 10 or 15 minutes, but alot of people I know do take these quick little cat naps and say they help alot.

Hope this helps.

Shag