If you went most of your life never hearing about brain fog, the COVID-19 pandemic probably changed that. Since 2020, public health officials have diligently communicated the symptoms of the virus, with brain fog being one of the more surprising of the bunch.
Not every person who contracts the coronavirus will experience brain fog. But for those who do, it can last up to six months after the rest of their symptoms disappear.
But brain fog isn’t a new phenomenon. Everything from your diet to your sleeping patterns can affect your brain’s daily functions.
Thankfully, the better you understand brain fog, the more you can do to prevent it. Let’s take a closer look at what it is, why it happens, and how you can overcome it.
What is brain fog?
There’s no single definition of brain fog because it isn’t a true medical condition. Rather, it refers to a set of cognitive symptoms that affect your ability to think. Common ones include:
When you have brain fog, you feel less sharp than usual. Everyday tasks and activities require more effort than they would otherwise. A foggy “haze” falls over you, making it difficult to access your thoughts or plan ahead.
Imagine how this would affect your productivity at work. Simple math calculations are difficult when you can’t recall a certain number, email attachments never reach their intended recipients, and typos slip through because you can’t focus on your document.
These tasks may have been easy for you before. But brain fog can turn avoidable mistakes into common occurrences.
What can cause a foggy brain?
Many factors could drive your mental haziness, ranging from mental illnesses to lifestyle choices. You may find one or many of these factors affect you. If you can identify them, you can take steps to address them.
Here are eight common brain fog causes:
1. Stress
Stress activates your body’s natural fight-or-flight response, which increases your blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate.
In small doses, this can help you stay sharp and motivated. But chronic stress, if left untreated, can wear you down and cause mental fatigue. And when your brain is tired, it’s more difficult to think, reason, and focus.
2. Lack of sleep
This one shouldn’t be surprising. Poor sleep quality can negatively affect your cognitive function. Insufficient sleep can:
- Slow down your thought processes
- Hurt your working memory
- Make learning difficult
- Slow your reaction times
- Negatively impact your mood
- Harm your mental health
Sleeping while stressed is difficult, but maintaining good sleep hygiene helps.
3. Hormonal changes
Bodily changes associated with pregnancy and menopause can cause brain fog.
During pregnancy, you can experience a major surge of hormones such as progesterone and estrogen. These spikes could affect your ability to think clearly — though scientists are still investigating the prominence of the "baby brain" among pregnant women and new moms.
Menopause can cause similar effects. In a study involving 200 women, 60% reported memory issues as their estrogen levels declined and their menstrual period stopped. Thankfully, the effects aren’t permanent — your memory, focus, and concentration should come back as your body settles.
4. Diet
Recent changes to your diet can also cause hazy thinking. If you recently switched to vegetarianism or veganism, you might have a Vitamin B12 deficiency. This can cause fatigue, poor memory, and confusion.
Food allergies and sensitivities can also influence your cognition. Removing trigger foods may help improve your symptoms.
5. Medical causes
If you have brain fog, it may be due to an underlying illness that’s zapping your energy. Try booking an appointment with your doctor so you can rule out health conditions like:
- Anemia
- Diabetes
- Thyroid problems (such as hypothyroidism)
- Lupus
- Arthritis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cancer
- Dementia/Alzheimer’s
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- COVID-19 infection or other viruses
Alternatively, your medications could be the culprit. For example, “chemo brain” is a common side effect and cause of brain fog for people undergoing cancer treatment. Your doctor may recommend lowering your dosage or switching to another drug to improve your symptoms.
If you’re worried about any of these conditions, see your doctor for a consultation.
6. Mental health disorders
You can also ask your doctor about depression and anxiety. Intrusive thoughts, chronic negativity, and constant worry use up valuable brain power, leaving very little left over for regular day-to-day functioning.
Adult ADHD could also explain your inability to focus. People with this condition feel constantly sidetracked, have difficulty completing tasks, and struggle with time management.
A mental health professional can work with you through diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management.
7. Lack of exercise
Regular physical activity is known to boost energy and cognitive function. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and can improve your sleep and reduce stress — two outcomes that can also help reduce brain fog.
Prioritizing your mental wellness can be difficult, especially if you’re used to working through your discomfort and soaking up stress. But exercise benefits your mental health immensely, and it’s worth making time in your schedule.
8. Information overload
Also known as digital overload, this phenomenon refers to the amount of multitasking we do on a regular basis. When you have 20 open browser tabs, endless email notifications, and a phone that’s buzzing nonstop, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This overstimulation can make you feel stressed and, as a result, contribute to brain fog.
How to clear brain fog
How you relieve your brain fog will depend on what caused it. For example, extra sleep will only get you so far if the true culprit is an underlying illness.
We recommend seeing a doctor if you’re worried about your cognition. If you’re feeling reluctant, you can try these at-home tactics first:
- Plan your days. Creating a routine and setting daily goals can help you stay motivated and focused throughout the day.
- Pace yourself. Avoid doing too much at once. Make time for breaks when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
- Exercise. The CDC recommends as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. This could be all you need to increase your energy levels.
- Get enough sleep. Set up a consistent sleep schedule and stick to it. Shut off your electronics one hour before bed, and make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature. You need 7–8 hours of sleep every night.
- Eat a balanced diet. Anti-inflammatory foods like tomatoes, fish, and broccoli can help reduce brain inflammation — one of the drivers of brain fog. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, add more sources of iron and Vitamin B12 to your diet to help this. Staying hydrated also helps maintain your brain function.
- Stay social. Humans are social creatures. Living in isolation can negatively impact your cognition over the long term. Participating in social activities could improve your mood, memory, and overall brain health.
- Reduce your screen time. Constantly juggling browser tabs could be taking a toll on your mental capacity. Try reducing your screen time with frequent breaks between tasks. This can help you avoid information overload.
- Prioritize your tasks. Organizing your work by order of importance minimizes the stress of having to complete them. Alternatively, you can complete your most energy-intensive tasks first. Then you can take a peaceful break knowing the most difficult work is already done.
- Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs. The substances impair your senses at the time of consumption. But more than that, excessive long-term use can lead to permanent long-term effects. Brain damage is a possible outcome of binge drinking, so avoid — or at least limit — excessive consumption.
Regain your mental clarity
Cognitive difficulties can be distressing — especially if you’re caught unaware. You may not want to talk about your mental health or cognitive struggles. And depending on your age, you may fear losing your independence due to memory loss and impairment.
But before you self-diagnose, remember that lifestyle plays a huge role here. Managing your stress, reducing social isolation, and improving your sleep are all things you can work on at home.
If these strategies don’t help, schedule a visit with your doctor. This can be a scary experience. But a common illness is more likely to cause brain fog than something more serious. In either case, seeing a healthcare provider will clarify your situation so you can work toward recovery.
Remember: information is power. Knowing what brain fog is, its causes, and how to treat it will help you sharpen your wits once again.
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