Ways to cope with brain fog – 10 tips for managing it.

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Brain Fog?

Why are you may be struggling to think clearly and how to beat it?

What is the brain fog? Changes in thinking, memory, learning, processing, and attention. Can be a sudden onset or gradual, may come and go. You may have trouble with: Short-term memory Multi-tasking Complex problem-solving Concentration mental efficiency Word finding Fine motor skills
Brain fog is a relatively newly recognized concept, changes in thinking, memory, learning, processing, and attention.

Hi, I am a post-Menopausal woman with terribly frustrating brain fog.

I am forgetting conversations, actions, schedule at work, locking the front door, what I’m doing or even planning to do!

Thought that I’m losing my mind gives me constant anxiety about my health.

I know all too well how you feel.

There are days at work where my confidence is so bad because I feel like I don’t know anything, and some days I breeze through.

But other days it’s like OMG why can’t I remember what to do?  It makes me feel so inadequate and I’m the oldest one at work.

It’s embarrassing!

I don’t learn as quickly anymore, and the young girls put me to shame. 😞

I’m afraid to talk too much as I can’t form a sentence without forgetting a word or two. Or forgetting what I am saying in the middle of the sentence.
I feel like my brain is scattered with so many thoughts I don’t even answer them properly.

There are coping strategies that can help you better manage brain fog, push through it on difficult days, or even mitigate it altogether.

I am still working on ‘fixing’ the brain fog to the beat of my ability.

And I want to shear with you what’s working for me and what’s not.

I hope it will help you.

Older women face with blog post title Facing Brain Fog
Ways to cope with brain fog – 10 tips for managing it

1. Form Routines to Habits

The brain loves patterns. Form a consistent routine of what to do for everything at home and at work. It will eventually form a habit that you can rely on during the brain fog. An example will be the same morning and evening routine, even on days off.

TIP: I wrote down at work all the steps for regular everyday activities. It helps to organize my day and avoid forgetting something.

“Habits are what save us. Brushing our teeth in the morning doesn’t feel like a decision because it’s automatized. Any decision that we can turn into a habit can help to preserve mental energy.” – Caroline Musin Berkowitz

2. Identifying Brain Fog Triggers

Brain fog is not a disease or a disorder, but instead a sign of something underlying such as:

  • Luck of sleep
  • Diet
  • Environment
  • Fluctuating levels of estrogen
  • Medical treatment
  • Changes in weather
  • Luck of exercise
  • Stress level
  • Infection
  • Toxic metabolites
  • Untreated hearing loss

Ignoring the basics like getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising regularly, and managing stress can cause brain fog to creep in more and more often.

TIP: Try to improve your health as much as possible–both mentally and physically–so you have the energy necessary to be productive.

3. Improvement In Time Management

Having an effective schedule will allow you to obtain the best results and save you time. Use a daily planner to schedule the exact times for certain tasks. It will make all your activities & goals easier to view, manage and prioritize effectively.

Our brain takes energy to function. When you are menopausal, post-menopausal, or sick, you already wake up with low energy. Rest and food may NOT help to replenish energy during the day, as they used to when we were young.

So, you have to prioritize how you spend your energy when you are planning your day.

  • Plan Ahead
  • Use tools to help you conserve your energy
  • Ask others to help you with tasks that need doing
  • Save your energy for things that you enjoy doing
  • Balance activities with rest

4. Plan Ahead

The more you plan ahead the less you tend to forget. If you have to be somewhere at a certain time. Lay all the things you need ahead of time.

Planning ahead and everything you need will help you to focus on the moment instead of dividing your focus, trying to remember everything you need.

5. Reduce Multi-Tasking

Single-tasking lowers your stress level and eases brain fog.

I find it hardest to single-task at work.

“As we are constantly facing an overburdened workload, unsure of what to do, constantly bombarded with communication and you’re trying to do it all.”

But research shows that focusing on one thing at a time means you’ll get more done.

The Pomodoro technique helps me to concentrate on one thing at a time:

  • Get rid of distractions (silence notifications)
  • Start small and set a timer
  • Take a break between single-tasking session

Even devoting your full attention to the simple task of picking up coffee☕ without checking your phone, can help clear mental clatter and help with brain fog.

6. Automate Some Decisions

For example, I wear a similar outfit to work, and eat the same three recipes for breakfast and work lunch. It minimizes decision fatigue and was the biggest game changer, in terms of dealing with brain fog, for me.

TIP: Identify 10 or so fan-favorite dinners in your house and just rotate the.

I used to cook different meals every time I invited friends over. Now I buy sushi, wine, and fruits. Less work, less cooking and I have energy left to enjoy time with my friends.

7. Embrace “Good Enough”

Striving to make every decision as perfect as possible will drain you of energy and brain power. You already have this skill, buying whatever stamps are available at the post office, for example. It may feel weird to bring home the first jar of pasta sauce that catches your eye at the store, but if you bring it home, it’s fine, you saved time, and nobody died.

8. Reduce Stress Level by Taking Notes

Constantly have a to-do list or a notepad nearby. Jot down every task or thought that came to your mind and you want to remember, questions you want to ask, instead of repeating it in your head. That way you will know where to look for them.
Nothing is the same as writing out with pen to paper. It will allow you to record all the most important tasks and your special days in one place.

TIP: At an appointment, or meeting with family and friends have a notebook with you to take notes. And try to be organized as possible with them. Always write the date at the top of your note or even the time if it will help to trigger your memory.

9. Use Google Calendar

Using a calendar or a day planner important as well. I use both.

I write down in my planner all the appointments, upcoming events, and to-dos. Even a little thing that I didn’t need reminders for before. Like, who is picking me up, when, and at what location, after dinner. Where will be my daughter tomorrow evening?

I use Google Calendar for required tasks and reminders.

  • Water plants on Sunday
  • Charge my watch on Saturday
  • Take vitamins at 7 a.m.
  • Birthday reminder
  • Send Christmas Card Reminder
  • Change the Furnace filter twice a year reminder
  • Etc.

I made a deal with myself. I can’t remove a reminder until I actually completed the task.

10. Eliminate Clutter and Simplify Life

Having a designated place for your things like keys, purses, phones, notebooks, and anything like that. 

I know full well brain fog is a nightmare to live with but going through this with a sense of humor is making it so much easier.

Just look at it as another wonderful symptom of this lovely process -menopause. It won’t last forever but laughter and good positive memories do so try and put a perspective on it.

Love and appreciate you Irina XOXO.

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