Clear your Mind: Three Ways to Overcome Brain Fog

You know that feeling? When you're trying to focus, and yet for some strange reason, your brain refuses to cooperate. Yes, that's the one!

This dilapidated and somewhat foggy state of your brain, when you lack mental clarity, and are unable to focus or remember things, is called brain fog. Some people prefer to call it mental fatigue. I simply say, 'my brain hurts!'

Depending on how severe your brain fog is, it can affect your work, and your life in totality. For example, sometimes, you might have a big presentation and want to be at your best! At other times, it may seem that you're not listening to those around you, and that you're present, yet absent. This can damage our relationships.

So how can we prevent it?

Here are three powerful tips to clear your thinking.

'It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal.' - Steve Maraboli

1. Take a Dopamine Fast

Through the day, our attention is dispersed and fragmented between the various demands placed on our time. Each time we check our phone, our brain releases a small amount of dopamine which motivates us to act.

In addition to that, according to a book by Dierdre Barrett, 'Supernormal Stimuli: How Primal Urges Overran Their Evolutionary Purpose,' we not only react to stimulus, but also prefer exaggerated versions of normal stimuli. For example, we show a preference for artificially enhanced substances, such as food flavourings and digitally altered images.

So the first thing to do is to cut the external stimulus for a while and create time and space to hit reset. You could do this for a day and if you have more time, you could head off to a course, such as the Art of Living Silence Course, which gives you time to break away from the chatter and tune into your inner self.

“Clarity gave her purpose and her purpose gave her clarity.” - Jonathan

2. Empty the Subconscious Soup

Many times, as we're going through the day, we take small actions on the go, and trust our brain to remember.

For example, imagine you're at work, and have a missed call from your mother. You promise to call back, and all day, you remind yourself not to forget to call back.

When you do this, your subconscious brain has to go over this several times until you finally make the call!

So don't do that.

Instead, take a moment to list all these things playing on your mind, so that you can free up that RAM (Random Access Memory) to be there in the moment.

3. Make Lasting Lifestyle Changes

Often simple lifestyle changes can also help relive brain fog.

These include things you can start doing today, such as getting eight hours of sleep, staying hydrated, eating well, limiting your alcohol intake, and incorporating exercise into your daily routine.

When speaking of the benefits of exercise, many of us miss the cognitive benefits. Yet unbeknownst to many, exercise can help us think, learn, and channel our energy constructively. In fact, not just brain fog, but exercise is also believed to help reduce risk of overall mental decline, including dementia.

Conclusion

There's much to get done in life, and being on top of things helps you get through more in a calm and composed way. So for what it's worth, try these tips to clear up that brain fog, become focussed and dial in to your life. The idea is not just to get things done, but also be present - immersing yourself in the moment before it's gone forever.

'Clarity is power – the more clear you are about EXACTLY what it is you want, the more your brains know how to get there.' - Unknown

About Me:

I’m a?senior leader in the financial services industry with over 26 years of corporate experience and have held substantial leadership roles in firms such as HSBC, Barclays and BSkyB. I’m also an executive coach, corporate speaker, and published author. Click here to contact me for engagements.