Uh, excuse me? I’m sorry. My brain isn’t functioning properly. 

This has been the mantra of my last month. No matter what’s being done, it’s as if my brain is in heat-fried stasis. When you’re in a state like that, it becomes harder to write, harder to think––harder to do anything besides watch reruns of The Bachelorette while simultaneously kind of hating yourself for watching reruns of The Bachelorette. If you’re starting to feel that your mind is melting…much like mine is, here are seven tips on how to get your focus back.

1. Take a goddamn nap already. There! I said it. Go. To. Sleep. Even if it’s just for fifteen minutes, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll feel better than if you stared at a blank, white screen for the next hour.

2. Journal.  Even if it’s just free associations, put some pen to paper. Feeling like you’re doing something useful is often the quickest route to actually doing something useful.

3. Dance around to David Bowie. Pretty self explanitory, no?

4. Go somewhere air conditioned. Part of having a slow brain day is feeling as if your brain is stewing in its own juices. Heat has a funny way of doing that to you. So get inside, young grasshopper. Get inside.

5. Read Just Kids. Simply because Patti Smith is just that fantastic. By the end of it, you’ll be inspired to go create some art, or even get out of your head and explore the world for a little while.

6. Hang upside down for ten seconds. Whether it’s off the ledge of your bed, off of one of those chin-up bars in the park, or if you can do a headstand––change your verticality. 

7. Cook. When the work you’re doing is academic/intellectual/involves your brain, it can be soothing to try something with a different rhythm that still requires focus. Cook something, and then get back to work.