Brain fog has been killing my ability to be productive lately.
By 9 am, I have a constant headache, don’t feel rested, and my energy is low.
I need to find a way out. This is my exploration of how.
Brain fog is not actually a medical condition but a collection of symptoms that mix together to give a general feeling of mental sluggishness, forgetfulness, and you’re “just not as sharp.”
It’s an awful feeling, though. If you’re like me and value getting into flow daily and pushing yourself to your limits, brain fog is like trying to drive on the highway with the parking brake on. There are constantly two battles going on:
The battle with trying to focus on doing the work you love.
The battle just to get back to a baseline of feeling alright enough to do the bare minimum.
What I want to explore is my plan of attack. If it can help someone else in the least bit, that will be amazing. Because I know that there are many of us out there dealing with similar symptoms.
As I’m still in the testing phase of figuring out a way out, this post will be broken up into three parts.
In Part 1, we’ll look at common causes of brain fog and my baseline for creating a plan to beat brain fog.
Part 2 will be the results of establishing a baseline and the practices to help.
Part 3 will get into long-term planning to keep brain fog away.
The Common Causes of Brain Fog
There are at least 10 common causes of brain fog that are important to be aware of when trying to figure out what’s going on for yourself:
Sleep deprivation or poor quality sleep
Interrupted or insufficient deep sleep can impair memory, focus, and mood.
Chronic stress and anxiety
Stress hormones like cortisol disrupt normal brain function, especially in the brain regions that help us to rationalize and process information.
Inflammation or immune response
Low-grade inflammation, often from poor diet, autoimmune issues, or chronic illness, can affect brain function.
Blood sugar imbalances
Skipping meals or consuming too much sugar can lead to energy crashes and cognitive dips.
Nutrient deficiencies
Especially the nutrients that support energy pathways in our body, like vitamin B12, D, magnesium, omega-3s, and iron.
Sedentary lifestyle
Physical inactivity reduces circulation and oxygen flow to the brain. This alone can cause that foggy brain feeling.
Hormonal imbalances
Thyroid issues, adrenal fatigue, perimenopause/menopause, and andropause can all contribute.
Toxins or mold exposure
Environmental toxins or mold can impact cognitive clarity.
Overstimulation / constant multitasking
Digital overwhelm and distraction can degrade focus over time. An extended period of grinding at work can wear down anyone.
Medications or substance use
Some medications (like antihistamines or antidepressants) can impair clarity. I’m not on any medications, so this is the least likely culprit for me, but important to keep on the list.
These causes are not new to us, and I’m sure every generation since the industrial revolution has dealt with this list more or less the same as us. In recent years, what we have seen change are certain circumstances like an increase in digital burnout and overstimulation from the ubiquity of tech use, as well as long COVID and the cluster of symptoms that are exacerbated by that.
But brain fog has been around for a couple of hundred years, although not so commonly talked about.
Brain fog itself first appeared in medical writing in the 19th century, where it was used to describe the conditions of patients recovering from what was then called “neurasthenia” and is now recognized as chronic fatigue. It remained a relatively unused term until the 1990s, when chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia started to gain awareness. In the past two decades, the usage of brain fog as a symptom has exploded, fueled by digital burnout, greater mental health awareness, and post-COVID symptoms.
Recognizing What Isn’t The Answer
Before diving into my approach, I want to acknowledge some common pitfalls that people (including myself) often fall into when dealing with brain fog. These mistaken strategies can actually make the situation worse and delay real recovery.
Pushing more stimulants
This can lead to further imbalances in sleep, nutrition, and gut health. Trying to battle brain fog by downing more coffee and other stimulants is like putting gasoline on a fire.
Ignoring the symptoms
It should go without saying, but ignoring the symptoms doesn’t work. Bottling up brain fog is likely to lead to worsening conditions like burnout.
Working harder
I often get stuck thinking that if I just work harder like all those who preach the grind mentality online, then I’ll be able to push through. Working harder is another short-term solution that will backfire.
Blaming instead of taking ownership
We can point the blame on whatever causes or symptoms we like, but at the end of the day, we still have to do something about it if we want to support ourselves and battle for a resolution to the brain fog symptoms.
A 3-Phase Approach To Lifting Brain Fog For Good
I have to do something about this. I want to feel boundless energy again. To wake up ready to tackle the day and not feel like a zombie by lunchtime.
Here’s how I plan to approach my battle with brain fog and get it out of my life.
Phase 1 - Establish a baseline
blood testing with SiPhox
track diet
measure sleep
assess activity and screen time
Reducing blue light exposure on screens
Like any good journey to make health changes, Phase 1 starts with exploring what my baseline looks like. I’m looking at any potential causes that overlap in my life with what can cause brain fog. I want to look closer at my diet for any nutritional clues, keep watch on my sleep and screen time, and update where I’m at with blood testing. It’s been a few years since I last had any blood testing done, and I think that I could be more up to date with it anyway.
I decided to go with SiPhox and their at-home testing because it’s more comprehensive than what most doctors are willing to do for me.
That’s where I’ll leave us today as I get ready to do the test and send it in for my results.
If you’re dealing with brain fog or wanting to get your health under control and understand better what’s going on, blood testing can be very insightful. SiPhox isn’t free, but it’s far more helpful than the basic blood panel your doctor will send you for. You can use my code to get 25% off your SiPhox test kit.
I’m also documenting the process so I can share a video once I’ve gone through it all.