Is it really only Tuesday?

I have had quite the busy week so far. I am so ready for the weekend, yet it's only Tuesday! This is a problem.

I knew that the week would be busy going into it, but so far it's been even crazier than I anticipated. It started off badly enough, when I got barely any sleep on Sunday night. Monday was completely, off-the-chart crazy: wall-to-wall meetings, classes, and other commitments; students stopping by in varying levels of crisis; and the realization of several mid-week deadlines looming, related to things I committed to months ago. There were a few short breaks in there, but I was so completely brain-dead and physically exhausted that I couldn't make any progress on anything more taxing than reading emails. I came home last night and parked myself on the couch (thank god the Olympics are on!), too tired to think or move. My back hurt, my legs hurt....my brain hurt! It was awful.

Today was not much better: I felt like I was still recovering from the stress of the day before. It was difficult to concentrate. I did the bare minimum I needed to do: hit the most pressing deadlines, did minimal class prep, but I was mentally incapable of doing more. And I still feel physically exhausted too.

The hardest part is that on one level, there's lots that I want to get done this week. I'm excited about my research and need to get some things done and moving on that front. I have some ideas for class activities and topics that I need to read up on and prepare. So it's doubly frustrating that I'm incapable of doing anything on any front.

I need to get my motivation back. I need to shake off the mental exhaustion and the physical exhaustion first, though. A nice workout followed by a good night's sleep are usually enough to kick-start me back on the right track--and I'm going to need a good kick-start to get through the rest of this week, which will be at least as crazy as the first half.

What keeps you on track during your craziest times?