How to Overcome Lethargy: How I got rid of the Cotton in my Head

You walk around with cotton in your head. Not able to fully concentrate on anything. Not taking pleasure in anything. “Yeah, that was funny. Ha-ha.” Or: “Yeah, that was nice. Sort of.” No apparent physical pain you can use as an excuse. Or any personal crisis. You are not even sad or frustrated. You have entered the land of nothingness. 

That is where I have been since Easter. I have tried to use a suspected pollen allergy as an excuse, but that didn’t work either. I have been there before. These periods come without warning. Before Easter, I felt engaged and uplifted. Springtime, end of pandemic restrictions. Hence, I took a week off during Easter. And the energy was gone with the wind. I limited myself to doing the absolute minimum. It did not help. 

I went for long walks enjoying the smiling flowers, the cheerful birds and the nascent foliage. No change. I watched episodes of Blackadder and other great British comedy that usually makes a bad day a better day. That did not help either. 

I don’t know about you, but I am sure I am in good company feeling like this. Perhaps we should build a movement: “Cotton-heads Matter.” 

I started browsing for help. What I found was endless websites on how to overcome my lethargy and get into HYPER-PRODUCTION!! AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!!!. I won’t mention that most of that advice came from American websites. 

Here is some of the advice I got: 

  • “Stop drinking coffee!” – “Why on earth would I do such a thing??
  • “Sleep well. Exercise.” – “Could you give me something more …obvious!?”
  • “Make sure your protein and carbs are matching with a 1-1 ratio!” – 😂 
  • “Yoga. Yoga. Yoga” – “ I detest yoga. It is so utterly boring. But I do meditate.” No logic there.
  • “Stop drinking alcohol!” – “A life without wine?! What kind of advice is that?” 

What did I do with all this advice? Nothing at all. 

I refuse to accept there is something wrong with me. Being human is not a disease. I let myself be as unproductive as I could for a couple of weeks. That is what I call self-care and being kind to me. 

​We humans are not meant to be at the top all the time.

Having a head filled with cotton is a normal part of life. That is what upsets me with the recent focus on mental health. Much of it is needed, especially to make men address such issues. But life isn’t a mental health issue. Feeling down for a couple of days or weeks does not justify a diagnosis. 

Last week, when the cotton slowly dissolved, I sought inspiration from my role models. 

One of them is Maria Kalesnikava. She headed the opposition campaign in Belarus against the regime of Lukashenko. Faced with deportation, she tore up her passport. In 2021 she was sentenced to 11 years for her political activism. 

​Below is a video from when she, together with her lawyer, was given her sentence.

If you have ever wondered what mental strength looks like…

There is no pity on me.

Photo: Hendrik Morkel.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top