Ever had a ‘mind blank’ moment where you struggled to recall names of people from your work, the punchline of jokes or even important details like your bank pin?

This unsettling phenomenon is called ‘brain fog’ and it can be an anxiety-inducing experience, creating a mental block that can have you desperately scouring the internet for answers.

Brain fog can feel disturbing in the moment, but experts say it generally isn’t a long-term thing, and there are proactive steps we can take to bring our brain back into focus. Here’s how.

What exactly is brain fog?

The first thing to know is that brain fog is that it isn’t actually a medical term. Technically, it’s a buzzword used to describe a set of cognitive symptoms – like poor concentration, feeling confused, thinking more slowly than usual and having ‘fuzzy’ thoughts.

People often say brain fog makes them feel forgetful, causing them to struggle to develop single-task focus, recall important details from stories and keep on top of life admin. Giving clear directions or delivering presentations? Those can be harder too when we can’t find the right words to communicate what we want to say.

Data from a recent Dutch study reveals there’s been a significant increase in brain fog among adults since the start of 2020, and with the hashtag #BrainFog racking up an impressive 27.2 million posts on TikTok, it’s clear that a growing number of us are struggling with this cognitive phenomenon.

What causes brain fog to happen?

As brain fog is often a symptom of another issue, its causes can be wide ranging and multi-faceted. Research has found that elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol can be a key contributor to cognitive issues, and a busy period of work deadlines can easily tip you over into a sub-optimal state.

Likewise, sleep isn’t just important so we can avoid guzzling coffee and getting irritated at our colleagues – a healthy amount is vital for brain plasticity, aka the brain’s ability to adapt to input. When we’ve crammed in one too many Netflix episodes the night before, we can struggle to process information as efficiently as usual, making us feel sluggish and slow.

Added to this, studies have found that menopause can be a key driver of brain fog in women. When the hormones oestrogen and testosterone decline during the perimenopausal years, it can cause a range of knock-on cognitive symptoms, like confusion, memory loss and a general feeling of fuzziness. Similarly, a rise in oestrogen levels during pregnancy can affect memory and cause short-term cognitive impairment.

Finally, a 2021 research study found that our diet can make or break our ability to stay focused, with Vitamin B12 playing a big role in our cognitive function. The study authors found that a deficiency in this vital nutrient can seriously mess with our brain functioning, increasing our levels of tiredness and confusion.

How to kick brain fog to the curb

The good news is that simple lifestyle changes can often improve symptoms, but if the struggle continues long-term, it’s a good idea to reach out to your doctor, as brain fog can sometimes be a side effect of more serious underlying medical conditions like depression, diabetes and long Covid.

Put gut health on the menu

Gut health is big news in the wellness world right now, and with good reason too. A groundbreaking 2011 study on mice found that there’s a strong connection between the trillions of microbes that live in our gut and the neurotransmitters in our brain. This two-way communication system, dubbed the ‘gut-brain axis’, is reshaping how we approach long-term cognitive health.

When we eat high-sugar foods along with a low-fibre diet that’s lacking in plant variety, we can trigger gut dysbiosis, a gastrointestinal condition where the balance of good and bad bacteria in our intestines falls out of whack. A promising 2020 study review found that this may be a driver of brain fog, although the review authors said more research needs to be undertaken in the future.

Regardless, it pays to support our gut health, and we can do so by keeping our stress levels in check, and adding fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut and kombucha to our shopping basket. Another key strategy? Aim to eat at least 30 different plant foods each week to encourage gut diversity.

Up your sleep hygiene

Regularly trying to get good quality sleep in a hot and stuffy room that’s littered with work papers and crumpled clothes?

Paying close attention to our sleep hygiene is one of the easiest ways that we can set ourselves up for sleep success. Essentially a mix of habits and environment, sleep hygiene involves strategizing a solid pre-bedtime routine that puts you in the best position to sleep well every night.

Examples of sleep hygiene practices include setting a bedtime (and sticking to it), putting your phone away after 8pm and using earplugs to drown out street noise. You don’t need to spend lots of money to craft a Zen sleep spot either; fresh bed sheets, clean surfaces and low lighting can be enough to naturally induce slumber.

Try a nootropic supplement

Also known as cognitive enhancers, nootropics are natural and synthesised substances that are designed to boost mental performance. The most widely used nootropic worldwide is caffeine, which can deliver a quick energy hit, but can quickly lead to a crash that leaves you glued to the office coffee machine.

In recent years, gentle and natural nootropic supplements have boomed as people seek solutions for issues like brain fog and low productivity. If you’re curious to give them a try, Form’s Edge combines high strength herbal extracts like Bacopa Monnieri, with potent nootropics such as Alpha GPC and a mix of B Vitamins to help keep your brain sharp. As always, you should consult your GP or a medical professional before adding any new supplements into your daily routine.

Give transcendental meditation a go

Endorsed by A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Hugh Jackman, transcendental meditation is a type of silent meditation that involves repeating a mantra over and over to yourself silently.

Developed by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the mid-20th century, the thinking behind TM is that consciously repeating a word or phrase can nudge the brain into a state of deep relaxation, allowing you to access a state of pure consciousness that blocks out niggling thoughts of WhatsApp messages, work emails and relationship stresses.

There are over 400 published studies on the benefits of TM, and many proponents say that the practice helps them to reduce stress and anxiety, allowing them to unlock higher levels of mental clarity. It goes without saying that one of the biggest benefits of meditation is that it’s a mindful practice, which means it can ground us in the here and now so we can focus on the task at hand – whether it’s ideating on a big work problem, or simply remembering where we put the TV remote.