BRAIN FATIGUE

Steve Cook is the managing member of Cook, Gola and Company, PLLC, Certified Public Accountants with offices in San Antonio and Austin. www.cookgola.com

From the August 30, 2011, Wall Street Journal, “Like a muscle, our brains appear to get fatigued after working for sustained periods of time, particularly if we have to concentrate intensely or deal with a repetitive task, says Michael Posner, an emeritus professor at the University of Oregon who studies attention.”

The article which was very interesting pointed out that sometimes a walk in the park is more beneficial than a big gulp of coffee. The idea is that coffee and other caffeine based products amps up the intensity level which reduces our ability to concentrate. Getting away from the task at hand for a short period both clears and refreshes the mind.

This appears to be sound advice indeed. Generally, I feel more alert after lunch (a small lunch). I probably do my best work between 1:30 and 3:30 each day. But I need my coffee!

I like coffee. I have developed a taste for it over the years. I even have favorites……and it isn’t your favorite grocery store’s brand. Personally I like Costa Rican Peabody and Jamaican Blue Mountain. A little Kenyan roast is also good in the morning. But the best coffee, especially after dinner, is Kona. Real Kona coffee is wooonderful…..and expensive. Don’t get the blends, they are rip-offs!

All this leads me to conclude that a walk in the park with a cup of your favorite coffee may offer the optimal in relaxing pick me up.