How To Beat Pandemic Brain Fog?

Has the pandemic made you wonder why your thinking capacity has reduced like never before? Possibly you’re a victim of a ‘brain fog’. Going by the book’s definition (Beating Brain Fog), this is a situation whereby several symptoms get blended to result in a loss of mental clarity. This cognitive dysfunction is not new, but needless to say, in recent times- the number of cases has increased. You might not even find the statistical details on what causes brain fog exactly, but no less than 600 million suffer from this issue! Apart from the clinical standpoint, in common parlance, the inability to think clearly is one of the most profound symptoms that occur with ‘long Covid’. And that doesn’t only include people who have undergone this malady; some people might not have contracted the virus, yet experienced the same. There are ways you can overcome if you want.

Patterns That The Brain Gets Adjusted To

One of the many reasons that brain fog occurs is because there’s a typical lack of routine. Since humans are largely accustomed to their habits, almost 40% of the resultant behaviors are simply because our brains have got used to them. Ideally speaking, the brain tends to rely on set patterns. As a result of the brain is an extremely ‘high-energy organ’, the different portions perform varied functions. So, the cerebral cortex called the ‘thinking part of the brain’ is the largest energy consumer.

Our brain gets engaged to the starting and ending of any activity, and hence it clearly proves that “automated behavior” utilizing fewer resources is what it tends to do. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that ‘it’s autopilot’. This means that if the autopilot mode isn’t activated, the brain is likely to be overwhelmed or startled completely.

Morning Shows The Day

Our daily activities get a kickstart with the morning routine we follow. Much of the pre-pandemic lifestyle and routines we had were habitual. So even if you try to, the fact you arrived at the office around 10 am implies you will consciously start engaging your brain around that time. The ongoing lockdowns have completely disturbed the existing routines, thanks to most Work from Home schedules. So challenges have doubled, trebled, and even quadrupled!

Returning to the mode where you dress for work, motivate yourself to a new start and even retire for the day at a suitable time- have all taken a backseat. Naturally, the brain isn’t getting its normal food and your mood might be super erratic. Instead of ranting over the problems you face, try and reintroduce the routine again. Sometimes, we need to put up something fake, to help us return to the usual chores and perform with the same level of dexterity as earlier.

Inadequate Sleep

There’s nothing to worry about regarding brain fog. Several studies have clearly stated that this is no “diagnosis, disease or a disorder”. Rather, you can find underlying health problems being chiefly responsible for this case. It can be lifestyle choices; like lack of proper sleep or even food habits. But sleep is a vital aspect of our lives that we often tend to ignore. Adequate hours of sleep are crucial to combat the issue of brain fog, as that allows the brain to flush out toxins. And the brain indeed seeks for it.

There’s no scope of getting engaged in any cognitive task if you don’t get deep sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours daily. In case you’re unsure about whether you’re down with brain fog or not is you wake up feeling quite groggy. This largely occurs when adenosine, the sleep chemical in the body makes us feel drowsy as it hasn’t cleared off the body totally. In these circumstances, the exercise would come of immense help. A protein called ‘brain-derived neutrophilic factor’ was released that would assist in making brain cells and connections grow.

With multiple reasons now giving a clear look into what brain fog really is, and learning the behavioral strategies for coping with it, this simply implies you’ll decipher why you’re behaving a certain way this pandemic or thereafter. Most importantly, you can now work upon the corrective measures right away. If you cannot do away with it, do not hesitate to consult a psychiatrist.