Can’t Think Straight? 3 Causes of Brain Fog

“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” ~ Bruce Lee

What is Brain Fog?

Brain fog is generally characterized by symptoms like mental fatigue, lack of focus or clarity, forgetfulness, and many others.

A common phrase uttered by someone suffering from brain fog would be, “I feel like my head is in a dense cloud.”

Whether it’s for a short period of time or a daily battle, brain fog can severely limit your productivity, concentration, and overall feelings of wellness.

3 Common Causes of Brain Fog

Here are 3 common causes of brain fog - and a possible resolution:

1. Poor Sleep

Lack of sleep is directly linked to poor brain function.

One night of bad sleep or a few nights in a row may not have much of an effect, but chronic poor sleep can wreak havoc on your brain’s ability to perform at the level it is capable of.

Depending on your age and sleep history, consider trying for 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

It’s important to note here that if you don’t currently have a way of tracking your sleep, this may be a good place to start.

Using a sleep-tracking device like a wearable wristband or ring can help you better understand your sleep. If you know what’s happening, you’re able to make better adjustments.

2. Poor Nutrition

What you put in will greatly influence what you get out. Often, we don’t immediately recognize the effects of how we eat, especially on our brains.

Eating foods such as processed sugars, dairy, and gluten can cause an increased inflammatory response in the body and brain. In turn, this limits your brain’s ability to do what it needs to do, often leaving you feeling unable to focus.

If you’re regularly experiencing brain fog, consider talking with your primary care physician about potential nutritional changes.

3. Stress

Not all stress is bad. Some forms of stress can actually be productive and good.

However, chronic stress, left unmanaged, can cause serious damage – especially to the brain.

When you’re in a state of chronic stress, everything in the body and brain is working on basic survival, often referred to as “fight or flight.”

In this state, senses are often heightened to meet the real or perceived demand.

This can be all well and good when appropriately implemented. However, staying in this mode for an extended period of time without rest can severely hurt the brain’s ability to function.

Simply put, when your brain is exhausted, it doesn’t perform well.

If you’re struggling with brain fog and you notice you’re under constant stress, consider implementing stress management techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or light exercise.

How to Resolve Brain Fog

Brain fog can feel extremely limiting both mentally and emotionally. If you’ve been struggling with this for some time, consider the following strategies for getting your focus back on track: