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Name: Reviews — POST https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_your_brain_foggy_here_are_five_ways_to_clear_it

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The other day, my friend Kristina told me that one evening she unintentionally
locked her husband in a downstairs part of their house. She had known he was
down there, but while distractedly locking the door for the night, forgot
completely. She didn’t realize what she’d done until she saw a text from her
husband the next morning asking her to please let him out.



“I couldn’t believe I did that to him,” she says. “I was stunned and alarmed
that I had no awareness, in the moment or afterward, of what I had done.”

Kristina’s is one of many stories I’ve recently heard from people suggesting
they’re having more trouble staying focused, making decisions, or remembering
things. I’ve experienced this myself—misplacing keys, forgetting appointments,
and leaving lights on in vacated rooms. When it comes to work, I’m less focused
and have trouble getting things done.


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Perhaps it’s because I spend so much time online, reading news, shopping,
working, even socializing via Zoom. When you’re constantly staring at a
screen—especially if you’re following events unfolding in Ukraine—you’re bound
to suffer stress and attention fatigue from information overload.

The emotional costs of the pandemic aren’t helping, either. It’s clear that
COVID-19 conditions have affected people’s stress levels, sleep, and mental
health—especially those who don’t deal well with uncertainty. This, in turn, has
affected our cognitive well-being, leading to poorer performance on tasks that
require attention, memory, or decision making.


Though the worst period of the pandemic may have passed—cases and deaths are
falling, and there’s no imminent danger of another shelter-in-place order—many
of us are still paying that cost in the form of “brain fog.” Researchers have
noted that living through the pandemic is negatively influencing people’s
cognition—their focus, attention, ability to plan, and more. Though the elderly
may be particularly vulnerable, many of us could be suffering some degree of
brain fog in the wake of recent events. Here are some steps you can take to
clear the fog away.



1. BECOME MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT CONSUMING NEWS


Whether we’re trying and failing to make plans, keeping up with the
ever-changing recommendations around COVID, or doomscrolling about climate
change or the war in Ukraine, it’s hard to avoid anxiety or catastrophizing
about the future. That’s going to impact our brains.

Unfortunately, newspapers, TV news programs, and many social media sites make
their money by grabbing your attention—and nothing grabs attention better than
negative news. But repeated exposure to crises wreaks havoc with our well-being
and can lead to bad decision making.

If we want to reduce stress and keep sharp, there are ways to tone down our
media consumption and be more intentional about how we consume our news. For
example, once you’ve read an update on what’s happening abroad in Ukraine, you
might skip watching 24-hour cable news where the same stories are repeated ad
nauseam. You might limit your use of social media, as doing so can help you feel
less lonely, depressed, and anxious.

In fact, taking breaks from technology, in general, could help you focus better
at work and elsewhere.


2. EXERCISE REGULARLY—OUTSIDE, IF YOU CAN

One of the best tools for stress-busting or fighting depression is exercise. But
it’s also important for thinking more clearly.

When we exercise, we encourage blood flow through our bodies, including our
brains, which need oxygenation to perform at their best. Sitting for long
periods of time without taking breaks to move has been tied to brain changes
associated with dementia, as well as poor cognitive functioning. Getting
exercise, on the other hand, is tied to better cognition—and even moderate
exercise can help us think more clearly and perform better on tasks requiring
focus.

If you have a park or open space nearby, try spending some time moving while in
green spaces (especially among trees). Research confirms that being out in more
natural settings is helpful for our well-being and has positive effects on our
cognition above and beyond those coming from exercise alone.


3. STAY CONNECTED TO OTHERS

The lack of socializing during COVID lockdowns may have been particularly hard
on people’s cognition.

 * MORE ON KEEPING YOUR BRAIN SHARP
   
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For example, in one study, researchers in Scotland tested the cognitive
functioning in 342 adults ages 18–72, starting when lockdown restrictions were
in place but easing over time. The participants performed online tasks that
measured their attention, memory, decision-making, time-estimation, and learning
skills; the researchers also measured how isolated they were. When comparing the
test results to the level of isolation they were experiencing, the researchers
found that cognition improved as people became less isolated and had
opportunities to socialize more.

Though some of this could have been due to other factors, like lack of exercise,
a recent review of many studies (pre-pandemic) confirms that socializing is
important for keeping yourself cognitively fit. It also found that loneliness
increases people’s vulnerability to cognitive decline, especially among the
elderly. So, it’s a good idea to try to find ways to be with others—safely, of
course—to keep your brain functioning well.


4. TRY NEW CHALLENGES

While many of us have been at our wit’s end during the past few years, we can do
something for our brains that’s good for cognition at any time: learn new
things.

During the pandemic, I began learning to speak Greek in anticipation of future
travel there. It was certainly a cognitive challenge—one that was fun and,
hopefully, will help stave off dementia (which happens to run in my family). You
probably know people who’ve used lockdown restrictions as an opportunity to
learn to play a new instrument, write poems or stories, study their history, or
build furniture.

Whether there’s a pandemic on or not, using your brain in new, challenging ways
is good for neural health, and will help your brain stay healthy. Of course, you
should not take on more to do if you are already struggling to keep up with the
basics. But noticing opportunities to incorporate new things into your everyday
routines—even taking a new route on your walk or trying out a new recipe—could
give your brain a fun workout without adding more to your to-do list.


5. BE KIND TO YOURSELF

If you are already trying things to avoid brain fog and still seem to have it,
don’t beat yourself up about that. We are living through extraordinary times,
and so we need to practice a little self-compassion. That can mean anything from
simply forgiving yourself for your lapses (like losing your keys for the nth
time) to actively advocating for fewer work assignments (so you can build in a
little breathing room for inefficiency).

If you find yourself suffering extreme anxiety or depression, you may want to
seek professional help—because seeking treatment is a key way to be kind to
yourself. Talking to a trusted therapist can help you figure out how to manage
chronic emotional issues better so you can suffer less brain fog. (Therapy is
expensive, but you might be able to find agencies in your area that provide it
on a sliding scale.)

It’s important to accept that we may not be our best selves right now and that
it may be somewhat out of our control. But, if we can keep in mind what feeds
our brains in the coming weeks, it may help us regain some clear-headedness as
we negotiate the challenges ahead.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 * JILL SUTTIE
   
   
   
   Jill Suttie, Psy.D., is Greater Good’s former book review editor and now
   serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. She
   received her doctorate of psychology from the University of San Francisco in
   1998 and was a psychologist in private practice before coming to Greater
   Good.
   
   

   

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY

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   May 15, 2009
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   December 16, 2008
 * Want Brain Fitness? Stay Active and Turn Off the TV By Katie Goldsmith
   January 29, 2010
 * How to Keep Your Brain Young (Even as You Grow Old) By Jill Suttie
   October 1, 2009
 * Why Relationships Are the Secret to Healthy Aging By Karin Evans
   September 14, 2018

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