Traditionally, I become SUPER busy with holiday schedules, shopping, and gatherings this time of year.
As I start gearing up for shopping, cooking, and enjoying family and friends, I've been noticing how the old sense of overwhelm from too much to do is gone. I'm not losing track of things or my mind.
I can handle stress with ease. Nothing throws me off balance, and all because I don't have brain fog anymore.
But that wasn't always the case. It wasn't very long ago that I was suffering from brain fog, forgetting things, getting overwhelmed with too much to do, lacking creativity, and simply feeling mentally tapped out.
*****
I would never have said I had brain fog, not until now, at least.
Brain fog is a term that is not typically recognized by most traditional health professionals yet is extremely prevalent.
It's a phrase that basically sums up a collection of symptoms or feelings that can include:
Forgetfulness or confusion
Trouble concentrating
Lack of focus or mental clarity
Inability to handle stressful situations
Difficulty recalling works of putting work together
Feeling "frazzled."
Mental fatigue
Feeling "less productive" than before
Struggling creatively
All of which are very common but NOT NORMAL!
As someone who has always excelled in any job I ever had, who is hardworking and likes to have multiple projects going on simultaneously, I never stopped for a moment to think I might be suffering from brain fog.
I kept working towards my personal and business goals, thinking it was normal to need so many lists or post-it-notes lying around to keep everything straight.
It wasn't until my brain fog lifted that I realized it had been there.
These days I'm sharp as a tack, super clear, mentally tough, and I'm bursting with creativity. I'm managing multiple projects, learning to play a ukelele and work at the same time, I hardly need a list for the little things anymore, I can easily recall details, I'm knocking out task left and right without feeling physically or mentally exhausted, and I have the energy to spare for social activities.
I am 100% back to being my go-getter self, and I am more productive than ever!
Sometimes we only know what we know until we experience something different. It took getting out of the fog for me to realize I had been in it for so long.
The fog crept up on me the same way it slowly rolls in off the coastline. I adapted to my less efficient ways of functioning and thought by creating more list, using more post-it-notes, engaging in less social activities, and taking on less work.
I needed to do some of that to heal, but before I knew I need that, I adapted because I could not keep up.
Typically we tend to brush off symptoms like brain fog and associate them with "just getting older." But what we don't realize is that these symptoms are NOT a part of getting older; rather, they sign that something isn't right in our body.
These subtle signs of brain fog can actually be early indicators of brain inflammation, and left unattended; they can increase our risk for dementia, Alzheimer's, other degenerative diseases, and larger-scale health conditions such as autoimmunity or even cancer.
Like any other dysfunction, disease, or condition, inflammation is at the core of brain fog.
It is believed that high levels of inflammation alter 3 primary hormones that dictate brain function:
Serotonin - you happy hormone
Dopamine - your wellbeing hormone
Cortisol - your stress, anti-inflammatory, energy, blood sugar, and sleep cycle balancing hormone
And inflammation in the gut particularly has a huge effect on brain function since it can directly interfere with the gut-brain axis.
The key to living brain fog is figuring out what's fueling the inflammation fire.
Inflammation factors can be different for everyone. In my time of brain fog, food sensitivities, intestinal parasites, bacteria, and H-Pylori were contributing factors.
For others, brain fog and inflammation might be fueled by:
Eating inflammatory foods, such as gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, and alcohol.
Unknown food sensitivities or reactions (not allergies)
Hidden heavy metals, chemicals, or other toxic contaminants
A leaky and inflamed gut
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Various hormone imbalances
Side effects of autoimmunity
Over-exercising when the body is already depleted.
For some, lifting the fog can be as simple as avoiding the top 5 inflammatory foods, eating organic, and getting to bed by 10 pm.
And as I discovered, even once you start to lift the fog, there are endless possibilities for how much better you can actually feel.
Remember, you only know what you know until you know something different. So, if you want to feel exceptional, then lifting the fog may be the start of it, and clearing the fog completely is your end goal.
Here are my 6 steps to bust through brain fog so you can think clearly and feel like yourself again...
Avoid the top 5 inflammatory foods: gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, and alcohol.
Be asleep by 10 pm to balance cortisol and the circadian rhythm.
Exercise at an intensity that is invigorating but not exhausting
Give your brain a break with a daily dose of meditation or deep breathing.
Investigate and eliminate toxins in your home and work environment.
Test your hormone, gut, and live functions for hidden sources of inflammation and healing opportunities
If you take action in these 6 areas and find yourself still struggling with the brain fog, then it just means you might need to dig deeper, investigate further and identify other contributing factors for inflammation like I did.
Don't just suck it up and see signs of brain fog as "getting older" OR let them get diagnosed as something else paired with a quick fix medication, leaving you settling for a lower quality of life or just getting by but still not feeling like yourself.
I was hoping you could do me a favor... don't settle for anything less than what you deserve when it comes to your health and wellbeing.
Don't let the signs your body is giving you go unnoticed.
****
If you are interested in learning more ways to improve your mental health, click on my name below. I would be happy to send you a Mental Wellness Assessment and chat.
If you need help getting hands on the right lab test and resources to lift your brain fog so you can feel like yourself, let me help you connect the dots to improve your vitality, whether it be the area of the hormone, thyroid, digestion, diet, exercise, autoimmune.
Schedule a call today; you will not regret feeling better in the future.
For additional information: Join the Learning to Live a Vibrant Life Thrive Group; this month, we concentrate on Planks, Thanks, and Gratitude. You will also have the experience of learning informative wellness information and discussions, including body, mind, and spirit, that will improve your vitality of life and your families. Just click on the picture below, and you will be on your way to better vitality.
You can find me at the following: