What Are the Causes and Symptoms of Brain Fog

An an anxiety specialist, I am often asked about the cause of brain fog. It is not always known that brain fog is a symptom of anxiety, and therefore it can  be treated by knowing the root cause of the anxiety. 

Have you ever had a time in your life where you have forgotten someone’s name as they walk towards you, or you have gone into the bedroom to get something, only to realise you have forgotten what it was you needed?

Perhaps you have gone to sit a test or present a talk, and your mind goes blank?

Maybe you have woken up, ready to take on the day, but as you sit down to work, you find your thoughts scattered and your focus slipping away. The more you try to push through, the worse it gets.

Sounds familiar?

If you are anything like me, brain fog can be very frustrating and anxiety can be one of its main culprits.

So  I wanted to offer you some top tips for overcoming anxiety related brain fog, because, as an anxiety therapist, I get a lot of few people asking about the connection.

You most likely already know that anxiety is a response to stress, and if left unaddressed, can lead to burnout and depression.

When anxiety becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can lead to a range of cognitive symptoms, including brain fog. This mental fog can leave us feeling frustrated, drained and even hopeless.

So, what can we do about it? Let's explore the top three tips to combat anxiety-induced brain fog and regain control of our minds.

 

What is the Connection Between Anxiety and Brain Fog?

Firstly, we need to know a little bit about the anxiety that is causing brain fog.

Anxiety is the fear of something that we perceive will happen in the future. The fear tends to relate to something we have experienced in the past that we are fearful will happen again, or something that has not yet happened but we fear the worse will happen in the future.

Anxiety is instinctive and evolutionary, and when we feel anxious, our body goes into the fight or flight response. This is actually a good thing, because it keeps us safe. In fact, if it wasn’t for anxiety, we would likely not have survived as a species.

Anxiety kept us hypervigilant of danger, and stopped our ancestors being wiped out by hungry sabre toothed tigers.

Anxiety and the fight and flight response is triggered in our amygdala, which is a cluster of small, almond-shaped cells on both the left and right hemisphere, at the base of the brain. It forms part of our limbic brain and is responsible for regulating our emotions like fear, anxiety, and anger, as well as memory and decision-making. You can think of our amygdala like our bodies smoke alarm. It is constantly on standby to warn us of danger and keep us safe.

 

If our early ancestors were to see a movement in the bushes, the fight and flight response would fire up and prepare them to run away from the imminent danger. This then activates the sympathetic nervous system and releases the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline.

This served us really well when we were living in caves, and we were constantly under threat of dangerous animals and famines. We absolutely needed to constantly be hypervigilant and hyper stimulated to avoid danger.

Nowadays, we don’t have the same threats but our brains have been unable to adapt as quickly to our ever changing world.

So if we have an argument with our partner, get stuck in traffic, or have to meet a tight deadline with work, our brains continue to be triggered as if the threat to our survival is real.

So when we go into our fight and flight response if we are cut up in traffic, or check our in boxes or notice the boss approaching us, our bodies instinctively prepare us to run away or fight back and get to safety. Our anxious “smoke alarm” is triggered.

We would then feel the symptoms of being anxious, our heart rate increase and we would breathe faster, so we could deliver as much oxygen as possible to our muscles and organs.

We may start to sweat and blush as blood vessels dilate to allow more blood to flow, we may feel cramps and tension in our muscles.

We may have a feeling of nausea too as our digestive system shuts down, as we don’t need to waste energy digesting food at this point.

Our cortex, the smart part of our brain that is responsible for higher functioning, problem solving and logic, shuts down, because let's face it, we don’t need to know how to do algebra or recite the alphabet backwards if we are about to get eaten by a tiger.

This is when you may notice brain fog.

 

As soon as we feel safe and relaxed again, the cortex reactivate and we go back to homeostasis, and being able to think clearly again.

But if we are struggling with anxiety on a regular basis, then we are likely to have multiple fearful thoughts constantly and anxiety is most likely to affect our everyday lives. We are in a constant state of fight, flight and freeze, looking out for danger, and this is absolutely exhausting and requires a lot of energy.

Our brain shuts down as a protective response to keep us safe when our sympathetic nervous system is overloaded. Initially, numbing our emotions or ignoring them may initially seem helpful as it helps calm our overwhelmed minds. However, over time, it can be harmful and lead to behaviours that impact our emotional and physical well-being, such as avoiding situations that scare us, and therefore perpetuating the problem.

I've been there. When I used to feel constantly anxious, I would end up feeling so overwhelmed that I felt as if I was never able to achieve anything. My brain fog appeared to be constant and I would just procrastinate and put off whatever it was I needed to do, causing myself so much more anxiety in the long run.

How Do You Know If You Have Brain Fog?

Brain fog is that feeling where you don’t mentally feel yourself and it affects how we think, remember and concentrate.

It can make doing ordinary tasks challenging, and we may find it hard to concentrate and focus on simple everyday responsibilities, and lose our train of thought in the middle of a conversation.

It's usually temporary, but the length of time you'll experience brain fog can vary.

Just like anxiety, the feelings can come and go in waves, can occur infrequently or persistently, and can happen at any age. It can range in intensity from slight to moderate to severe at times.

Brain fog is not a medical condition but a symptom of other conditions.

It may interfere with school, work or home life and can be frustrating, but it can be overcome once you understand the underlying cause.

When we experience short-term memory loss or have difficulty concentrating, it is not uncommon for someone already struggling with anxiety to feel even more anxious. They may believe that they are on the verge of a mental breakdown or that the brain fog is indicative of something more serious. This additional anxiety will release more stress hormones, making symptoms even worse.

So we've really got to learn how we can calm our bodies down so our logical brain can perform at its best.

We need to switch our nervous system out of our fight, flight and freeze anxiety response (our sympathetic nervous system), and into our relaxed rest and digest response (our parasympathetic nervous system).

Firstly, We need to be able to remind ourselves, that we're not in danger at this very moment. The chances are, we're worrying about something that hasn't yet happened (future event) or we're ruminating over something that's already happened in the past.

Now we can't change the past and we can't predict the future.

So we are causing ourselves to worry about the same situation over and over again even when we are unable to change it right now..

I always had a mantra, which is just a phrase I repeated over and over to myself. I used to say to myself all the time. "Right now, I am safe. I'm in a safe place right now". And I would have repeated that over and over and over again.

I was subconsciously telling my brain that I was OK and to stop scanning for danger.

I didn't know about mantras back then. But repeating the same phrase over and over used to help me feel calmer. So I invite you to give it a go!

Movement Reduces Anxiety 

Engaging in regular physical exercise has proven benefits for both our mental and physical well-being. When we exercise, our body releases endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting chemicals that can alleviate anxiety and improve cognitive function.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling or dancing, on most days of the week. Not only will it help clear away the brain fog, but it will also enhance your overall sense of well-being.

I always prefer to exercise outside because I find being in nature really, really relaxing and calming. But if your answer is to go to the gym, it's whatever works for you. Whatever you can do, even if it's some gentle stretching exercises that you can do in your living room, do what you can to help yourself relieve the tension in your muscles, and let your body know you are safe.

Use Breathing Techniques to Quieten the F&F Response

We need to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, as this is the opposite to our fight and flight response. We call this the rest and digest response. We can do this by slowing down our breathing, as this sends a message to our brain that we are safe right now.

It is particularly helpful if we make our out breath slightly longer than our in breath. The reason for this is that we would not slow down our breathing if we are in danger, so that long out breath is sending signals to your body that all is OK. 

There are many breathing techniques you can follow along with on my YouTube channel so feel free to try some others too. Here we are going to focus specifically on square breathing. It is also known as box breathing and you can click the link here to follow the specific video on YouTube : 

So breathe in the count of four, hold your breath for the count of four, breathe out for the count of four and hold for the count of four. You can repeat this 5 times.

Notice how your body feels now.

The image below is alternative nostril breathing. You can watch the video for that here

Deep breathing exercises are like sending love letters to your body. It offers comfort in time of stress and anxiety and sends a message that you don't need to run fast, you can relax, and it just takes a little while for your body to realise that you're able to relax.

Prioritise Your Sleep

We should aim to get 8 hours of sleep each night as this is when the brain and body clear out toxins and regenerates us.

If you struggle to get to sleep, try listening to some relaxation music or white noise.

Read about sleep anxiety and the connection between anxiety and sleep here

Know What Foods Help With Brain Fog and Anxiety

A healthy diet including olive oil, fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, beans and whole grains has been proven to improve thinking, memory and brain health.

Avoid alcohol and coffee and stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

Read more about foods that help and hinder anxiety here 

Relaxation Techniques to Reduced Anxiety

Discover what techniques work best for you.

Maybe you enjoy a massage or a hot bath with your favourite relaxing scent?

It could be you love to immerse yourself in a good book watching something on television?

Perhaps you enjoy yoga, Tai Chi, being mindful and medittating

Some people enjoy knitting, crocheting or needlepoint. You may enjoy being creative with painting, drawing or writing?

Maybe you going for a gentle walk in nature, or spending time with a pet?

The key here is to focus on anything that you find relaxing, and not overly stimulating, and to lose yourself in the present moment.

Notice Your Thoughts

Become aware of your thoughts without judgement. challenge negative thinking patterns and replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts. You can use the anxious thoughts diary and the cognitive distortions workbooks to help you. Both are listed in the additional resources below, and are free to download.

 

What Are You Avoiding?

To help you with brain fog, I suggest you download the workbook to overcome procrastination as this will help you to establish what is most urgent and important out of all your priorities.

Up to 95% of the population procrastinate to some degree, and it is a rather unhelpful coping strategy when we are feeling anxious.

Maybe you are distracted by life and even though you have a task or goal that is important, you just don’t know where or how to start?

Possibly you feel overwhelmed at the thought of starting something new and this is creating additional brain fog?

I have popped the link to the workbook in the additional resources below.

 

The most popular of all my workbooks is the Circle of Control and Influence. This workbook is designed to help you take back control of your anxiety and appreciate that you have more influence over a situation than you may initially believe.

So, there you have it! Anxiety-induced brain fog may seem like an overwhelming challenge, but armed with these powerful tips, you can take back control of your mind and experience the clarity you deserve.

Remember, you're not alone on this journey, and with the right tools and support, you can overcome anxiety-induced brain fog.

If You Need Further Support

Overcoming anxiety induced brain fog is a journey that involves a combination of techniques and strategies.

While you can implement these tools independently, seeking the support of an anxiety therapist provides an additional level of guidance and assistance, and enables you to get to the root cause.

Taking care of your mental wellbeing is an essential part of your overall well-being. If left unresolved, anxiety can spiral out of control and have a significant impact on every area of life.

It is my belief that no one needs to struggle with anxiety, we just need the correct strategies and techniques to overcome it.

So if you want to take the next steps to have a happier life where your fears no longer hold you back, click the link below and book a free no obligation consultation call. 

 

Additional Resources to Ease Anxiety

Read What Causes Anxiety? 

Read What Are The Different Types of Anxiety?

Watch How to Feel Less Anxious

Watch Breathing Techniques for Anxiety

Watch What Happens To Our Brain When We Are Stressed

Download Circle of Control and Influence worksheet

Download Cognitive Distortions worksheet

Download Journaling Questions to Reduce Anxiety

 

 

5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Brain Fog and Anxiety

1. What is brain fog, and how is it related to anxiety?
Brain fog refers to a sense of mental cloudiness, confusion, or difficulty concentrating. It can be caused by various factors, including stress and anxiety. Anxiety-induced brain fog occurs because chronic worry can overwhelm the brain, making it harder to process information, stay organised, or focus on tasks.

2. How can an anxiety therapist help with anxiety-induced brain fog?
An anxiety therapist works with you to identify the underlying causes of your anxiety and provides practical tools to manage it. By addressing your anxiety, you'll likely see an improvement in symptoms like brain fog, as reducing stress can enhance mental clarity and cognitive function.

3. What are the symptoms of anxiety-induced brain fog?
The symptoms of anxiety-induced brain fog include forgetfulness, difficulty focusing, slow mental processing, and feeling mentally "stuck." These symptoms often accompany other signs of anxiety, such as restlessness, irritability, and fatigue.

4. Can lifestyle changes reduce brain fog caused by anxiety?
Yes, lifestyle changes can be incredibly effective in reducing brain fog. Prioritising quality sleep, maintaining a balanced diet, staying hydrated, and practising relaxation techniques such as mindfulness can all support better brain function and reduce anxiety symptoms.

5. How long does it take to see improvements in brain fog with therapy?
The time it takes to see improvements depends on the individual and the severity of their anxiety. Many people notice a gradual reduction in brain fog as they work with an anxiety therapist to manage their stress and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Consistent effort and a personalised approach are key to long-term success.