If you’ve ever forgotten what you walked into a room for or couldn’t find the right word, you’ve likely experienced some level of brain fog. While it isn’t a medical diagnosis, the term is commonly used to describe a plethora of symptoms that can include forgetfulness, mental fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.
Brain fog has many known causes, but some common behaviors can make it feel significantly worse. We asked mental health experts to share the worst habits that contribute to brain fog, and the practical changes you can make to help restore sharper thinking.
Meet the Experts
Chloë Bean, LMFT, somatic trauma therapist for women based in Los Angeles
Steph Fowler, LCPC, CADC, licensed clinical professional counselor and founder of Misfit Mental Health
Anindita Bhaumik, LCSW, CCTP, clinical social worker, certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP), and clinical director of Boston Evening Therapy Associates
Related: Even Therapists Feel Stress—Here Are 8 Habits They Avoid to Protect Their Mental Health
Poor Sleep Habits
Sleep is often the first place experts look when brain fog shows up. “One of the biggest habits that contributes to brain fog is chronic undersleeping or erratic sleep,” says Chloë Bean, LMFT, somatic trauma therapist for women based in Los Angeles. “Research consistently links sleep deprivation with worse attention, alertness, memory, judgment, and overall cognitive abilities. In real life, that can feel like slower thinking, forgetfulness, trouble focusing, or feeling mentally checked out, even if you want to focus.”
Poor sleep quality was named as the most detrimental pattern seen among all the clinicians we spoke to. “Sleep is the first thing I ask clients to consider when they report brain fog,” says Steph Fowler, LCPC, CADC, licensed clinical professional counselor and founder of Misfit Mental Health. “Not having a consistent sleep schedule, having poor sleep quality, or not getting enough sleep [and] acquiring sleep debt can all worsen brain fog.”
And less-than-ideal sleep is not just linked to brain fog; it affects every aspect of your body and mind. “Not getting enough sleep is a surefire way to cause brain fog, and it is rampant in modern life,” says Anindita Bhaumik, LCSW, CCTP, social worker and clinical director of Boston Evening Therapy Associates. “It’s detrimental to every aspect of health. Insufficient sleep has been linked to anxiety, depression, irritability, poor executive functioning skills, lowered attention span, and poor motivation.”
What to Do Instead
Building better-quality sleep starts with becoming aware of any barriers. “Considering sleep hygiene and habits, addressing any interruptions to sleep, and prioritizing getting enough sleep on a regular basis are all excellent places to start,” Fowler says. If you snore, she recommends getting assessed for sleep apnea.
Also, consistency matters just as much as total sleep time. “Wake up at the same time each day to get your circadian rhythm consistent, protect wind-down time at night, and stop expecting your brain to perform well on lack of sleep,” Bean says.
And while these changes may seem simple, they often take intention and patience to stick. “Working on good sleep hygiene is hard at first, but much like eating healthier or exercising, a little discipline can yield lasting habits,” Bhaumik says. “Create a calming and enjoyable bedtime routine and be strict about doing it each and every night. Stop scrolling [on] your phone in bed and go back to reading a chapter of a physical book.”
Multitasking
It might feel productive in the moment, but constantly switching between tasks can take a real toll on your thinking. “A lot of people think they’re being efficient and productive when they’re toggling between texts, tabs, email, and social media, but that kind of attention splitting and code switching makes the brain feel much foggier and disoriented,” Bean says. “Reviews of the research suggest heavy media multitasking is associated with more distractibility and poor memory.”
Routines and doing one thing at a time are important, but not mixing it up enough can impact your focus, too. “Brains need stimulation! Inactivity (both physical and mental), redundancy, and stagnation can bring on brain fog,” Bhaumik says. “Exposure to new experiences facilitates learning and information retention.”
What to Do Instead
Bean suggests batching your messages, setting boundaries, turning off nonessential notifications, and working in single-task blocks so your nervous system can settle and be more present.
You can also lighten the mental load by giving your thoughts a physical place to land. “I often suggest a funnel system—capturing a broad, general ‘brain dump’ of everything on your mind, then narrowing the focus to what needs to be accomplished in the next month, then planning what tasks need to be done in the next week,” Fowler says. “If someone is struggling to stay on track during the day, a short list or sticky note with just the day’s priorities can be helpful.”
Not Managing Stress
Chronic stress is another major contributor to brain fog that often flies under the radar. “From a somatic perspective, when the nervous system is stuck in survival mode, it’s harder to find clarity,” Bean says. “Stress doesn’t just affect our mood; it can impair working memory and cognitive flexibility, which is part of why brain fog often shows up during burnout, anxiety, panic, and prolonged overwhelm.”
Because stress tends to pile on gradually, and we’re all so busy, it can be easy to miss how much it’s affecting your focus. “The thing I find that people tend to miss the most is how much stress can worsen brain fog,” Fowler says. “Stress management can be a legitimate challenge these days, but doing whatever is feasible to address stress instead of ignoring it or assuming it will go away.”
What to Do Instead
Bean first schedules actual pauses in her day for intentional downtime, even briefly: “This could look like a short walk outside without your phone, taking three slower breaths, unclenching your jaw and shoulders throughout the day, or a real break instead of forcing yourself to power through.”
For some people, it also helps to take a more tactile approach to releasing stress. “Even muscle tensing or progressive muscle relaxation can be done discretely throughout the day,” Fowler says. “Sensory overload can also cause stress to our systems and contribute to brain fog, so reducing loud sounds, bright lights, physical discomfort, or constant commotion are also things to consider.”
Ignoring Basic Body Needs
Sometimes, brain fog is your body’s way of signaling that something more basic is off. “People easily overlook hydration, but even mild dehydration can impair our ability to focus and recollect things,” Bean says. “Sometimes, what feels like brain fog is your body asking for basic needs to be met, i.e., hydration, rest, focus, stress reduction.”
Another quick question to ask yourself is whether you’re moving enough. “While a bed rotting session might be OK every now and again, not moving enough on a daily basis can contribute to brain fog,” Bhaumik says. “One study found that older adults who spent much of their day sitting had ‘less MTL thickness’—a region of the brain critical for memory.” In simple terms, brain changes from a sedentary lifestyle can make it harder to remember things and stay mentally sharp.
What to Do Instead
If you’re someone who forgets to drink water throughout the day, try habit stacking. “Pair hydration with routines you already do consistently for easier implementation, like drinking a glass of water right when you wake up, with your meals, and with caffeine,” Bean says.
Also, set manageable expectations for how and how frequently you move. “If you must sit for long periods, make a habit of moving every 30 minutes to an hour (more is better!),” Bhaumik suggests. “Even if mobility is limited, moving your body however you are able can help ‘get the juices flowing’ and sharpen the mind.”
Read the original article on Real Simple
