How to Manage Brain Fog

Oh, brain fog, what a funny term for a rather serious situation. If you’ve ever struggled with this phenomenon, then you know what I mean.

To go from clear-headed and focused to feeling frazzled, distracted, and dazed is never fun. I have my own personal experience with brain fog began with my hepatitis C struggle.

Having difficulty concentrating

In the years before my diagnosis, I couldn’t figure out why my mind was suddenly having such a hard time with daily tasks. I noticed the difference in my school work, motivation, proactivity, and memory retention.

Suddenly small tasks took me forever to do because I’d continuously lose focus or not have the mental capacity to think straight. I’d have to review everything I read because the words were drifting right away the moment I read them.

In conversation with others, I’d find myself blank on how to respond or what to say because my mind was fuzzy. The list goes on, and perhaps you’re thinking of times like this in your life.

Thankfully for us all, brain fog isn’t a lifelong diagnosis and can be improved with simple lifestyle changes and daily practices.

Meditation for brain fog

We’ve all heard about the benefits of meditation, but if you’re like me, it might take some time before you try it. My first experience with meditation was to help with this very phenomenon we’re discussing, brain fog.

I found that moving my body for 15-30 minutes each morning (to get the physical energy flowing) and then following that with a 2-5 minute meditation session helped me have a focused start to my day. The best results with any practice come from consistency, and that’s certainly true with this one.

Try to meditate for 2 - 5 minutes each day for a week and reflect on how you feel by day seven. You might be surprised at the improved clarity, focus, and general peace you feel mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Moving your body for mental clarity

With brain fog, your mind may either feel slow and sluggish or frantic and frazzled. Either way, moving your body and clearing energy through the body can be a beneficial way to settle the mind.

Whether it’s a walk outside, a quick stretch of the body, yoga, running, or even cleaning your home, finding a task that gets your body moving and allows your mind to wander may help.

Let your body move without overthinking it too much and direct your focus on the mind instead. What do you need to accomplish? Where do you need to focus?

Get all the physical energy out through moving and then let the mental energy pour into whatever task, action, or process you need to complete.

Write down your thoughts for a clear mind

Whether you’re struggling with brain fog or not, we all have a lot happening in our minds. Finding a way to express all the thoughts and emotions running through us can help clear the way for what matters.

Try writing it all out when you find yourself struggling to get through a foggy or frazzled mindset. Grab a pen and paper and start writing.

Whatever thoughts are stuck in your mind, whatever worries are making you anxious, any distractions lingering in your head, write it all out onto paper until you feel some relief. This might look like free-form writing with no rhyme or reason to it.

Or it might be in a list format of what’s on your mind or what must do. However, you do it, getting those thoughts off your mind and onto the paper can help alleviate the pressure of brain fog.

Just like with most things in life, know that you’re not alone in these struggles. Reach out to friends, loved ones, therapists, and other professionals if you need extra support.