We’re all feeling a little overwhelmed right now with the situation of the globe. According to Jessica Caldwell, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist and the director of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic, this can lead to some fuzzy-brain moments. “It’s easy to believe that brain fog only occurs in the elderly, but I see it in patients of all ages—and stress is a proven cause,” she adds.
Take, for example, Delia Lewis*, a marketing strategist from Manalapan Township, New Jersey. Delia began to feel a bit foggy three months into the COVID-19 epidemic. Instead of returning emails, she’d settle down at her new home office workstation and start doom-scrolling. Tasks that she used to complete in 10 minutes now took an hour. She had to type furiously during talks with her manager in order to recall her to-do lists. “Normally, I can keep all the balls in the air,” Delia explains. “Now I’m thinking, ‘What did you expect me to do?'”
According to experts, stress is unquestionably a significant cause of that fuzzy feeling. According to Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D., chief director of the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas, “in fact, being frazzled creates toxins that can build up in your brain and impact your ability to focus, concentrate, and remember multiple things.” She continues, “We all engage in activities that wear down the brain, and then we wonder why we are no longer as clear-headed as we used to be.” We know that we need to rest when our bodies are worn out.” However, when we are tired, we tend to struggle. However, the longer you ignore brain fog, the worse it gets and the more likely it is that you will continue to have ineffective days and frequent “it’s on my tongue” moments.
On the other hand, you will begin to feel clearer in a short amount of time if you begin implementing straightforward strategies that will rest your gray matter. According to Chapman, “science has shown the surprising truth that you actually can do more to make your brain healthy than any other part of your body.” How to do it?
What precisely is brain fog?
Delia put it down to Zoom meeting fatigue, not being able to blow off steam at the gym, and the sudden lack of socializing with friends when she started feeling less sharp and more distracted than usual. She believed that a little extra time and sleep would help her adjust to our new normal. However, when her symptoms persisted, she went to the doctor, who told her that she probably had brain fog. This is not a precise diagnosis; rather, it is a term that many people use when they feel hazy, less sharp, or have trouble focusing. According to Caldwell, additional symptoms include being more forgetful than usual and being sluggish when attempting to recall information. “It’s almost like you can feel your brain chugging but not firing on all cylinders,” she says.
Gayatri Devi, M.D., a clinical professor of neurology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and an attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, adds that there is a physiological explanation for its prevalence. Only 10,000 to 20,000 of the trillions of neurons in your brain produce the neuropeptide orexin, which is one of several circuits that keep us awake and alert, according to research. Dr. Devi says, “It’s amazing that such a small number of nerve cells control our wakefulness and arousal, and it’s easy to see how this part of the brain system could be easily affected.” The good news is that being alert is hard-wired into our brains. We are able to respond so quickly to our surroundings because of that. However, the reason why brain fog can be so disorienting and stressful can be explained by the fact that such clarity is our brain’s default mode.
Lila Jones, a wellness coordinator for a nonprofit who has dealt with brain fog for a few years, says, “When my brain fog is bad, I feel totally overwhelmed way sooner than I otherwise would.” I’m not as good at multitasking in conversation, driving is more stressful, and everything just gets harder to do. It just gives me the impression that my brain is in molasses, which is not fun.
What causes brain fog?
According to Chapman, there are a variety of factors that can cause confusion in your mind. Delia became a little anxious when her brain fog started to set in and nothing she tried—more sleep, meditation, even a week off from work—seemed to help: I began to wonder if I was truly ill.
Although brain fog is not listed as a COVID-19 symptom, Delia’s doctor made sure to rule it out because some infections, like the novel coronavirus, can cause brain fog. Dr. Devi explains, “Reduced oxygen flow to the brain and fever can lead to mental impairment, so it’s especially common in upper respiratory infections.” Despite the fact that brain fog is not a typical symptom of COVID, it can occur, and we are seeing it as an ongoing problem for those who are recovering.
It turns out that many of us are dealing with or will be dealing with the following issues at some point in the future, which are the most likely causes of brain fog:
Stress
The human body is incredible at adjusting to stress. The brain releases a cascade of neurochemicals and hormones to help us mobilize when we perceive danger (hello, fight-or-flight mode!). However, according to Caldwell, this cocktail is only intended to circulate through our bodies for a predetermined amount of time, and these substances wear out our brains when they persist for an excessive amount of time. “Your brain eventually gets a message that says, Let’s shut this stress hormone release down—there’s no acute threat anymore,” she says. “That’s why there’s a feedback loop built into the system.”
The hippocampus, which is in charge of taking in new information and consolidating it into long-term memory storage, is one part of the brain that receives this shutoff signal. Unfortunately, the brain stays in protection mode and doesn’t get the message to turn off that stress hormone cascade when stress becomes chronic, such as when trying to work from home, homeschool your children, and navigate the world during a global health pandemic. The outcome: The hippocampus wears out, and over time, its cells start to die. As a result, this important part of the brain starts to get smaller, and brain fog can happen.
Not enough sleep
Because it makes you feel less alert, this is one of the main causes of brain fog. Caldwell adds that if you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to benefit from the important brain cleansing that occurs when you sleep soundly.
For instance, a study published in the scientific journal Science found that the ebb and flow of blood and electrical activity during sleep actually causes cleansing waves in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, leading researchers to refer to sleep as the “rinse cycle” of the brain. According to Caldwell, “sleep is when your brain reviews new information and consolidates it, assisting you in forming more stable, long-term memories.” It’s a time when the brain gets rid of things it doesn’t need. Bonus: According to research, this cycle also removes amyloid, the substance that causes Alzheimer’s, from the brain.)
Menopause
Although mood swings and night sweats are common symptoms of perimenopause, Dr. Devi says that brain fog is a major symptom that is frequently ignored. She claims, “I’ve actually had patients misdiagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease when in fact it was menopausal brain fog.”
Estrogen provides the female brain with a significant advantage in a number of ways prior to this hormonal transition. Do you remember the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for speech and memory? A large number of estrogen receptors are also found there. Dr. Devi suggests thinking of those receptors as tiny estrogen docking sites distributed throughout the hippocampus. Caldwell adds, “When estrogen levels drop during perimenopause, those sites don’t get what they’ve been relying on for a long time. As a result, the brain has to adjust, which can make it feel like you’re in a fog.” Your brain is figuring out how to function without the estrogen it used to have.
Medication side effects
Brain fog can be caused by a variety of medications, including prescription migraine and seizure medications and over-the-counter sleep and allergy medications. According to Caldwell, if you combine any of these drugs with alcohol, even a single moderate glass of wine per night, you might feel even less clear.
Medical conditions
Brain fog can sometimes be caused by a health problem like a head injury, problems with the thyroid, or the early stages of multiple sclerosis. Despite the fact that these cases are much less common, it is important to pay attention to any indications that your muddled mind could be caused by something more serious. See “When Is Brain Fog a Warning Sign?” for more information. below.)
Treatment and prevention of brain fog
When you’re in the grip of brain fog, you may convince yourself that it will pass on its own. “It’s critical not to just say, Oh, well, I’m a bit fuzzy today—tomorrow will be better,” Chapman advises. “The brain is a wonderful mechanism that will rebound, but the issue is, will it return to the same level? It is critical to take aggressive steps to assist.” Consider the following suggestions:
Take charge of your stress response.
“It’s easy to fall into a mindset where everything is awful and there’s nothing you can do about stress,” Caldwell adds. “However, if you carefully look at what’s causing you the most anxiety, you could find items you can take off your plate or new strategies to deal.” Even merely identifying what’s bothering you will help you improve how you deal with the difficult situations that life will surely throw at you. Even better, it will assist your brain in turning off the stress hormone cascade that wears down your hippocampus.
Get your sleep regimen down pat.
What is excellent for the heart (read: exercise!) is also beneficial for the brain. According to Dr. Devi, this is due to up to 40% of your heart’s blood traveling to your brain. “It demonstrates how much energy your brain demands and how much it depends on your heart to obtain that energy.” If your heart is not effectively pumping blood, your brain will not receive the oxygen-rich blood it need to sustain memory function and attention. Exercise also boosts your mood and decreases stress. “Exercise is a terrific choice if you can do one thing to obtain several advantages when it comes to avoiding or curing brain fog,” adds Caldwell.
Check in with your brain
Try the “five by five” exercise that Chapman recommends to all of her patients: Set an alarm for five times during the day to halt all brain activity (don’t even meditate!) and just be in the moment for five minutes. You could close your eyes and relax, or you could sit outdoors and gaze at the trees. Go for a stroll and zone out (without listening to a podcast!). “The greatest method to reset your brain is to do nothing for five minutes,” explains Chapman.
Put an end to multitasking.
Multitasking may make you feel very productive, but it really irritates your brain, slowing it down, according to Chapman. Instead of attempting to juggle numerous tasks at once, concentrate on one objective at a time—and make it achievable in 30 minutes.
Every day, overthink one thing.
“Thinking deeply is like doing push-ups for your brain,” adds Chapman. Spend 15 minutes thinking about an intriguing item you read online and how you may apply it to your life. Instead than reviewing the narrative of a movie with your spouse, discuss its meaning and how it relates to your life. According to Chapman’s research, when people engage in deeper levels of thought, they improve the speed of connection throughout the brain’s central executive network by 30%, which is where decision-making, planning, goal-setting, and clear thinking occur. “It’s like restoring nearly two decades of neuronal function,” Chapman adds.
Excite your brain
Your brain actually despises the same old ways of thinking and acting. According to Chapman, this means that coming up with new ideas is the best way to stimulate your gray matter. Norepinephrine, a brain chemical that makes us excited to learn, is made as a result of this. Simple actions can be beneficial. Try a new approach to a task you’ve done a thousand times at work. Try a new route to the grocery store or change the music you play as you walk around your neighborhood during your downtime.
When Delia Lewis’s brain fog got really bad, she started baking banana bread like the other people in quarantine. She says that spending time in the kitchen gave her a surprise boost of joy and a chance to turn her brain away from the stress and worry.
She states, “Baking has become a chance to give my brain a break.” In addition, it helps me feel like I have accomplished something on days when I don’t get enough done at work. Additionally, this has contributed to her overall feeling more sharp.