Do you feel forgetful? Is your thinking cloudy? Are you making mistakes? Are you scrambling your words? If so, chances are you have "proposal brain" or what some call "brain fry."

In my experience, working long hours over a stretch of several days without a break causes the problem, and no amount of sugar, caffeine or binge-watching your favorite shows can cure it.

So, what causes this occupational hazard? I used to work with a doctor who chalked it up to mental fatigue or too many hours spent in front a computer screen without a break.

Some people can go for several days without feeling the effects of proposal brain and some just hours.

So, if you get proposal brain, how can you to get rid of it? Here are five tips that I found helpful.

  1. Step Away from the Screen — Leave your office and go for a walk to take your mind off the work.
  2. Phone a Friend — Talk about something funny or something that makes your laugh.
  3. Do Something Creative that Does Not Involve a Computer Screen — Build, clean, create or organize something. If you are a musician, take time to play a song.
  4. Get Some Exercise — Even if it is just wadding up old proposal papers and pitching them into the burn box. This exercise may also feel cathartic.
  5. Take a Walk in the Woods — My all-time favorite. There have been many research studies indicating that being in calm, green space can reduce mental fatigue.

If you have any remedies for fighting proposal brain, please send them to us!