Let’s talk Brain fog… Brain fog is one of those things that we all experience from time to time. It’s like a cloud that just appears out of nowhere and makes it hard to focus or think clearly. Something many of us think happens primarily because of menopause.
Yes, it could be, but it could be something else. While there are many potential causes, some common ones are stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, dehydration, and certain medications to name a few. If you’re suffering from brain fog, there are a few things you can do to help. We are going to dive into this and see what can be causing it and some ways I have to help with moving through brain fog, and hopefully, experience it a lot less!
What is brain fog?
Brain fog…. Have you ever lost your train of thought in the middle of an activity, or in the middle of a sentence and forgotten? Do you have trouble focusing, difficulty paying attention, or trouble remembering details, names, places, and words? Slow reaction times, Overall fatigue and just feeling blah and frequently losing your train of thought? These are all symptoms of brain fog, and you can be experiencing some of these things or all of them! And I don’t know about you, but this can get very frustrating from time to time! It’s no wonder so many of you are looking for a way out!
What could be causing brain fog?
This could happen regularly, or from time to time for many of us. The reasons why you experience brain fog vary from person to person. For some, the cause of brain fog can be from all of these or just 1 or 2 things. Or you may know right away after reading this, what in your life is causing the brain fog. But for others, it could take some investigation to find the cause. Here is a list of some of the things that could be causing brain fog.
● Food-related: It could be what your diet is like, or you may be consuming too much sugar or processed foods, toxins, etc.
● Low-fat diets: Our brains need fat in our diet in order to function and think the way they were created to.
● Food allergies or sensitivities.
● Too much electronic use: social media, TV, computers, etc.
● Overloaded at work
● Stressed
● Menopause or pregnancy: Think pregnancy brain!
Here are ways you can use to help fight brain fog!
SLEEP!
Ladies, we need 7-8 hours of sleep a night! Our brain is our main computer, and you need to reset it every night to keep working at our best! There are a sequential series of things that happen while you sleep. If I cut out that sequence before it runs, I won’t work . So, you need our beauty sleep!
Medications may cause brain fog.
Check with your doctor and see if there are some you take that may be causing this. Especially if you notice this sudden change since starting a medication, or it is listed as a side effect.
Hydrate.
Check your daily intake. Keep track of how much water you get on a daily basis. Is it enough? Then, drink one more glass than you did today! And this is not coffee. Coffee is not hydrating.
Are you a smoker?
If you are smoking… be mindful of that as this can most definitely cause brain fog!
Alcohol.
What is your alcohol consumption looking like these days? I will not tell someone to not drink, but how much are you drinking a night? Can we scale back? Can we drink every other day? Can you drink fewer glasses?
Take a look at your diet.
Are there places in our diet where we can be “healthier”? Are we consuming a lot of processed foods and sugary foods? What is the amount of times you are eating processed foods throughout the day?
There are also certain foods that cannot be processed by certain people. (gluten, dairy, corn, soy, etc) Remove something for 14-30 days and TRACK how you feel. Do this and see if your brain fog goes away. From there you can start to make better decisions.
Eat as organically as possible.
Eat based on your budget but DO YOUR BEST. I won’t say you NEED to eat organic all the time. But do what you can! Remove as many toxins as you can from your foods.
Increase your antioxidants.
Antioxidants help you to work through oxidative stress. They also will increase longevity and help fight aging and stress.
Reduce your sugar.
Look at what you are having. How much are you having? Read the labels because that stuff is in everything! I’m asking you to go sugar free but reduce what you are eating.
Decrease stress.
Listen to my podcasts for ways to alleviate stress. That has tons of ways to decrease your stress levels and help you to recharge. ! So, take a power nap during the day!
Exercise.
This isn’t about “go big or go home”. It’s more about you just getting in at least 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 days a week, ideally strength training. Or can you simply go on a walk around the block?
Coffee.
Does it cause you brain fog? I will never say no to coffee, but maybe scale back on your coffee consumption. Is it tapped into your vein? LOL! This may be the source of brain fog through the end of the day.
Breathwork.
Just did a podcast on this last week! This helps to rewire my brain. Something as simple as taking a nice big inhale for 4 seconds, holding it for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds can totally change how you feel! I can do this for 2-3 rounds at my desk or in the car and no one has to know.
Do something you’ve never done before and break up the routine.
So many of us get caught up in the “this is what I do this is how I do it.” A lot of us don’t break free of it. When we do something different, it helps to stimulate new brain cells. Keep them clear and active. This can be as simple as changes or shifts in that routine By doing this, it keeps your mind percolating!
Electronics.
I am guilty of this. I am guilty of the scroll. But let’s try and make a conscious effort to reduce this and reduce our time in front of screens. Create a setting to shut down the phone and apps after a certain amount of time. Or after a certain time of the day. Then you can find some balance between always being on.
Get out in nature.
How much can you get out there and simply just be in nature? Breathe deeply and start to feel more attuned to nature. It has a way of refreshing everything. Try doing your breathwork while you are outside and see how amazing it feels and how clear you get!
With practice, you can learn to control your brain fog and take back control of your life. So don’t let brain fog get in the way – take the steps you need to tackle it head-on and live the life you want. Never let brain fog stop you from doing what you want to do. Every day is a chance to get things done and thrive. There are plenty of things you can do to figure out what is causing this brain fog! So, I want you to get clear with it so you can eliminate that brain fog and just start feeling better!
What are your thoughts on brain fog? Is it happening to you? Has it always been a brain fog thing? Or ever since you turned 40? What have you found that helps you with brain fog? Let me know in the comments below!
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