Staying Sharp

I recently took stock of how tired I am: parenting two boys under 6, contending with remote learning and daycare and school closures at a moment's notice, trying to stay positive while working in the live events industry, and turning 40 next month..."G-d damnit; I'm exhausted!" Queue Madeline Kahn (warning, some explicit references...love me some Mel Brooks).

But after a night's sleep I found a little tired inspiration, and decided to explore some of the benefits of being tired. After all, as a speaker, your job, tried or not, is to perform. It is not about you, it's about the audience, and they expect you to deliver.

So keep going. Grab a cup of coffee or black tea and WAKE UP:

• Are there any creative benefits to a tired brain when you're tired? Smithsonian Magazine science writer and artist Marissa Fessenden thinks so:

• A Tired Brain Could Actually Be More Creative (2015)

• What is your body telling your when you start to fade? Pod-caster and author Polly Campbell gives us some insight in Psychology Today:

• That Fatigue You Feel Might Just Boost Your Creativity (2019)

• Don't nap on the job! Or...maybe you should, says Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global. Article from Architectural Digest by Melissa Minton

• Arianna Huffington on Why a Nap Room Is So Important at Work (2017)

Stay tuned for more posts. Please sign up for this blog, which gives you news and information for all things speaking, performing, and storytelling at https://www.myspeakingcoach.com/contact.