How do I keep from getting stupid?

April 26, 2007 7:55 PM

How do I keep from getting stupid while I'm unemployed and job-hunting?

I graduated from college in May '06 and have been working part time (in a fairly mindless job) while hunting for the "right" sort of real job.

It's been a long process and over the past month or so, I've felt like I've lost quite a bit of the mental acuity I used to have. My jokes and stories aren't as succinct, my questions aren't as on-point, I have trouble coming up with names of people and places (though I've always been more of a concept/face kind of guy), and am generally just not as quick or sharp as I when I'm at my best.

What can I do to bring my brain back up to speed? How to I keep from getting even worse?

posted by anonymous to human relations (17 comments total)

Read more actual books. Sometimes when the only stuff I'm reading are online things (blogs & short articles) and magazines (mental Cheetos) I start to feel stupid.

Do some word puzzles or number puzzles everyday. I like the LATimes.com crossword - it lets you know if you're entering the wrong letters so it's not as much of a PITA as others. Or some people like Sudoku. Challenging your brain on a regular basis like that can help you stay sharp, and it's pretty fun too.

Challenge yourself to some trivia everyday too. It will also keep challenging yourself and teach you something new.

Don't sleep too much.

Don't spend all your days playing video games, surfing the web, or watching tv. Doing those things in moderation is fine, but when you're only working part time and kinda bored, it's easy to get sucked into mindlessness.

Don't drink too much or smoke too much pot.

Stay hydrated and eat lots of healthy foods for good nutrition. Take a vitamin even if it's just out of superstition.
posted by tastybrains at 8:07 PM on April 26, 2007 [2 favorites]

Exercise!
posted by infinitewindow at 8:08 PM on April 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

Totally OT, but why does this need to be anonymous? Nothing to be ashamed of...

Oh, of course you can't answer, that's a problem. OK forget that question.

The brain is a muscle (yes I know that's a metaphor) which needs hard work to retain it's tone. You need to push on things that are difficult - resistance training.

Exercise. Play chess. Read MeFi. Go easy on the pot.

How about keeping up with the literature in your major? Try and getting a publication out of it, if possible?
posted by wilful at 8:15 PM on April 26, 2007

It's funny you ask that. I would ask almost the exact opposite question: How do I keep from getting stupid while I'm employed full time? I fantasize about being unemployed or part-time so that I would have the time to more actively pursue intellectual interests and physical activities.

That said, I second the combined above. Put the right things into your body, and do things that are physical. There really is something to that whole "sound mind, sound body" thing.
posted by flarbuse at 8:16 PM on April 26, 2007

Someone I met online the other day mentioned that there are plenty of academic textbooks on torrent sites for those without large budgets ...
posted by geoff. at 8:35 PM on April 26, 2007

Teach yourself programming and read St. John's Great Books. Choose an experimental functional language to really give your brain a tweak - Erlang isn't a bad choice.
posted by devilsbrigade at 8:38 PM on April 26, 2007

Oh, almost forgot. MIT's OpenCourseWare has a handful of classes with videotaped lectures available to the public. Those could definitely be interesting.
posted by devilsbrigade at 8:46 PM on April 26, 2007

You're not getting stupid, you're getting depressed. You no doubt busted your ass in those last days of college, and then no doubt enjoyed the relative freedom of not having to do that after you graduated. But now, after a year of being tremendously pleased of yourself and your degree, the party is starting to a feel a bit drab. I've seen this cycle happen with a multitude of people in your same situation; after working so hard for so long, they didn't know what to do when they finished. You're in a funk, a rut, etc etc, so follow all of the advice listed above, and then some. Get outside, get active, get some crosswords, but most importantly, start on that list of things you really wanted to do while you were in college, but somehow were always to busy with class to get around to. Write that novel, write that fan letter to Bjork, write a letter to the editor, build a ship in a bottle, make some homebrew, knit something, get a new haircut, replace your wardrobe, learn to juggle, to tango, to salsa, learn to make salsa, teach yourself something completely outside your field -- if you've got an english degree, then learn physics, or vice versa. Go get invovled with charity organizations, go run for alderman, you know that pretty girl/guy you always see at that place you always see her/him? Go talk to them. In fact, talk to everybody. Ask people in the grocery store what milk they prefer, ask the salesclerk if those pants make your ass look fat, ask someone on the street for directions, call an old friend and catch up, call your grandmother, ask her if she'll make you cookies. It's so easy to withdraw at this point and coast along until your career really gets started, but taking it easy isn't going to help. You've overcome a lot of challenges to get to this point in your life, so don't get lazy now. Give yourself some sort project that gets both your body and your mind moving. Eventually, you'll find the "right" job, and you won't have time to indulge yourself in all this nonsense, so enjoy it.
posted by TheSpook at 8:51 PM on April 26, 2007 [4 favorites]

Do British cryptic crosswords. Hours of fun and you can impress the hell out of people. It's how they recruited people to crack Enigma in WWII.

The Daily Telegraph version is accessible for beginners.

And listen to lectures. And all the rest about cutting down on the pot and exercising more.
posted by TrashyRambo at 9:00 PM on April 26, 2007

If you have a DS (and if you don't, shame on you!) I highly recommend Brain Age. I really think it's been keeping me on my toes. For one, I know I'm way better at mental math. Plus, it's a really fun game. I just got Big Brain Academy and I like that too.
posted by radioamy at 9:18 PM on April 26, 2007

Post-college is a hard time, for so many reasons.

Be sure you're exercising, be sure you're seeing people you enjoy on a regular basis. I find sharp friends are the best way to keep oneself sharp. Others above have excellent suggestions.

But also -- and I say this as someone who went through a similar time:
You've been out almost a year now -- you're close to the time when you should find some full-time job even if it's not one you foresee being in forever. Working only part-time, waiting for your real life to start, is just depressing. After college, hardly anyone walks into a great real job. Most people have to take a job that's more dues-paying than they imagined. But then, after a year or two in that job, they're in a much better position to try another thing, or move up, etc. People who wait several years, doing nothing while they try to get the "right" job, then are 25 with fewer qualifications than people expect.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:00 PM on April 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

Or - if you don't need the money from a job, maybe now would be a good time to go travel for 6 months?
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:01 PM on April 26, 2007

Listen to your local NPR station then test your retention of information at the end of the week by playing along with the Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! quiz show.
posted by zippity at 10:26 PM on April 26, 2007

i had the same thing happen. i don't think it was depression, it was just a lack of challenging stimulus.

i don't think i've really retained my edge, sad to say, but i found that foreign travel (culture shock) and reading good books and magazines helped. reading the sunday new york times is a good place to start. pick up some good nonfiction in a subject that interests you. try to learn a new language.
posted by thinkingwoman at 6:25 AM on April 27, 2007

You need to spend some time with people who challenge you intellectually. Sometimes I find that the people I regularly come in contact with don't stimulate my brain as much as I would like. The coworkers at your "mindless job" probably don't bring much to the table. At college you were used to being around people intent on learning and using their brain. Out in the real world though, many (but not all) people prefer to slide on by with as little thought as possible. I guess I'm not sure how, but try to find others who are also interested in working their minds. A good discussion with an intelligent group is very stimulating. If talking to people in person isn't really your thing, the internet can provide you with mind-to-mind instead of face-to-face interactions.
posted by bobobox at 8:50 AM on April 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

I was unemployed for about 4 months at the beginning of last year. Looking back on it, there are a bunch of things that kept me from turning stupid.

I started reading a lot more than I had before. I read every day for at least an hour, often more than that. I tried to exercise at least a couple times a week. I made sure that I still hung out with my friends as much as possible, so I didn't get lonely and bored. I went skiing at least once a week (I had bought a season pass the month before I was laid off, so I didn't have to spend any more money on this). I also did little programming projects to keep myself in tune for when I went on interviews and had to program something.

I also kept myself on a schedule. Go to bed and wake up like you have a job. Eat meals at normal times. I tried to look and apply for jobs for several hours around the same time every day. Whenever I went to the gym it was usually around the same time.

I think the key is to stay active, and have some fun, too. You don't want your life to revolve around looking for a job, or being unemployed. Make sure you also do various activities to keep your mind in check, so it doesn't turn into slush.
posted by Bizarro at 9:06 AM on April 27, 2007

I was thinking along the lines bobobox is suggesting. I find it makes a huge difference if my pursuits have a social component. Weblogging can work if you have some readers who comment and who at least sometimes challenge you (so they help keep you on your toes), as can participating in a good online forum, but they're not as good as engaging yourself in lectures or classes or readings on topics you're interested in, with flesh-and-blood people.

You can sometimes find surprisingly good classes at community colleges. A nearby university may have an extension school, and classes in the summer. Depending on what interests you, there may be other possible avenues as well. Pick a subject that excites you and go out and pursue it, and you'll get that mental acuity back, instanter.
posted by mattpfeff at 1:35 PM on April 27, 2007