Blog Post 44: Brain Fog
This New York Times article is a great resource on brain fog, and we’d like to add our two cents based on our own experiences. Brain fog can happen for a variety of reasons, and you should always see a doctor to make sure you have no underlying medical conditions that could be causing the condition. For Type C'ers in particular, brain fog is often a sign of burnout.
I (Anna) lived for many years with brain fog, and still struggle a bit though it has improved significantly. I had a hard time concentrating, and I struggled with challenges around executive functioning (mainly planning), and memory loss, especially when it came to conversations. I often drew complete blanks when people told me about discussions we had! Obviously this was a big problem in corporate life; I had to take detailed notes - I couldn’t rely on my faulty memory. Problems also arose in my personal relationships - sadly, people think you don’t care enough to remember what you’ve talked about, when in fact you simply can’t access it.
After some painfully embarrassing episodes at work, I decided to see a neurologist. Interestingly, I passed all of the tests she gave me with flying colors - though to me the tests seemed geared toward severe dementia (could I identify a drawing of a lion, for example). I had a brain scan that revealed nothing. I also did a sleep study - sleep troubles were certainly a contributor to my brain fog; I’ve had insomnia for over 15 years (night waking) that is unresponsive to medication. Within the traditional medical system, there was nothing specific a doctor could point to that might be causing my symptoms.
We have already talked in previous posts about not giving up if you think something is wrong when a traditional doctor can't find anything. There are so many conditions that fall into this category! You know your body best - so it’s important to keep searching for ways to help, including those offered by eastern or less traditional options.
(Kore chiming in here.) People with Type C traits are very busy doing things for others and hold a lot in their minds at once – things for work, multiple projects, responsibilities for family and friends. This can be emotionally exhausting and can increase cortisol, which has been shown in research to block memory formation. It’s also been demonstrated that our working memory holds only about seven items. If you are thinking about a bunch of things and then someone tells you something else, you actually won't be able to fit it into your memory! Many of my patients over the years (including myself, you can ask my husband!) comment on how they don't remember things. But it’s not that these things are forgotten, they never got into the short-term memory storage in the first place because of all the other items there already. Insomnia, as Anna mentioned, is also a great contributor to brain fog. As anyone knows, after a night without sleep, it is hard to focus. So understandably repeated nights of less than optimal sleep can lead to challenges with memory and attention.
So how do Type C’ers turn around brain fog? Noticing that there is a problem is the first step towards health, but for Type C'ers to stop and focus on themselves is really hard; the worry about not doing enough for others feels uncomfortable. Reminding ourselves of the cost can help - for example, Anna's brain fog embarrassed her, and she felt it affected her relationships. A Type C’er can ask herself if it might be worth making changes to avoid feeling down about these things. It is important to set small goals when making changes - trying to slow down, doing a little less for others for a few days, remembering that we can still be thoughtful while thinking about our own needs.
(Back to Anna.) For me, there was no magic bullet or pill. I had to put self-care at the top of my priority list, make some big lifestyle changes and nurse myself back to health through good nutrition, regular exercise, sitting with and processing emotions, saying no more often, taking time to do fun things, doing creative work, getting out in the sun, and learning to communicate honestly and assertively in relationships. This didn’t happen all at once for me - really it took several years - but all together helped me find better balance and health. We know some of our readers struggle with brain fog. We hope this helps.