How do you prevent cognitive chess-meltdowns (in which you easily drop 100+ rating points)?

@sparowe14 if "form" = "chess brain" your comment makes perfect sense, and I esp. like your reference to "natural rhythm" (that's when your mojo is working, too) – so, what's this all about?

It also has something to do with "freshness" to the game, by which I mean not being in a rut of making standard moves, but you actually look at the position and look for fresh ideas. Amazing how many times I have started to make the next move I already had stored in my brain, and then said, but wait, I can win a piece this way or checkmate this way, some opportunity that popped up that I had not anticipated. If you feel a pressure to go ahead and make a move, you will select from a narrow range of choices, rather than looking at things anew.
Funny, how you cannot make your mojo work. You cannot force it or coax it or control it. It has to come in of its own accord. The most you can do is create inviting conditions. Basketball players call it being "in the zone" when you are playing surprisingly well without apparent effort.
Only in the past year have I been using a computer to analyze my games. My most startling observation is how often there is a great move that I did not see, did not even consider. My recent efforts to improve center around looking at a wide range of possible moves before choosing one. Sometimes they are sitting there like easter eggs, waiting to be found.

This is right on. Freshness to the game matters . . . a lot!

@Elmerson zen mind, beginner's mind

you've got this stuff down pat