The alarm goes off. You get dressed, grab your coffee, and head to work. But by lunchtime, you start to feel disorganized. You reread emails because you lack focus and mental clarity.
There’s nothing worse than brain fog. In addition to stress and lack of sleep, it can be caused by the immune system creating an inflammatory response in the brain. This can lead to symptoms like poor concentration and memory, or difficulty making decisions.
As a neuroscientist, I study the causes of brain fog and forgetfulness. To avoid them, here are four things I never do:
1. I never let my body get tense for too long.
Even if you think you’re relaxed, your body may be physically tense (e.g., stiff neck, back or shoulder pain). This can be a result of stress from things like unfinished tasks or looming deadlines.
So when I notice that my body is tense, I immediately do an exercise called “box breathing”:
- Inhale through your nose as you slowly count to four seconds.
- Hold your breath for a count of four seconds.
- Exhale through your nose, releasing all the air from your lungs, as you slowly count to four seconds.
- Hold your breath for a count of four seconds.
- Repeat for at least four rounds.
Box breathing is a simple way to help calm your brain. Studies also show that it can reduce levels of cortisol, which is the chemical produced when the body is under stress.
2. I never use screens one hour before bedtime.
As tempting as it might be to scroll through Instagram or watch TV before bedtime, these activities can be too stimulating for the brain.
Instead, I try to read a book before turning out the lights. If that doesn’t help me sleep, I do a “relaxation body scan,” squeezing and releasing muscles — starting at my toes and all the way up to my head.
Ideally, we need about eight hours of sleep a night. More than that can lead to a depressed mood, and less than that doesn’t give the brain enough time to rest and reset.
3. I never load up on glucose.
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