An alarm will sound. Get dressed, grab some coffee, and head to work.But by lunchtime, you start feeling disorganized. concentration and mental clarity.
There’s nothing worse than brain fog. In addition to stress Lack of sleepit can be caused by the immune system causing an inflammatory response in the brain. concentration and memoryor difficulty in making decisions.
As neuroscientist, I study the causes of brain fog and forgetfulness. To avoid them, here are four things I never do.
1. Do not strain your body for a long time.
Even when you think you are relaxed, your body may be tense (e.g. stiff neck, back or shoulder pain). This can be a result of stress due to unfinished tasks, looming deadlines, etc.
So, as soon as I notice that my body is tense, I do an exercise called “box breathing.”
- Breathe in through your nose slowly counting to 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
- Breathe out through your nose to expel all the air from your lungs while slowly counting to 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
- Repeat for at least 4 rounds.
Box breathing is an easy way to calm your brain. the study It has also been shown to be able to lower levels of cortisol, a chemical that the body produces when it is under stress.
2. No screens for 1 hour before bed.
Scrolling through Instagram or watching TV before bed may be tempting, but these activities can be too stimulating for the brain.
Instead, I try to read before I turn off the lights. If you still can’t sleep, do a “Relaxation Body Scan” and squeeze and release the muscles from your toes to your head.
Ideally, you should get about 8 hours of sleep per night.more than that May lead to depressed moodbelow which the brain does not have enough time to rest and reset.
3. Do not consume large amounts of glucose.
If your gut isn’t healthy, your brain power can also suffer.Me strengthen my gut-brain axis By maintaining a diet rich in hydrating foods, healthy fats and digestible protein.
Most importantly, I try to avoid sugar. Your brain uses glucose (sugar) for fuel, but refined carbs, like high fructose corn syrup in soda, are good for you. Not a fuel source. Your brain has too much glucose and then too little.
This can lead to irritability, fatigue, mental confusion, and poor judgment.
I also eat magnesium-rich foods (whole grains, leafy greens, dried beans, legumes) to help regulate my mood and sleep cycle.And I try to have my last caffeinated drink of the day before 10am.
4. Not a day goes by without meditation.
I meditate for at least 12 minutes every day.
Doing this at night can help reduce brain fog the next day.
- Remove all distractions from the room.
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
- Please take a deep breath.
- Quietly observe your thoughts.
- Allow yourself to simply focus on your breath, no matter what thoughts come to mind.
If you don’t want to meditate, you can do mindful activities like cooking or taking a quiet walk.
I also recommend coming up with a mantra that you can say in the morning. “Brain fog is a state of mind. Go to bed early tonight and be fine tomorrow.”
By clarifying your goals out loud to yourself, you can begin to become more conscious about changing your habits. And by repeating it, your brain and body will follow suit.
Dr. Tara Swart Bieber Neuroscientist, physician and senior lecturer at MIT Sloan.she is the author of “Information Sources: Secrets of the Universe, Science of the Brain” host a podcast Reinvent yourself with Dr. TaraShe works with leaders to achieve peak mental resilience and brain performance, improve their ability to manage stress, regulate emotions, and retain information. twitter When Instagram.
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