BRAIN FOG: WHEN THINKING FEELS HARDER THAN IT SHOULD

The period when you find yourself rereading a sentence, having trouble focusing, or struggling to find the right words even in everyday conversations. It's also the period when we say to our friends, "I am not talking because I feel blank or mentally sluggish, feeling cognitively slow even after a long sleep"; that’s brain fog. 

What is brain fog?

The term "brain fog", sometimes known as "mental fog", refers to a time when your thoughts seem more difficult, slow, or unclear than normal. A time when it's hard to focus, recall things, find the appropriate words, make decisions, or maintain mental organisation. It may occur as a sign of an underlying disorder, as a side effect of some drugs, or following an illness. Brain fog isn’t a medical diagnosis; rather, it's a cluster of cognitive experiences. 

The following are typical causes of brain fog:

• Insufficient sleep

• Immune system disorders

• Low blood sugar

• Mental health issues such as depression or anxiety

• Neurodivergent disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and ADHD

• When hormones fluctuate

• Poor diet

• Stress 

• Hydration

• Digital overload

• Information overload

• Social and environmental factors: Brain fog is not always a brain-only phenomenon.

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Work overload. 

• COVID-19

What does brain fog feel like?

• Indecisiveness

• A feeling that the mind is not functioning at an optimal level.

• Reduction in mental stamina

• Mental laziness or haziness

• Feeling mentally disconnected

• Difficulty focusing

• Forgetfulness

• Rereading the same sentence because it isn’t registering

• Brain takes longer than usual to process things

• You know what you want to say but can’t find the word.

Different patterns of brain fog?

• Acute Fog: Comes on suddenly over a short period of time, related to a trigger, such as a viral illness, a new medication, or a bad night of sleep.

• Chronic Fog: Prolonged mental fog or clouding of consciousness that persists for weeks or months; often associated with long-term metabolic or autoimmune diseases.

• Variable Fog: Episodes of mental clarity in fibromyalgia, lupus, or migraines.

• Progressive Fog: A slow decline of cognitive function over time that calls for a neurological evaluation.

• Post-exertional fog: Brain fog that flares up immediately after minor physical or mental activity.

What is happening in the brain during brain fog? 

1. STRESS > REDIRECT THE ATTENTION

When our body detects a threat, attention gets redirected towards survival, and that is why focusing, attention, or working memory feels harder. 

2. LACK OF SLEEP > POORER COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

Attention, memory consolidation, and executive functioning are all supported by sleep; hence concentration and mental sharpness can suffer if sleep is disrupted.

3. MENTAL OVERLOAD > REDUCTION IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

The bunch of stress, worries, decisions, notifications, or unfinished tasks sitting in our mind slows down our cognitive performance. 

What can you do about it? 

If you've been experiencing brain fog for a long time, see a doctor; otherwise, try to understand your pattern using the reflective tool provided and make adjustments as needed. 

Because brain fog is a symptom rather than a disorder, we can simply modify our lifestyle to better fit the pattern. 

1. Prioritise your sleep. 

2. A healthy and nutritious diet

3. Movement and Exercise

4. Take quick breaks while studying or working.

5. Seek help from a therapist.

6. Talk with a close friend or family member. 

7. Breathing exercises or meditation. 

Myths around brain fog

1. Myth: brain fog means a person is becoming less intelligent

Reality: Brain fog is difficulty with clarity, attention, memory, or processing. 

2. Myth: Brain fog is just laziness.

Reality: Brain fog is not laziness; it is rather associated with sleep deprivation, stress, illness, or medications

3. Myth: Brain fog means the person has ADHD.

Reality: Brain fog is nonspecific; hence, brain fog doesn’t prove any specific disorder. 

4. Myth: Brain fog means the person has a history of mental illness. 

Reality: Let’s break this myth with a case study:

In August 2021, a 28-year-old patient with no personal or family psychiatric history and no history of substance abuse complained of memory, attention, and executive function impairment, particularly verbal fluency, with absolutely normal clinical findings, except that the symptoms occurred after he presented with SARS-CoV-2 infection.    

Ref- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9567071/?utm_source.com

The solution to brain fog is not to push yourself harder but to understand what your brain is asking for, because it is a sign that your cognitive system is overloaded, sleep-deprived, or affected by something underlying, or that your body is reacting to something in your environment.

“Brain fog isn’t cognitive impairment but a reduction in cognitive performance affected by distinct factors in and outside the body."