Not too long ago, I was enduring a particularly severe bout of what I've come to call LW Fatigue. Feeling thick-headed and mildly depressed, I biked to my local hamburger joint, ordered food, and pulled a pen and pad out of my bag in case any thoughts came while I waited. After a minute, I idly began to trace the outline of the photo of a woman on the cover of my town's weekly alternative paper. The effect was immediate. My mental fatigue vanished and I experienced deep focus and a diminished sense of self.

I can draw decently, but I almost never do. I'm not sure why. It would probably be as good for me mentally as regular physical exercise is physically.

EDIT: My sense is that certain kinds of creative focus last longer than the anecdotal three hours. Does anyone know of research that supports this?