How to Get Rid of Brain Fog: Causes and Ways to Think More Clearly
Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you went there?
Perhaps you know exactly what you want to say but can't find the word. You read the same paragraph several times without taking it in, lose your train of thought halfway through a conversation or find that everyday tasks seem to require far more mental effort than they used to.
We commonly call this brain fog.
Brain fog isn't a medical condition in itself. It's a term used to describe difficulties with concentration, memory, mental clarity and focus, and there can be many different reasons for experiencing it.
As a clinical hypnotherapist, counsellor and psychotherapist with more than 25 years' experience, I've worked with many people who have found that stress, anxiety, poor sleep or simply having too much going on mentally has left them struggling to think as clearly as they normally would.
But brain fog can also have medical causes, so the first step isn't simply trying to force yourself to concentrate harder. It's considering why you're experiencing it in the first place.
If stress, poor sleep or mental overload seem to be contributing to that foggy feeling, I've created a Brain Fog Self-Hypnosis MP3 to help quieten mental clutter, encourage relaxation and help you reconnect with a calmer, clearer sense of focus.
The programme includes a short introduction followed by a 21-minute self-hypnosis session that you can use privately at home.
Brain fog can have many possible causes, so the recording is intended as a relaxation and self-help resource rather than treatment for an underlying medical condition. If your symptoms are persistent, severe, new or unexplained, speak to your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.
What Does Brain Fog Feel Like?
Brain fog doesn't feel exactly the same for everyone.
You might experience:
difficulty concentrating
forgetfulness
trouble finding the right words
losing your train of thought
feeling mentally slower than usual
becoming easily distracted
struggling to organise your thoughts
difficulty switching between tasks
feeling as though your mind simply isn't as sharp as it normally is
For some people it's an occasional nuisance.
For others, it can begin affecting work, confidence and everyday life.
One of the most frustrating aspects is knowing that you can think clearly because you've done it perfectly well before.
That can lead to another layer of worry:
Why can't I concentrate?
Why do I keep forgetting things?
What's wrong with me?
The more frustrated and anxious you become, the harder concentration can sometimes feel.
What Causes Brain Fog?
There isn't one universal cause of brain fog.
Problems with concentration, memory and mental clarity can occur for many reasons. These can include poor sleep, prolonged stress, anxiety, mental overload and exhaustion, as well as health conditions, hormonal changes, illness and some medications.
Brain fog is also commonly reported in connection with conditions including Long COVID, ME/CFS and menopause or perimenopause.
That's why I'd be wary of anyone claiming that brain fog has one simple cause or one simple cure.
Instead, think about what else was happening when the problem began.
Did your sleep deteriorate?
Were you particularly stressed?
Did you become unwell?
Have there been hormonal changes?
Did you start a new medication?
Have you simply been trying to manage far too much for too long?
Sometimes the wider picture provides useful clues.
How Do You Get Rid of Brain Fog?
There isn't one method that will clear brain fog for everybody because the appropriate response depends partly on what's causing it.
If an underlying health problem is responsible, that needs appropriate medical attention.
But when everyday factors such as poor sleep, stress, anxiety or mental overload are contributing, there are several things worth looking at.
Start With Your Sleep
Sleep is one of the first areas I'd consider.
You may technically spend seven or eight hours in bed but still not be getting good-quality sleep.
Perhaps you wake repeatedly.
Maybe you go to bed later than you intend because it's the only quiet time you have to yourself.
You might lie awake thinking about tomorrow or wake in the morning already feeling tired.
When you're exhausted, concentrating, processing information and remembering things can become much harder.
Ask yourself:
Has my sleep changed since the brain fog started?
If the answer is yes, improving your sleep may be an important part of addressing the problem rather than treating poor concentration in isolation.
Reduce Stress and Mental Overload
Sometimes your brain isn't failing you.
You're simply asking it to deal with too much.
Imagine a computer with dozens of programs running simultaneously. Eventually, everything starts slowing down.
Something similar can happen when your mind is constantly occupied with work, family responsibilities, finances, relationships, appointments, messages and everything else you're trying not to forget.
You may technically be concentrating on one thing while part of your attention is still occupied by several others.
In my work as a hypnotherapist and counsellor, I've often seen people become so accustomed to living under pressure that they stop recognising how mentally overloaded they've become.
If that sounds familiar, the answer may not be to push your brain harder.
It may need less to deal with.
Anxiety Can Make Brain Fog Feel Worse
Anxiety consumes attention.
When you're worrying, your mind continually returns to the perceived problem.
What if this happens?
What if I've forgotten something?
What if I've made the wrong decision?
What if something goes wrong?
That leaves less attention available for whatever you're actually trying to do.
Brain fog itself can then become another source of anxiety.
You forget a word and immediately worry about why.
You lose your train of thought and start monitoring whether it will happen again.
You struggle to concentrate and begin wondering whether something is seriously wrong.
Now part of your attention is occupied by worrying about your concentration.
If anxiety is contributing to the problem, reducing that anxiety may be more helpful than continually trying to force yourself to focus.
Stop Trying to Multitask
We often talk about multitasking as though it's a useful skill.
In reality, much of what we call multitasking involves rapidly switching attention between different things.
You're answering an email while checking your phone, half-listening to somebody talking and already thinking about the next job.
It can feel productive because you're busy.
But if you're already struggling with concentration, try the opposite.
Do one thing at a time.
Put your phone away when you're working on something important.
Close unnecessary browser tabs.
Finish one small task before beginning another.
Give a conversation your full attention.
You may be surprised how much clearer your mind feels when it isn't continually being asked to change direction.
Take Proper Mental Breaks
When concentration becomes difficult, the temptation can be to sit there trying even harder.
Sometimes that's the worst thing you can do.
If you've been concentrating for a long time, take a short break before your mind reaches the point of exhaustion.
Stand up.
Move around.
Go outside for a few minutes if you can.
Have a drink.
Look away from the screen.
A useful break doesn't have to last half an hour.
Even a few minutes can interrupt that feeling of pushing against a tired mind and allow you to return with a little more clarity.
Stop Expecting Your Memory to Hold Everything
If you're worried about forgetting things, take some of the pressure off your memory.
Write things down.
Use a notebook, diary, calendar or phone reminders.
Record appointments and tasks when you think of them rather than expecting yourself to remember them later.
Keep today's list short rather than carrying twenty unfinished jobs around in your head.
This isn't admitting that your memory has failed.
It's simply reducing unnecessary mental load.
The less energy you're spending trying not to forget something, the more attention you have available for what you're doing now.
Look After the Basics
When people want to improve mental clarity, complicated solutions can be appealing.
I would start much more simply.
Consider:
how well you're sleeping
whether you're eating regular, balanced meals
whether you're physically active
how much alcohol you're drinking
your stress levels
whether you're taking proper breaks
how much uninterrupted time you spend looking at screens
whether you're trying to do too many things simultaneously
None of these is a guaranteed cure for brain fog.
But they're easy to overlook when life is busy.
If you're exhausted, stressed and mentally overloaded, another productivity technique probably isn't the first thing you need.
Brain Fog During Menopause and Perimenopause
Problems with memory and concentration can occur during menopause and perimenopause.
Some women describe struggling to find words, forgetting things they would normally remember or simply feeling less mentally sharp than usual.
These difficulties may also occur alongside disrupted sleep, tiredness, hot flushes, night sweats or changes in mood.
If you're around this stage of life and brain fog has appeared alongside other possible symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, consider discussing it with your GP.
Don't simply assume you have to put up with it.
Brain Fog After COVID
Problems with memory and concentration are also commonly reported by people experiencing Long COVID.
If your brain fog began following COVID and has persisted, particularly if you're also experiencing fatigue, breathlessness or other ongoing symptoms, speak to your GP rather than assuming that stress or lifestyle is responsible.
Again, understanding what may be causing the brain fog is important.
Stop Fighting Your Brain
Brain fog can knock your confidence surprisingly quickly.
You forget a word and think:
What's wrong with me?
The next time you're speaking to somebody, part of you is waiting for it to happen again.
That creates pressure.
If a word doesn't immediately come to you, give yourself a moment.
If you lose your train of thought, pause.
If you're struggling to concentrate, take a break rather than becoming increasingly frustrated with yourself.
Being angry with yourself because your mind feels foggy simply adds another layer of stress.
You don't have to fight your brain into working properly.
Sometimes it needs space.
Can Relaxation Help Clear Brain Fog?
That depends on what's causing it.
Relaxation isn't a treatment for every cause of brain fog, and persistent or unexplained cognitive symptoms shouldn't simply be attributed to stress.
But if stress, anxiety, poor sleep or mental overload are contributing, learning to relax properly can be useful.
Many people rarely give their minds genuine downtime.
Even when they're sitting still, they're checking messages, scrolling, planning, worrying or mentally rehearsing what needs doing next.
Relaxation means allowing some of that activity to settle.
And that's one reason self-hypnosis may be helpful for some people.
Can Self-Hypnosis Help With Brain Fog?
Self-hypnosis isn't intended to treat an underlying medical cause of brain fog.
Its role is different.
Hypnosis creates an opportunity to become deeply relaxed while allowing your attention to become calmer and more focused.
Instead of continually analysing, planning and worrying, you deliberately give your mind permission to slow down.
I created my Brain Fog Self-Hypnosis MP3 particularly for people who feel mentally cluttered, distracted or overloaded and want to work on relaxation, concentration and a clearer state of mind.
The programme contains two tracks.
The first is a short introduction explaining brain fog and some of the common factors that can contribute to it.
The second is a deeply relaxing 21-minute hypnosis session designed to help release mental clutter and encourage clearer, steadier thinking.
During the session, I also introduce the simple trigger word “Clear.”
With repeated listening, the idea is for that word to become a useful mental cue when you notice yourself becoming mentally overloaded — reminding you to pause, breathe and reconnect with a calmer, more focused state.
Again, I wouldn't recommend using self-hypnosis to cover up unexplained cognitive symptoms or as a substitute for appropriate medical advice.
Give Your Brain Time to Recover
If you've been under prolonged pressure, don't expect yourself to feel completely clear-headed because you've taken one afternoon off.
Recovery from stress and exhaustion can take time.
Aim for consistent changes rather than dramatic ones.
That might mean:
going to bed a little earlier;
taking proper breaks from work;
walking regularly;
reducing the number of things you're trying to do simultaneously;
or setting aside periods when you're genuinely not working or checking your phone.
Small changes you maintain are often more useful than an ambitious new routine that lasts three days.
When Should You Speak to Your GP About Brain Fog?
Because brain fog can have many possible causes, don't automatically put persistent problems down to stress.
Speak to your GP if problems with memory, concentration or thinking are new, unexplained, getting worse or interfering with your everyday life.
It's particularly important to seek appropriate medical advice if you're experiencing other symptoms alongside the brain fog.
If you've recently started medication and noticed a change in your concentration or thinking, discuss this with an appropriate healthcare professional rather than stopping prescribed medication yourself.
Brain fog is a description of symptoms, not a diagnosis.
Sometimes finding the cause is the most important step towards dealing with it.
How to Start Clearing Brain Fog
If you're wondering where to begin, keep it simple.
Ask yourself what else is going on.
Are you exhausted?
Stressed?
Anxious?
Going through menopause or perimenopause?
Recovering from illness?
Trying to manage too many things at once?
Did the problem begin after starting or changing medication?
Or is there genuinely no obvious explanation?
Once you have a better idea of what may be contributing, you can decide what needs to happen next.
Sometimes that means improving sleep or reducing mental overload.
Sometimes it means changing a few everyday habits.
Sometimes it means dealing with stress or anxiety.
And sometimes it means speaking to your GP and investigating the symptoms properly.
Final Thoughts
Brain fog can be incredibly frustrating, particularly if you've always relied on being organised, focused and mentally sharp.
But don't immediately assume the worst — and don't ignore persistent symptoms either.
Start by looking at the whole picture.
Consider your sleep, stress levels, mental workload and general wellbeing. Think about whether there have been hormonal changes, illness, medication changes or other factors that could be relevant.
And if there's no obvious explanation, or your symptoms are persistent or concerning, seek appropriate medical advice.
If stress and mental overload appear to be part of the problem, however, slowing things down and giving your mind genuine opportunities to relax may help you feel more in control.
You don't necessarily need to force your brain to work harder.
Sometimes the first step towards thinking more clearly is giving it less to fight against.
About Sharon Shinwell
I'm Sharon Shinwell, a UK clinical hypnotherapist, counsellor, psychotherapist and clinical supervisor with more than 25 years' professional experience.
Through Self Hypnosis UK, I create professionally guided self-hypnosis recordings designed to provide practical support for people who want to work on relaxation, confidence, habits, thoughts and behaviours.
"This article represents the personal views and opinions of the author and should not be taken as representative of the official policy or position of any organization, professional, expert, or individual."
