INTERVIEW – During the annual summer break, the neuropsychologist and research director of the CNRS reveals the signs of intellectual fatigue and gives instructions to really reset your brain.
Whether you are already at your vacation destination or waiting (more or less easily) before you leave, the same goal of a summer vacation comes into play: to relax the body and especially the head. It must be said that many go on vacation in high intellectual fatigue, after exceeding their limits. However, the functioning of our entire body depends on our brain being in good shape. So what to do or not to do on vacation to reset this body compass? Sylvie Chocron, neuropsychologist and research director of the CNRS, gives instructions for relaxing your brain and, in the process, dispels some preconceived notions.
Madame Figaro: Can the brain get “fatigued”?
Sylvie Chokron: Yes, but contrary to what we think, it’s not work that tires him, but stress, constant responses to stimuli and things we can’t respond to. Let’s take an example: you are in a crowd, the place is filled with visual and auditory stimuli, your children are next to you, asking questions, you have to find your way, your phone is ringing. Here we ask the brain to both focus its attention on imperatives (controlling children, achieving a certain goal) and passively submit to and eliminate a whole range of limitations or negative elements on an emotional level. However, the brain cannot achieve the goal and at the same time inhibit the harmful information.
” data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >
What are the manifestations of this so-called intellectual fatigue?
The lack of attention and intellectual availability indicates that we have gone beyond our limits. In short, we are no longer able to concentrate, we make mistakes, we read the same part of the book several times without understanding… We are in automatic mode, we can no longer voluntarily focus our attention on what we would do. want, we can only carry out basic tasks. Irritability is not wrong either. Attention and control are some of the most complex executive functions in our brain, so when it breaks down, the system “freewheels” and we can no longer control ourselves. It is in this configuration that our words can sometimes exceed our thoughts, for example. Finally, our sleep time reflects our level of exhaustion. We must understand that we are beings programmed to protect ourselves from danger. It is clear that when we are stressed, the brain finds itself in the same situation as the brain of our ancestors who had to survive in conditions of vital risks, such as animals. He does not distinguish between threats, animals, war, workload and puts himself in a panic. When we push our limits, the brain thinks it needs to stay awake even at night because it no longer has enough daylight to accommodate what we are asking it to accommodate.
Our sleep time reflects the level of exhaustion we have reached
Sylvie Chokron, neuropsychologist
Is there an ideal length of vacation?
There is great interindividual variability. I would rather say that we have regained a near-optimal level of functioning when we are able to sleep again, pay attention to our surroundings, read, eat with full consciousness…
What exactly can you do on vacation to achieve this good level of activity?
Contrary to popular belief, doing nothing does not relax the brain. What relaxes him is that he can choose to do something when you want and for the time you want without worrying and being away from it. In practice, it depends on each person: to write, to read, to do crafts all day, to do a lot of sports, because we finally have time to do it, to walk… And currently, in my opinion, what is most at stake is: this freedom to consciously choose what we do. In social networks or in personal development books, we find many recommendations, representations of what should or should not be done on vacation. But above all, do what brings you the most pleasure at every moment. Let your brain guide you. Some people can even work a little if they want to if they know that going back to school will be too busy for them and that they will start again with less anxiety by starting early. Cutting everything, turning everything off may be good for some, but not for others. Finally, we should not forget sleep, which will allow us to regain our attention.
Almost going on vacation before going on vacation, taking breaks before you no longer have attention skills.
Sylvie Chokron, neuropsychologist
How long does it take for the brain to release tension?
Everything depends on our state and when we will go on vacation. We often make the mistake of going too far and overstepping our limits; in this case, it takes a few days to return to a state that allows us to enjoy what surrounds us again. Vacations today consist more and more of just being able to enjoy a vacation. In fact, before going on vacation, we should almost rest, take breaks until we have attention skills, stop while we have some capacity. Most people want to transition seamlessly from a busy work schedule to a busy vacation schedule, but sudden changes in pace are tiring. Our brains and our bodies are not ready for this sudden transition, and we can find ourselves in a state of true jet lag. Finally, an airlock would be required before departure to gradually reduce the amount of work. And when returning from vacation, the principle is the same: relax and tell yourself, for example, that the first days are for organizing before getting down to business.
(1) Sylvie Chokron is notably the author in the brain…(Ed. Les Presses de la Cité), €19.90.
Source: Le Figaro
