 Have you ever felt like you could achieve so much more if you could just push yourself to get things done? Or perhaps you felt disappointed in yourself when you haven't been able to do what someone expected you to. Sometimes we find ourselves feeling this way as a result of brain fog. According to psychologist Julia Fraga, brain fog is the inability to think clearly. We might have difficulty forming new thoughts or expressing what we're thinking and feeling. Pregnancy, ADHD, stress, and allergies are just a few conditions that can cause brain fog. Have you ever wondered if what you're experiencing is laziness or brain fog? Here are a few things to look out for. Low energy. You know those days when even rolling out of bed seems impossible. It's something we all experience from time to time, but when we have brain fog it tends to happen a lot more. It's not that you don't want to get up and get the day started, it's that it feels impossible. Dr. Kelly Cyrus, a psychiatrist at John Hopkins University, who's been suffering from brain fog, says, I'm taking a nap in between patients. I'm going to bed earlier. It's hard to even just get out of bed. I don't feel like being active again. She shares that some of her patients have said they can barely turn on the TV and all they want to do is stare at the ceiling. Impaired cognitive function. Why doesn't this make sense? Why do I have to re-read this page over and over? These are questions that many of us have asked ourselves at some point. Brain fog makes it hard to connect the dots. Dr. Daniel Amin explains that people who struggle with this issue may have trouble solving problems, working out calculations, finding the right words to express themselves, processing information, or general orientation. This doesn't mean you're lazy. It means that your brain is working overtime to make things happen. Just like you slow down when driving through thick fog. It's okay to let yourself slow down a bit when you feel your symptoms taking control. Trouble concentrating. Have you ever seen a squirrel running back and forth across the road? Yeah, sometimes that's how our thoughts look. One moment we're here, the next we're mentally somewhere over the rainbow. It doesn't matter how interesting the topic is. Our minds can wander. Can you relate? Neuropsychologist Dr. Krishnan suggests taking brain breaks throughout the day to build up your mental capacity. He says we recommend people take 20 to 30 minute breaks even before they're tired by doing some kind of focused activity like walking, listening to music, or closing your eyes and resting. Procrastination. When you feel that the chances of understanding a concept are slim, it makes it easy to want to put things off for as long as possible. Unless when forgetfulness is in full swing, you might have forgotten when your project was due and before you know it, it's 11.37 the night before and you've barely made a dent. Now the pressure is on and that only makes it harder to focus. You are fully intent on doing the best you can, but you start to wonder what your best is at this point. Have you ever found yourself in this position? The Banner Health Clinic suggests managing stress by knowing your limitations. For example, completing tasks one at a time. Making checklists to ensure that you're remembering to complete all aspects of a task and setting reminders for important upcoming events. These things can help take the pressure off of your brain. Also having another person help you stay on track can make a huge difference, whether that be a friend or a coach or a therapist. Having someone check in with how well you're doing or talking things through can be a source of encouragement and help you with your follow through. Low self-worth. Colleges Dr. Emily Green compares brain fog to having a poor internet connection, which causes the streaming quality of a video you're watching to lower. Lots of our everyday activities like staying connected with our loved ones and thriving at work require concentration, focus and decision making. When we don't feel like we measure up to the task at hand we can start to feel like this is a sign of personal failure. We aren't lazy. We care about getting things done and doing them well. It doesn't always go as planned. When it comes to dealing with brain fog, Dr. Green is adamant in encouraging others to show self-compassion and acceptance. She says, We have to have some empathy for ourselves. Judging ourselves getting angry or feeling ashamed may in fact make it worse. It's important to allow yourself to feel what you're experiencing and then find ways to support yourself going forward. Comment down below what helps you with brain fog. 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