How does emptiness manifest in your head?
Fatigue after sleep is a sign of poor blood supply to the brain or stress.
Frequent occurrence of fogginess is rarely accompanied by a single symptom. In most cases, additional signs of violations appear:
- dizziness, feeling of vibration of reality and surrounding objects;
- noise, ringing in the ears;
- cognitive disorders – the head is empty, the brain does not think, the thought process becomes impossible;
- many patients have speech problems and are unable to form complex sentences;
- memory deteriorates greatly;
- weakness and drowsiness occurs;
- lack of feeling of rest even after a long sleep;
- interest in previous affairs disappears.
Physiological symptoms are added to psycho-emotional symptoms. Hypertension, arrhythmia, a feeling of constriction in the chest, headaches, and sweating appear. Instead of hypertension, a decrease in blood pressure may be observed.
Empty mind: what to do to avoid losing your mind during speeches
We are already halfway through the show and so far everything is going great. You feel confident and your audience seems to reciprocate your feelings. And suddenly you feel empty inside. Crickets. Tumbleweed. The crushingly dark, silent emptiness of space itself.
“What was I going to say now? My God, everything is gone!”
If you've been in this situation, you know how terrible this feeling can be - and how difficult it is to shake it off and get back on track. So what can you do to prevent these mental lapses? Just a few things that change everything.
Don't oversimplify
Yes, speaking in simple enough language that is easy to digest is a good public speaking strategy most of the time, but sometimes you can go too far. For example, if you try to find just one word or phrase that describes several different ideas, you may not come up with something that really fits. As a result, your thoughts will become confused and you will have to sort ideas into little boxes and then try to put them back together again.
I recently worked with a client who experienced such mental blankness during a recent presentation simply because he “couldn’t find the right word.” When I asked him to describe what he was thinking during this desperate, futile search for a simple expression, he said three things:
1. that his company is large; 2. that from time to time they carry out some orders themselves, instead of outsourcing them; 3. that this approach has begun to become a trend in his industry.
There is so much material - no wonder everything is mixed up in your head! He was trying to condense three related but different ideas into one simple sentence. What he really needed to do was address each of these points sequentially, rather than trying to combine them into one phrase.
When preparing for a presentation, first write down all the main ideas and then choose simple language to convey them. If you try to simplify things too much, you may end up fumbling for words in front of everyone.
Never say how many items you are going to list
You definitely shouldn't tell your audience how many points your speech will have. If your listeners have an exact number in their head, they will start counting. If you forget where you left off, you'll be faced with that terrible awkward silence when you try to remember it.
Likewise, if you are discussing your strategies, for example, do not say “firstly,” “secondly,” “thirdly,” etc. Just say “One of our strategies,” “Another one of our strategies,” and so on. By avoiding these simple number turns, you can prevent failures caused by forgetting what the point was.
Don't stop at pronouns
You also shouldn't end sentences with pronouns such as "this" or "that." For example, if you are discussing specific reasons that led you to choose one approach over another, don't say, "One of the reasons we decided to do this."
Pronouns like “this” are too vague for public speaking. As you explain, you may end up forgetting exactly what “it” was mentioned in the first place. Instead, keep naming the thing you're trying to replace with "it" and don't be afraid to repeat yourself. Repetition is actually a handy tool for reminding yourself and your audience what you're talking about.
Therefore, by avoiding pronouns at the end of a sentence, you reduce the likelihood that you will forget what you were talking about halfway through your speech.
Keep your own rhythm
You can't dwell on the fact that you faltered. I've seen many speakers go through this cycle: first, they mispronounce a word. Then they think about how stupid it is that they mispronounced the word. And now their next thought is completely destroyed.
To prevent this from happening, you need to get back into your rhythm. Step one is to simply breathe. When you breathe, your body returns to synchronization and your thoughts flow again. Remember that reconnection goes in both directions - mind to body and body to mind. Therefore, if you can stay in sync with the rhythm of your presentation, you are less likely to lose your point.
Feeling empty from time to time is normal and happens to everyone; this doesn't mean you're a bad speaker. The real mark of a good speaker is knowing how to make this happen less often and being able to quickly recover when it does. These four methods will help you do both.
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Causes of emptiness in the head
The feeling occurs against the background of many serious pathologies and some natural physiological processes. The most common group is neuropsychiatric disorders:
- astheno-neurotic syndrome - occurs in people who are subject to intellectual stress and are also employed in areas of high responsibility;
- chronic overwork and stress are the initial stages of many mental disorders and deviations;
- depression – there are at least 10 types of pathology that require the help of a psychotherapist.
Active hormonal changes can cause feelings of confusion and brain fog. They are especially common in women during pregnancy and menopause. However, there are no pathological symptoms in these cases.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia
VSD is a syndrome that is often associated with osteochondrosis and other diseases. It has a lot of specific symptoms, and therapy requires consultation with a doctor. Manifestations of VSD include the following stable conditions:
- decreased ability to work, lethargy, apathy;
- a feeling of fog in the eyes and heaviness, futility in the head;
- memory impairment;
- insomnia and sleep disorders;
- anxiety and fears;
- nausea, stomach pain;
- lack of air, fainting;
- tachycardia and tremor of the limbs;
- hypertension or low blood pressure;
- tinnitus.
To correct the syndrome, lifestyle changes are required.
Lack of oxygen
Hypoxia is another symptom of circulatory problems and osteochondrosis. With a lack of oxygen, memory and thought processes deteriorate. It causes compression of blood vessels. Other factors can also provoke hypoxia: a stuffy room, smoking, previous skull injuries, runny nose, low or completely limited motor activity.
Meniere's disease
The pathology is characterized by inflammation of the inner ear, in which a lot of excess fluid accumulates inside. It puts pressure on nerve endings, causing:
- nausea;
- tinnitus or hearing loss;
- balance problems;
- persistent dizziness;
- congestion in the ears.
It is difficult for the patient to bend over and get up from a lying position.
The most dangerous condition is brain cancer, in which wooliness and fogginess of the head are accompanied by severe morning pain. Drowsiness and heaviness increase with minor physical exertion. Similar symptoms also occur with benign neoplasms.
Other factors
A long-term sedentary lifestyle can cause a feeling of fog in the head and weakness.
Frequent occurrence of heaviness in the head, emptiness, confusion of thoughts can be a consequence of an incorrect lifestyle and excessive zeal of a person. Common factors include:
- alcohol abuse;
- little sleep – up to 6 hours for a long time;
- drug use in any quantity;
- nightly adventures in clubs and noisy parties;
- refusal of physical activity and constant sitting at the computer;
- abuse of medications: antibiotics, NSAIDs, glucocorticosteroids, antidepressants, nootropics, sedatives, cold remedies.
With prolonged disruption of the balanced work and rest regime, even with full physical health, you can soon encounter neurological problems. Over time, they will develop into disorders and physiological pathologies.
Cerebrovascular disorders
The brain is supplied with blood through four arteries - two carotid and two vertebral. A decrease in blood flow through these vessels due to any pathological changes disrupts the normal nutrition of the brain.
Insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients for the normal functioning of the brain leads to headaches, dizziness (especially in older people and in the morning), a feeling of fog in the head, a feeling of heaviness in the head, noise in it, and increased blood pressure. Disturbances in the blood supply to the brain can also be manifested by general weakness, anxiety and even loss of consciousness, provoked by a certain position of the head in space.
As a rule, cerebrovascular insufficiency occurs due to:
- mechanical compression of the vertebral artery by displaced vertebrae, degeneratively altered intervertebral joints, intervertebral hernia, osteophytes, spasmodic muscle;
- narrowing of the lumen of the carotid arteries due to atherosclerosis;
- craniovertebral malformations (congenital anomalies in the structure of the area where the spinal column connects to the skull).
Problems in the cervical spine - osteochondrosis and its complications - can be indicated by discomfort in the spine when turning the head, pain, and in acute cases, limited mobility of the cervical spine.
A neurologist is involved in the diagnosis and treatment of these pathologies. You can quickly and carefully restore blood flow through the vertebral arteries by correcting the location of the spinal column structures using manual therapy or osteopathy.
Diagnostic methods
Incorrect anatomical location of the vessels of the neck
To identify the cause of the feeling of emptiness in the head, you need to seek advice from a psychotherapist or neurologist. Both specialists take part in the treatment of neuropsychic disorders and diseases, including the fight against VSD and osteochondrosis.
To diagnose, doctors may need tests and procedures:
- blood and urine donation;
- ECG;
- MRI of the head and neck;
- X-ray of the spine in different parts;
- Vascular ultrasound;
- encephalography.
These examination methods will help exclude possible physiological changes.
Treatment methods for the condition
Magnetic therapy of the vessels of the neck and head helps improve blood circulation.
To eliminate discomfort, it is important to begin the fight against the underlying disease. Different methods can be used:
- Drugs. For depression and certain disorders, antidepressants are prescribed. Nootropics are used to improve cognitive functions. Substances that stimulate blood circulation are used for osteochondrosis and mental disorders. Appropriate means are also selected to combat hypertension.
- Folk remedies. Some conditions, such as low blood pressure, can be managed using unconventional methods. Herbal tinctures, special diets, decoctions and herbal teas are prescribed.
- Physiotherapeutic procedures. They occupy an important place in the treatment of physical and mental illnesses. Physiotherapy for VSD and osteochondrosis is very useful: electrophoresis, hirudotherapy, acupuncture, laser treatment, magnetic fields and infrared light.
- Massage and manual therapy. Prescribed for neurological disorders, as well as for diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Normalization of work and rest, sleep and diet are the most important foundations for the recovery of patients.
It is recommended to engage in your favorite sports, especially swimming, spend more time in the air and nature, travel outside the city and avoid severe stressful situations. This will help in the treatment and prevention of exacerbations of diseases and mental disorders.
The feeling of emptiness in the head is specific and often occurs along with a dozen other unpleasant symptoms. Problems with blood circulation, osteochondrosis, VSD and even depression - all this can be the cause of poor health. To deal with it, you need to undergo a full diagnosis.
