Brain Fog is not quite a “disease”. It is a health condition directly related to mental and cognitive function – Photo: LUKE’S HEALTH
The sign of brain fog is the “remember to forget to forget”, lack of concentration. People with this disorder feel the brain is like a “fog” covered, no longer clear.
There are many causes of brain fog. In particular, stress, lack of sleep, and the immune system’s inflammatory response in the brain are the main causes of this condition.
According to Dr. Tara Swart Bieber, neuroscientist, medical doctor and senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), always remembering and applying the following 4 simple ways can help your mind. The brain is always clear, stay away from brain fog.
Avoid stressing your body for too long
Even when we are “relaxed,” the body can be physically stressed. For example, sleeping in the wrong position causes neck stiffness, practicing yoga or playing sports has back pain, shoulder pain.
In such cases, in addition to finding ways to ease the pain, Dr. Tara Swart Bieber recommends doing deep breathing exercises.
Inhale deeply, then hold your breath for about 4 seconds and then exhale forcefully, releasing all the air from your lungs for the next 4 seconds. Then hold your breath for another 4 seconds and repeat the inhalation and exhalation for at least 4 times.
Deep breathing is a simple way to help calm our brains. Previous scientific studies have also shown that it can reduce levels of cortisol, a chemical produced when the body is under stress.
Do not use computers or phones before going to bed
This is a bad habit that many people have. Night is the time when the eyes and brain need rest. Surfing Facebook, TikTok or watching movies before bed can make the brain work more and more tired.
Instead of looking at your phone, read a book to reduce the impact of screen light. A few stretching movements, massaging muscles during this time and avoiding tea and coffee also help us sleep better.
Every adult needs about eight hours of sleep a day. More than that can lead to a depressed mood, and less than that won’t give the brain enough time to rest and reset.
Reduce sugar consumption
A balanced diet promotes overall good health, including brain health. The most important thing is to reduce the amount of sugar in the body.
Glucose (sugar) is the main energy of each of us. But like any other food or vitamin source, glucose works best when consumed in moderation.
Too much or too little glucose affects brain activity, making us irritable, tired, mentally confused and impaired judgment.
Meditation
According to Dr. Tara Swart Bieber, meditating for at least 12 minutes a day and done at night can help reduce brain fog the next day.
The way to “meditate” is simple: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, remove all distractions from your head, breathe deeply, and let your mind rest.
If you don’t feel like meditating, you can do other relaxing activities like cooking or going for a walk in a quiet space.
One very interesting piece of advice from this neuroscientist is to “devise a ‘mantra’ and recite it every morning”. For example: “Tonight I will go to bed early, sleep well, and tomorrow will be healthy”.
By saying your goals aloud to yourself, you can begin to be more intentional about changing your habits. And through that repetition, your brain and body will begin to follow suit.