How to beat brain fog when it is clouding your thinking

Losing track of your thoughts? Misplaced your car keys – again? Brain fog can happen to anyone – here’s what to do about it.

Whether you’ve got the memory of a goldfish or the attention span of a toddler, sometimes the brain just isn’t as sharp as you’d like.

Brain fog is exactly how it sounds – a cloud of symptoms that hang around and make everyday functioning seem like a struggle.

What is brain fog?

This pesky condition can have you feeling lethargic, unfocused, tired and struggling to remember where you left the car keys.

Associate Professor Jacqueline Anderson from the University of Melbourne says brain fog is basically unclear thinking.

“You may be more distracted than usual, have trouble remembering words or staying focused,” Prof Anderson says.

“Occasionally people can experience a severe slow in information processing – so the speed with which neurons are communicating.”

To help discern brain fog from general fatigue, Professor Anderson likens it to that jet-lagged, post-flight feeling.

“It’s like when you come off a long-haul flight and are exhausted,” she says.

“You can’t think clearly and have trouble making decisions.”

• Long Covid: What happens when coronavirus lingers?

What are common causes of brain fog?

All this mental lethargy is usually caused by one of two factors, according to Prof Anderson.

“Mostly, it’s associated with attentional disruption,” she says.

So maybe you’ve taken on too much at work or are still finding your groove after a big life change.

“Anything that really disrupts the attentional system in the long term,” Prof Anderson says.

“For example, being overwhelmed, overcommitted, stressed or sleep deprived.

“It can also come from hormonal changes in the late stages of pregnancy.”

Otherwise, brain fog could be the side effect of a health issue.

“There are lots of varied causes, but only some are medically concerning,” Prof Anderson explains.

“Things like a concussion or chemotherapy treatment can cause brain fog too.”

In some, brain fog is a lingering effect of Covid.

Not just affecting the respiratory system, a recent study on those with long Covid syndrome (LCS) found that seven per cent reported brain fog.

In a bid to understand why Covid can cause brain fog, a study from Swinburne University of Technology and La Trobe University found LCS shares characteristics with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

“We showed that fragments of proteins from SARS-CoV-2 readily form aggregated clumps (known as amyloids),” lead author Dr Mirren Charnley says.

“They look similar to amyloid deposits (e.g. amyloid plaques) seen in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

While more work needs to be done, this link has opened the research door for future LCS and brain fog treatments.

• Not thinking straight: Reasons you may have ‘brain fog’

How to prevent brain fog

It’s a largely subjective condition, which is why Professor Anderson says prevention is based on the cause.

For tired parents:

“If it’s something in your life causing extreme fatigue, then it’s about putting things in place to get more sleep,” she says.

“It might be seeking support from family or friends to mind the kids.”

For work stress:

“If you’re overwhelmed and can’t attend to basic things outside of work, then that’s affecting your health.

“So that might be asking your boss to delegate tasks or simply asking for help.”

For an existing health issue:

“If you’re experiencing brain fog while recovering from a health issue or concussion, it’s really important you recognise that as an indicator to recover at a slower pace.

“Get lots of rest and have breaks between doing different things, rather than trying to do things in one go over a number of hours.”

For the mysterious symptoms:

“If there are no environmental or personal factors affecting your daily life, then it’s a good idea to get checked out by your GP.”

Written by Hayley Hinze.