Brain fog can be a mentally and emotionally devastating experience. Everyone has days where they just don’t feel as sharp as usual, but chronic brain fog can destroy your quality of life and make you feel unrecognizable to yourself. It can make the smallest tasks feel impossible, and it can stop you from connecting with the world around you.
Identifying the cause of your brain fog is essential for overcoming the issue and restoring your health and wellness. In many cases, anxiety is a major contributor to brain fog and mental fatigue. If you struggle with anxiety, the condition might be taking a toll on your brain. You should understand the connection between anxiety and brain fog, the key signs of brain fog, and what you can do to overcome this issue.
Does Anxiety Cause Brain Fog?
Brain fog has a number of causes. It may result from a physical health condition or as a side effect of medication, but mental health is a common factor as well. If you have anxiety, you probably feel like your mind is racing at all times. Your brain is so busy juggling all of your anxious thoughts that there’s little energy left for other mental functions. The worry and rumination eats away at your mental capacity, and your mind becomes so drained that you can barely think straight.
Unfortunately, brain fog can worsen your anxiety, too. Not being able to think clearly and process mental tasks is incredibly frightening and frustrating. You might become more anxious as your brain fog makes your daily life more and more challenging. Then, the heightened anxiety makes the brain fog even worse. Many people become stuck in a vicious cycle of anxiety and brain fog until they finally break out of the loop with professional mental health support.
Symptoms of Brain Fog
Brain fog can feel somewhat different for everyone. Some people say they find it exhausting to process information, and others describe it as feeling mentally far away or disconnected. If you’ve ever experienced brain fog, you know how difficult it can be to put the feeling into words.
The following are some of the most common symptoms of anxiety brain fog:
- Mental exhaustion
- Hazy or unclear thoughts
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty processing directions
- Losing your train of thought in a conversation
- Lack of motivation
Overcoming Anxiety Brain Fog
Overcoming anxiety-induced brain fog is not an easy feat. Your mind is already so hazy and exhausted that taking any additional steps can feel impossibly challenging. As you try to get your brain fog under control, remember to be kind to yourself. You can’t heal anxiety or brain fog overnight, but practicing self-compassion is one of the best things you can do for your mental health.
Here Are 6 Steps You Can Take to Overcome Anxiety Brain Fog
1. Identify the sources of your anxiety.
Anxiety doesn’t always happen for a clear reason. When you have an anxiety disorder, the anxious thoughts and feelings are usually out of proportion to the situation, or they may have no identifiable cause at all. However, if you can figure out any possible sources of your stress and anxiety, you can address the root cause of the issue.
If you’re not sure where your anxiety comes from, you could try keeping a journal of your symptoms. When you feel particularly anxious, take note of where you are or what happened that day. Over time, you might notice a pattern in the situations or environments that trigger your anxiety.
2. Take care of your physical health.
Your physical health can have a profound impact on your emotional and cognitive health. While anxiety-induced brain fog is mainly a mental health issue, poor physical health can definitely make your symptoms worse.
You don’t have to live a perfectly healthy lifestyle to combat your brain fog, but making sure your basic physical needs are met can help you feel better. Be sure to drink plenty of water and get enough sleep every day. Exercise can help improve your cognitive health, too. Working out can be challenging when you’re struggling with brain fog, but even taking a short walk around the neighborhood can be beneficial.
3. Engage in your hobbies.
Anxiety-induced brain fog occurs when you’re completely mentally drained. In many cases, this happens when you’ve been over-exerting yourself without taking time to relax. Engaging a relaxing hobby may not cure your brain fog entirely, but it can help you unwind and replenish your energy.
4. Try meditating.
Meditating may feel like it takes a lot of mental energy when you have brain fog, but it can be a great way to connect more strongly with your thoughts and emotions. To practice mindfulness meditation, all you need is a comfortable location and a few spare minutes. Close your eyes, focus your attention on your breathing, and let your thoughts float through your mind without lingering on them.
It’s okay if you still feel foggy when meditating. One of the goals of mindfulness is to accept your thoughts without judgment, so the practice can help to reduce the feelings of frustration you may have about your brain fog. Over time, you may find it easier to recognize your thoughts and emotions without them feeling so clouded.
5. Give yourself a break.
Many people with anxiety are high-stress or fast-paced individuals who struggle to slow down or take a break. Brain fog is a sign that your energy has been completely depleted, though. If your cognitive health is suffering, you need to take some time for yourself.
Give yourself an hour, an afternoon, or a full day with no tasks scheduled. You could choose to engage in a hobby, watch a movie, or take a nap. Giving yourself some space can help you rebuild some mental energy. Moving forward, try to build breaks into your daily or weekly routine so that you don’t exhaust yourself.
6. Talk to a therapist.
Anxiety is a powerful and painful mental health condition. While you can put measures in place to reduce its effect on your life, professional support is sometimes necessary to help you get to the root of the issue and truly free yourself from the disorder.
Counseling is an excellent option for treating anxiety, which can in turn reduce your brain fog. Anxiety is often a result of negative, harmful thinking habits that we have the power to break. By talking through your thoughts and experiences with a therapist, you can better understand how your mind works and how you can take control of your mental health.
The Beverly Hills Therapy Group offers counseling for individuals struggling with anxiety and brain fog. If you’re ready to take the next steps to improve your mental health, you can contact us today to speak with an anxiety therapist in Los Angeles.
