How to Overcome Brain Fog
Do you have difficulty concentrating for a long time? Find it hard to make decisions? Are you more forgetful these days? If this sounds like you, you may be experiencing symptoms of brain fog.
Forgetfulness, confusion, and a lack of mental clarity can impact your work and home life. While there is no single underlying cause of brain fog, it's thought that it's caused by hormonal imbalances as well as high levels of inflammation.
Though brain fog can be extremely frustrating, relief is possible! Here are some tips and tricks to try in order to give your brain a much needed boost.
Figure Out the Cause
Brain fog can be caused by many different factors. But by tracing it back to the source as best as you can, you can figure out the best way to address it.
More often than not, brain fog is caused by temporary sources of stress. An impending deadline or non-stop tasks at work can both lead to mental fatigue. High levels of cortisol is known to wreak havoc on the brain.
Brain fog caused by temporary sources of stress often fixes itself, once the situation has calmed down and you’re less
Long-term stress and anxiety can also cause brain fog, but pinpointing the sources isn't always easy.
Do Something You Enjoy Each Day
Stress happens, and sadly it tends to happen more often than we'd like it to. Being an adult is hard, and with so many responsibilities, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. So many of us lose focus of ourselves and make no time to do things that make us happy.
Make it a point to set aside time for self-care and relaxation. If you don't spend time doing likes you enjoy, your life is going to become more stressful.
Set aside at least 30 minutes each day to do something you enjoy. Read a book. Take a quick hike. Spruce up your garden. Practice yoga and breathing exercises.
Spending time each day doing something that you love gives your brain a chance to recharge and rejuvenate.
Exercise More Often
Physical activity has endless benefits. Moving throughout the day not only helps to keep you physically healthy, but exercise can also improve cognition, docs, and memory, which are the most common symptoms of brain fog.
Exercise has shown to offer many brain-boosting benefits, including:
- Increasing blood flow to the brain
- Improving memory and reaction time
- Improving sleep quality
Staying physically active doesn't mean that you have to hit the gym for hours each day. Something as simple as yoga or taking a brisk walk outside gets your heart and the endorphins pumping.
Get More Sleep at Night
Not getting enough sleep at night impairs your ability to think clearly and to concentrate. While it's okay to have a bad night's sleep here and there, not getting the proper amount of rest shouldn't be a routine occurrence.
Regularly not getting enough sleep can have all sorts of negative side effects, including irritability, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating.
As a rule of thumb, try to get no less than seven hours of sleep each night. But this number is just a baseline, and you may not need more in order for your brain to work at optimal levels.
Take Brain-Boosting Supplements
Supplements aren’t just for improving your physical health. In fact, there are tons of supplements that are made with a blend of brain-boosting ingredients to support and improve your brain function and health.
At Elm & Rye, we sell several products that support the brain and cognitive health, including:
- Nootropics
- Fish oil
- Krill oil
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Caffeine
When combined with other lifestyle changes, supplements can have a noticeable impact on your mental clarity, focus, and concentration. Before adding any supplement to your daily care regimen, be sure to first discuss with your doctor.
Final Thoughts
Stop letting brain fog impact your life. By getting more sleep, exercising, and taking supplements that support brain health and cognition, you’ll notice that you feel more focused and alert. This means that you can be more productive at home and at work.
Making the necessary changes to minimize brain fog symptoms, you may even notice improvements in other aspects of your health as well.