Productivity and Narcolepsy

As a person with narcolepsy, I struggle with productivity. Brain fog has been one of the most inhibiting symptoms for me. It keeps me going in circles, wasting the little energy I have in trying to remember what it is I am supposed to get done.

I can get frustrated with myself when this happens, which doesn’t serve me in the long run. Getting angry about symptoms that I cannot control is a surefire way to create a lot of unhappiness in my life, since I have to live with these symptoms, regardless of the nature of my feelings about them.

Increasing productivity with narcolepsy

There are a few ways I am able to increase productivity in my own life, including:

1. Prioritizing rest

Productivity is not the most important thing in life, especially in comparison to health and overall well-being.

When I notice my symptoms are starting to flare, it is often caused by overexerting myself. Maintaining productivity in the long run depends on my ability to set limits with myself to ensure I don’t crash.

This looks like taking my scheduled naps, even on days where I feel like I don’t have enough hours in the day. If I skip my naps because I am too "busy," I am worse off for it, and my productivity suffers.

2. Making to-do lists... and checking them twice

I meet with a group of writers for writing exercises weekly. Every month we make a grand to-do list, just to get down everything. Apparently, it is easier to create art when you aren’t using your head as a catch-all for junk storage space.

I am one of those people with a "goldfish brain," as I call it. Narcolepsy has really impacted my ability to remember things. To-do lists, Post-it Notes, and visual calendars are all tools that I use to increase my productivity while living with narcolepsy.

3. Planning around wakeful hours

When it comes to completing tasks, it is important that I schedule them during my most wakeful hours. For example, if I know I need to write an article, call to schedule a doctor’s appointment, or talk with health insurance before the day is done, I will write the article first thing in the morning when I am the most awake – since writing takes up a lot of brain power! Then I can nap and make the phone call that I need to later in the day.

Planning around my most wakeful hours is important to ensure the quality and quantity of my work.

More than productive, I am balanced

Like I mentioned earlier, productivity is not everything in life. It can be easy for me to overextend myself even doing a fraction of what I used to be able to do in a day (before my narcolepsy onset, that is).

When I listen to my body, feed it healthy foods, practice joyful movement such as dance, take my medications, and get in my sleep and scheduled naps, I am more than productive. I am balanced.