No, I think you're onto to something. Mental clarity and energy are issues that really affect my play. If I've had no sleep and no exercise, my chess play is often terrible; however, if I'm rested and I've had a good workout, I have the mental clarity to play well.
To sum up, I believe there are a number of factors in our lives that affect the strength of our chess playing.
Has any one else noticed that some days the problems come to you so clear and yet other days they appear to be hidden and harder then they should be?
I find the same thing when I play I seam to play to my opponents level. If I am playing a 1000 rated player I play at that level, yet when I play a higher rated play say a 1300 or 1400 I play much better............or am I just crazy?