Brain fog

Post Reply New Topic

Can you guys give me recommendations on how to work through brain fog?
I have been having an especially difficult time focusing lately, and I have assignments to do.
Trying to assemble my thoughts is like trying to snatch pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that have been swept up in a tornado in severely foggy weather.

What is your brainfog caused by? Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome or something else?

To really focus at this point in my life I have to be in a room with no electronics, no cell phone, tablet, laptop, PC or TV and then I have to wear these:



My mind wanders and always has. It's slowed down now that I'm older, but when I was young, it would jump from thought to thought at lightening speed like some sort of supercomputer skipping. Not only is it hard for me to concentrate, my brain is always listening for sound (that's why I need the headphone things).

Even so, concentrating on things as simple as reading is hard for me as far is comprehension is concerned because I'll read a paragraph, but while I'm reading the paragraph, I'll have been thinking of something else. I then have to reread the paragraph, paying a bit more attention, but still I'll have been thinking of something other than the text. Finally after a certain number of tries, I'll be like: "HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO THIS NOW!! !" and really focus. Only then will I comprehend what I'm reading.

It depends on the cause...

Long term working/functioning over your limits: there is no quick fix. Continuous brain fog that gets worse over multiple weeks time might be a very early warning of upcoming burnout.

Brain fog as a recent symptom:
What helps for me:
Very occasionally (Don't make this a habit or it will lose effect) drink good espresso or strong coffee.
Avoid sugar.
Get lots of daylight in the morning, ideally combined with aerobic activity (running, walking the dog).
Ritalin was my most powerful brain fog solution. (It is a dangerous one in my opinion.) Be careful because as a stimulant, you might not feel the need for recovery time. Ritalin use was a contribution to my burnout which took a long time to recover from.

Wake up your senses with other preferred stimulating sensory activities (stims etc).

I look forward to other people's coping strategies. Brain fog often is my main cause of unproductivity!

If my brain is fogging up, the only real solution for me is rest. Interestingly, I remember reading that watching TV and playing video games does not "rest" your brain. So when I say rest, I really do mean rest. I will read until I fall asleep.

If I am spacing out, it is usually because whatever the activity is, I am bored. Solution, find something else to do and minimize as much of the boring activities of life as possible. For my work, I have to attend continuing education from time to time, in person. I sit in an unobtrusive place and work on my computer. If I were actually forced to listen to 8 hours of BS, it would drive me totally bananas.

Cutting out gluten helped me a lot for a while.
I know my brain fog gets a lot worse when it's warm out.
Dehydration + inflammation probably causes mine. Ibuprofin helps a bit, but I've never liked to rely on drugs for anything, so I don't take it often.

As someone else mentioned, exercise usually helps a lot, but it's hard to get that kind of motivation during a fog.

According to the internet:
What is brain fog?
Brain fog isn't a medical condition itself, but rather a symptom of other medical conditions. It’s a type of cognitive dysfunction involving:
* memory problems
* lack of mental clarity
* poor concentration
* inability to focus
Some people also describe it as mental fatigue. Depending on the severity of brain fog, it can interfere with work or school. But it doesn't have to be a permanent fixture in your life.
The article then goes on to describe 6 causes of Brain Fog.
6 Possible Causes of Brain Fog

When I was young I was a poor reader. Many times I lost track during the second or third sentence in a paragraph and have to reread it again and again and again. When I entered my first year of high school, they noticed I had difficulty in this area and put me in a type of special class to remediate the condition. It turns out that this class today would be called a class in Speed Reading. It taught approaches or shortcuts on absorbing written information. I didn't like the class but I am a very effective reader today.

Another person suggested that when it came to absorbing written material, that speaking the words aloud or allowing your lips to move to read the material silently really helped. That also in my opinion helps with the written word.

I also place blank notepads in my home and car for me to write down my thoughts when my mind is moving a hundred miles a second. That helps me immensely.

Aspies are easily distracted by sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch. Therefore it is important to block out these distractors as much as possible. In a crowded environment, I sometimes need to watch the lips of the person speaking in order to absorb what that person is saying over all the noisy background sounds. It is a little like lip reading.

I have chronic fatigue syndrome and I have brain fog most of the time, it really is horrible to live with. I love learning new things, reading about and studying interesting topics and now I can't do it. It varies how severe it is, but my mind is never clear. Having all the challenges that comes with autism, my mind was really the one thing that was my strenght, so it is hard to adjust to. For me it gets worse with more social and sensory input.

I have found the only thing that really helps is rest. And I mean no TV, computer, reading or anything, your brain needs rest. For me I have to do it several times a day regularly. If my brain is really foggy it takes a long time to get somewhat better.

^ I have cfs too, I relate a lot to that.
I have a prescription of selegiline, it's used for Parkinson's disease to enhance concentration. Works fine. I still have brainfog days but usually if I've done too much socializing or slept poorly.

Do you eat a lot of fried food? Food high in fat, that's fried, can clog up your blood vessels and the brain needs a regular blood supply for oxygen and nutrients. That's one possible cause.