Do you feel like you’re in a slump? Like you can’t focus on anything clearly and your short-term memory is zapped? Mental exhaustion is a real thing, and it’s especially an issue when stress is high and the demands on us are constant. Many of us are parenting, working from home, and stuck inside for much of the day. But we can still make some simple tweaks to our lives to improve our mental alertness and feel more awake, invigorated, and energetic.
If you need to jumpstart your mind and put some pep back in your step, try these 5 natural health tips to improve focus and beat brain fog.
What is “Brain Fog”?
Brain fog is a general feeling of mental cloudiness, forgetfulness, and chronic exhaustion. Often people with brain fog issues feel tired, both mentally and physically, and like their thoughts aren’t clear. They feel sluggish, and that they don’t have the energy they need to get everything done. Brain fog and lack of energy can put a huge damper on your mood and negatively impact your emotional well-being.
If you’ve ever been walking through your house performing a chore...and then completely forgotten what it was you were looking for or what you were doing—you might be experiencing brain fog.
If you’re at work and find yourself staring at the screen in a daze when you know you should be getting things done—you might be experiencing brain fog.
When you’re in the middle of a sentence and you can’t remember a word you’ve used a million times—you might be experiencing brain fog.
When you’ve had 2 cups of coffee and a full night’s rest, but you still feel completely exhausted—you might be experiencing brain fog.
How Can You Lift Brain Fog and Have More Energy?
If you think you might be experiencing brain fog, there are plenty of natural ways to get back on track.
1. Stay Active
We have all been cooped up inside during quarantine, struggling to find fun activities to entertain our bored kiddos, hyper pets, and our own restless minds. Winter weather doesn’t help—snow and chilly temps make it harder to stay active outside and get the exercise our bodies and brains need to stay healthy.
Make it your goal to get up and get active for at least 15 minutes each day. There are plenty of free online workouts you can do quickly and easily during your lunch break or in the morning before you start your day. Take some time to yourself to lift weights, do some cardio, or take the dog for a walk. According to research from Harvard Medical School, performing 120 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week can improve memory and sleep and reduce stress and anxiety.
Exercise doesn’t need to be done in a gym to count! If your heart rate is elevated and you’re sweating, you are exercising. That means raking the leaves, cleaning your house, and chasing your kids are progress toward your goal.
2. Explore Natural Supplements
Another easy way to get more energy, improve sleep, and boost mental clarity is to make sure you’re getting all the vitamins, minerals, and natural compounds your mind needs to thrive. While it’s tempting to drink another cup of coffee or sip on an energy drink when you’re feeling tired, these probably aren’t doing you any favors. You might feel great for a few hours, but you’ll eventually lose steam.
Don’t rely on caffeine. Make sure you’re getting plenty of Vitamin B and D with a high-quality daily supplement. Eat plenty of whole grains, like oatmeal, to help you sustain your energy levels throughout the morning. And steer clear of too much sugar, since it can imbalance blood-sugar levels and has plenty of other ill-effects on your health.
Instead, choose more natural sources to help you wake up and feel productive, like guarana extract and red Panax ginseng. Our Awakening Formula contains both, plus easily-absorbed minerals and active plant-based enzymes. It’s also sugar-free, which means it won’t make you crash like coffee or an energy drink might.
3. Re-evaluate Your Bedtime Routine
Are you getting enough sleep? The number of hours you sleep each night can have a huge impact on your alertness, mental clarity, and overall mood. Aim for at least 7 hours of quality rest to feel refreshed and help your body recover.
You might be used to scrolling apps on your smartphone, catching up on emails, or watching a few episodes of your favorite show before you go to bed. As hard as it can be to put away electronic devices, unplugging might help you get higher quality sleep.
Try leaving your phone in another room and reading a book to unwind. Or begin a new ritual of meditation and mindfulness before you go to sleep for the night. Whatever routine works for, getting plenty of rest will help you have a clearer mind and healthy body.
4. Catch Some Rays
According to the World Health Organization, the sun has many health benefits. Just 5 to 15 minutes of sun exposure to hand, face, and arms a day can improve your mood, and stimulate circulation and Vitamin D production.
Relaxing in the sun for a few minutes a day can also help you release tension and reduce anxiety naturally—which has a big impact on clarity of thought and alertness.
Make it a goal to take a short break once every hour to get outside or even sit and gaze out your sunny office window and connect with nature. Sometimes beating brain fog can be as simple as allowing our mind some time to wander and recover before we refocus.
5. Exercise Your Mind
If your mind is feeling sluggish and slow, you can actually exercise it for prime performance! Make it a habit to sit down with a crossword puzzle, sudoku, or even play a game of Scrabble or chess once or twice a week.
According to a recent study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, stimulating games like these can help your brain function better and improve attention, memory, and reasoning skills as you age. You have to maintain your brain just like a muscle if you want it to stay sharp!
Brain fog is a real challenge that many parents, professionals, and students are facing right now. But natural energy and focus are attainable no matter your age and how many demands you have in your life. To increase energy levels long-term, you’ll need to consider high-quality nutritional supplements and adjust your routine to make more time for your mental and physical health. We hope these 5 natural health tips have helped!