Why Brain Fog Happens and How to Regain Mental Clarity

A growing number of people worldwide identify with “Brain fog.” In a survey from last year, 28% of 7,200 people surveyed said they’ve experienced brain fog. Millions are feeling a mental cloudiness that’s impairing the decisions they make every day.

But what is brain fog? And how can it impact recovery? Are there steps you can take to address it?

What is brain fog?

Brain fog is a broad, relatively new term that describes a condition characterised by impaired decision-making, memory and concentration.

Research was carried out in 2022 by scraping for the term “brain fog” on Reddit. People reported it as a heterogeneous experience that included dissociation, fatigue, forgetfulness and excessive cognitive effort. If you ask someone with it to describe what it’s like, they might tell you it makes it hard to concentrate or even follow conversations as they’re talking with someone.

A doctor and medical director of IBS Treatment in the US succinctly described the term in his video: “Brain fog is when you know that you just can’t recall things like you normally do.”

Researchers are continuing to demystify the plethora of symptoms of brain fog, helping us better manage the recent upsurge in people who experience it.

The causes of brain fog

Factors contributing to brain fog are varied and complex. Causes are generally believed to be rooted in high levels of stress. On a cellular level, some neurologists believe brain fog is caused by inflammation and hormonal imbalance in the brain.

The causes and aetiology of brain fog can be notably far-reaching and made up of lifestyle factors. The factors that make you more likely to experience brain fog can include:

• A lack of sleep or low-quality sleep
• Diabetes and low blood sugar levels
• Mental health conditions and disorders, including anxiety and depression
• A lifestyle that promotes hormonal imbalance
• Neurodivergent conditions, including autism spectrum disorder and ADHD
• Hormonal changes, especially during pregnancy or menopause
• Low-quality diet and insufficient nutrition

How does brain fog impair the recovery process?

Brain fog notably impairs the constellation of cognitive abilities known as your “executive functions“. This medical term relates to your actions as you work toward your goals. They can be seen as your higher-order activities, the important daily tasks that take some planning. Executive functions can be as broad as cleaning something in the house, grocery shopping or caring for your children.

Entering rehab for addiction recovery and striving for long-term sobriety might bring you a deeper connection to and reliance on your executive functions. As an example of executive function in your recovery, instead of meeting a friend at a busy pub serving alcohol, you might choose a serene, leafy park where families rest and enjoy a picnic. This simple, conscious decision to meet your friend away from alcohol is an impactful choice that reflects your executive function at work.

Brain fog may happen during the recovery process, but it may also be likely to happen before you enter recovery. As a person slips further into addiction, a substance can affect the brain’s chemistry and its normal functioning. The same executive functions that help you plan and prioritise your daily decisions are disturbed.

Brain fog and cognitive cloudiness impair your decision-making and lead you to take more of the drug, impacting your mental clarity and reinforcing the addiction in a vicious cycle. This highlights the importance of steps toward combating brain fog and strengthening your mental clarity as addiction takes root.

How can I combat brain fog?

There is no specific medication or treatment available that directly combats brain fog. Instead, healthcare experts recommend lifestyle changes.

We want to take a moment to suggest that you be kind to yourself as you implement changes. A massive change can quickly overwhelm your regular lifestyle. It’s always best to adapt to new changes slowly and in increments. In many cases, making a massive change can have less than positive results, making a person give up and feel hopeless.

Reflect on your lifestyle and think about the following tips to find small areas of improvement you can make in your life. You could boost your mood, immune system, and overall well-being by following these tips. These may include:

Changing your diet

Evaluate the food you regularly eat and check with a nutritionist about how you can improve your diet. Feeling anxious, lost and depressed with brain fog could be related to your serotonin, the chemical in your body that influences your mood, memory and happiness. Your intestine generates more than 90% of your body’s serotonin. Ensure you’re eating a well-balanced diet that includes adequate protein, vitamins and minerals.

Improving your sleep hygiene

Tiredness may play a major role if you’re experiencing cloudy thinking and a faltering memory. Sleep experts recognise that poor sleep has an adverse impact on thinking. Pay careful attention to the length and quality of your sleep. There are helpful apps, such as Sleep Cycle and Better Sleep, that can track your sleep and make recommendations to improve. Poor sleep hygiene is frequently linked to the symptoms of brain fog.

A reduction in screen time

Too much time looking at a phone or computer screen is a symptom of the age we live in. It’s something most of our grandparents dissuade us from while telling us they feel alarmed and concerned. However, this is more than pseudo-science passed down from our elders. Excessive screen time harms your learning, memory and mental health, as well as increases the risk of early neurodegeneration. Research from Stanford on 18 to 25-year-olds found that excessive screen time causes thinning in the cerebral cortex. Start with small, practical steps like not looking at your phone for the first hour after you wake up.

Committing to physical outlets

Brain fog is characterised by spending an excessive amount of cognitive effort and feeling like it takes longer to learn or do something than it should. This can be a good time to set a routine for exercise and make sure you’re doing activities that have you focus on physical output rather than mental.

However, it’s also true that brain fog frequently occurs in people suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis (more easily called chronic fatigue syndrome). We know that for some, moderate physical exercise isn’t easy, so think about incorporating gentle, achievable forms of exercise to help improve mental clarity and mood regulation. With a small but consistent activity like walking around your neighbourhood, you may start to notice improvements in your energy, focus and overall cognitive function.

Practicing self-compassion

Our final recommendation embodies using the other tips mentioned, while also taking time to be kinder to yourself and practicing self-compassion. Battling brain fog can feel overwhelming and frustrating, but a quick fix won’t come easily. Recognise that brain fog in unpredictable and may bless or curse you with good or bad days. Write down important information or practice writing out a gratuity journal that helps you take better care of yourself.

Further into the field of self-compassion, there may be therapy services that help you get to grips with countering brain fog. Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can both help regain mental clarity and peace.

Getting further help

Brain fog is a common struggle for people working their way out of an alcohol or drug addiction. Addiction recovery is an extremely taxing process, both physically and mentally. Professional help for regaining mental clarity as you recover in rehab can be the difference between successful recovery and relapse.

If you or someone you love suffers from an addiction, we want you to know we’re here for you.

Here at UKAT, we deliver medically assisted detox and holistic treatments to help you escape from drug and alcohol addiction. Our expert staff delivers tailored programmes that support you every step of the way, and therapy courses are designed to give you the tools you need to achieve lifelong sobriety.

Our unwavering support is ready to help you recover and take the first step toward reclaiming your future, free from addiction. Contact us today.