Not being able to think straight is one of the most frustrating things I find in running my own business. It’s part and parcel of fibromyalgia, so it’s something I deal with regularly. Which means I’ve had plenty of opportunities to find ways to beat brain fog, and I thought I’d share some of them here.
Three easy ways to beat brain fog
Many factors can contribute to being tired, and when you live with a chronic illness, fatigue is often a big part of the picture. And that’s where that sense of being too tired to think straight can really strike home!
One of the reasons brain fog is a common factor for many long-term health conditions is that inflammation is a big player. Inflammation is a key player in many in chronic illnesses and is one of the major contributors to brain fog. So the easiest ways to beat brain fog are to do things that also help to reduce the level of inflammation in the body.
Move the body
“Wait!” I hear you say, “This is counterintuitive”. When I’m so fatigued that the brain fog is impenetrable, the last thing I want to do is move! Which is why it’s exactly the first thing you need to try.
Not moving can actually make you feel more fatigued than you truly are. I’m not saying that’s going to be the case all the time, but there will definitely days that you’ll find once you get moving and get more oxygen into the blood, you actually function reasonably well.
So, first thing to try to lift the brain fog is to move. Not only move but breathe deeply as well. Take those breaths down to the belly and use more of your lung capacity to oxygenate the blood. Just be careful not to over do it though, and give yourself head spins!
Getting the blood and body moving also helps the lymphatic system to do a better job of removing inflammation and inflammatory substances such as toxins, pathogens and metabolic waste.
Clear the inflammation, clear the brain fog!
Feed the body
I know this sounds obvious but it’s actually a major factor and is the next best thing to experiment with. If you’re noticing that your brain fog gets worse as the day progresses, see if stopping for a snack makes a difference.
Sometimes, when you start to feel super spacey and unable to maintain focus, it can be due to needing more fuel. You may not necessarily be feeling hungry, but the brain fog gets so dense you feel like you might nod off mid-task.
Experiment with what and when you eat, and aim for foods that are light and easy to digest and deliver a rich harvest of nutrients to the body. Carbs are also important to include, so long as they are the carbs that come from fruit and veg, rather than bread and cakes!
You may also want to pay particular attention to avoiding foods that increase inflammation, such as caffeine, red meat, sugar, gluten and dairy; and including foods that reduce inflammation such as leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, avocados, oily fish, berries, grapes, walnuts and almonds to name a few.
Dose the body
Of the three easy ways to clear brain fog that I’m sharing with you here, this one is by far the easiest. All you have to do is find a lovely spot in your garden, or local park, sit down and relax, and allow yourself to receive the medicine freely available from Mother Earth.
By taking a dose of Mother’s medicine, I mean put yourself in a place and a state to receive the healing vibes of nature. Specifically: being in nature places you into the flow of free electrons that constantly move around the Earth’s surface. These electrons interact with your body at the atomic level and have a powerful healing effect such as reducing inflammation (a direct cause of brain fog) and improving mood and blood pressure.
Being in nature also puts you under the influence of the Mother’s heartbeat, or Schumann’s resonance as it is also known. This low frequency brings your brainwaves into coherence and restores your state of mind.
Did someone say restores your state of mind?
You can see here the importance of quiet time in nature as one of the easiest ways to beat brain fog. All you have to do is relax and receive. Your innate body wisdom and mother nature do all the work.
I recommend a daily dose of Mother’s medicine for your brain fog.
Other ways to clear brain fog
There are other factors that can be contributing to your brain fog such as hormones, poor sleep, pain, and mitochondrial damage. They can be directly effecting the quality of your cognitive function as well as contributing to your level of fatigue which also then affects your ability to focus and think clearly.
Getting to know your chronic illness intimately is vital if you want to change the way it affects your daily life. Talk to your healthcare provider about exactly what is going on for you, then start developing your strategies. When you know clearly what you’re dealing with you can tailor your approach to have maximum impact for you.
There’s one more contributor to brain fog that you definitely need to consider, and that’s the metaphysics of brain fog. You can read about it in my upcoming article.
Want to talk to me about brain fog? Let’s connect.