11 Easy Ways to Overcome Brain Fog & Improve Concentration

What is brain fog? 

"Brain fog" is a term that's used to explain certain symptoms that affect our ability to think. It's not a medical condition but we can often feel confused, disorganized, and irritated whilst finding it hard to focus and put thoughts into words. 

It's generally a time when doing anything productive is challenging. 

If you've ever experienced this phenomenon, you'll know exactly what I mean. However, after experiencing it, I wanted to learn more about it so I started experimenting with a few different ways in how to live it better. 

Below are eleven of the best ways that I've found to overcome brain fog, regain clarity and focus, and channel my energy into creative projects that bring me alive and create purpose. 

1. Brainwave music/Binaural beats 

I was first introduced to brainwave music (or binaural beats) during my breathwork training with SOMA Breath on their 21 Day Awakening Journey. The music in those three weeks captivated me as soon as I heard it and from that moment on, I went on a discovery to find out more, from all of the content on YouTube to learning and understanding why it's so effective.

Over time, brainwave music has become what I use in breathwork sessions, for meditation, sleep, and everyday writing sessions.

It's a great way to 'drop in' as quickly as possible and the best part about it is that there are hundreds, if not thousands of hours' worth of brainwave music completely free on platforms like YouTube.

This one is my go-to. 

What is brainwave music?

There are frequencies that operate throughout the entire universe. Among many other things, the Earth has a frequency of 7.83hz (otherwise known as the Schumann resonance after the physicist Dr. Winfried Otto Schumann predicted it mathematically in 1952).

Certain brainwave music has been designed to tap into these frequencies to help us become more aligned with ourselves and to life itself. Here are a few other examples:

• 174hz helps to relieve pain
• 432hz is used for energy healing
• 528hz is the resonance at the heart of everything that exists in the universe - the sun, pyramids, rainbows, and snowflakes.
• 639hz is for finding balance and connection in relationship.
• 741hz acts as armour against negativity and is connected to the throat chakra
• 963hz (Solfeggio Frequency) is associated with awakening intuition and activating the pineal gland (our third eye).

While they are subtle in their differences to our everyday minds, our subconscious mind can tap into their nuances and react accordingly. Whatever the differences are on a subconscious level, they all pretty much act in the same way and that is to help with relaxation, connection, and clarity.

In a world that's so busy and quick, finding ways to slow down and keep the mind focused while being relaxed and open is key, not just for productivity, but for inner peace and relaxation too.

There are many ways to do this such as meditation, breathwork techniques, plant medicines, being in nature and making love but they aren't always accessible and/or need certain guidance. Brainwave music on Youtube, however, is completely free and easily accessible.

You can have a 10-hour track playing while you sleep, a 2-hour track playing while you work, or a peaceful 30 minute track playing while you meditate. All you've got to do is press play.

2. Breathwork 

On average, we breathe between 15,000–20,000 breaths a day. It is the only thing that comes with us through every thought, conversation, scenario, and situation. It doesn't matter if we're feeling frustrated, angry, sad, happy, joyful, fearful, ecstatic, jealous, elated, or enraged, it will always be breathing us with or without our awareness. But what if we do become aware of it? Happens to the breath through each of these moments? 

What we quickly discover is that it's always the first thing to change. 

That's why becoming aware of it can help us to see what's going on inside. It holds up a wonderful reflection of our innermost goings-on. 

It's also free of dogma, judgement, prejudice, and assumption. It's all-inclusive, non-binary, accessible, free, willing, and forever available. We don't have to go anywhere to find it, buy it, grow it, source it, persuade it, or convince it either, it will continue to breathe us regardless so it can always be relied upon and trusted.

As the breath is made up of two parts - the inhale and the exhale - if we need or want more energy we can focus more on the inhale and if we want to relax more we can focus on the exhale. This is a very simple way to work with the breath but its effects are huge. 

I won't bore you with all the details here but if you want to discover how the heart and brain communicate through the breath, check out a blog that I wrote here as it goes into all the fascinating details of this most intimate relationship. 

Or you can try my favourite breathwork technique here. 

As cliche as it sounds, connecting to my breath literally changed my life.

3. Lion's Mane 

This is a relatively new addition to my lifestyle but after seeing the results and how clear I feel throughout the day, there's no going back. 

Lion's mane is a mushroom and it can be eaten for its delicious taste or taken in capsules for more medicinal use. 

The benefits of lion's mane are: 

• Helps to protect against dementia 
• Relieves mild symptoms of anxiety and depression 
• Supports the nervous system to speed up recovery times 
• Protects against ulcers in the digestive tract
• Reduces heart disease Risk
• Helps manage diabetes symptoms
• May help fight cancer
• Reduces inflammation and oxidative stress
• Boosts the immune system

So, what's not to like? 

For an extra kick: Combine lion's mane with shiitake mushrooms to really supercharge yourself! 

4. Exercise

Exercise speeds up blood circulation and blood flow so more blood gets to the brain. It also releases dopamine which makes us feel good. 

Feeling good then makes us feel inspired and energised which are known to kick brain fogs ass. 

5. Get out in nature 

Being in nature has so many benefits and it really doesn't have to be long. A short 15-minute walk, 30-minutes laying on the grass, being in the ocean, walking through a forest, gardening, walking your beloved dog, or connecting with other animals all count. 

Nature works on all aspects of our being: mental, emotional, and physical health. It does so by helping to move the body, relax the mind, and balancing the nervous system. 

In today's busy world, it's a wonderful antidote that holds ancient wisdom. 

6. Be creative 

Creativity is all about right-brain activity. Brain fog is all about our left brain being confused and/or dazed. So, allow the left brain to relax, switch off, chill the f*ck out, and give your right brain freedom to explore and play for a while. It can do wonders to the psyche. 

Examples of creativity: Art, drawing, sewing, baking, writing, music, gardening, DIY, woodwork, etc… 

7. Switch up your diet 

"We are what we eat" - Ludwig Feuerbach

Our brains are fed by the energy that we give them and a lot of it comes from food. If you're lacking essential dietary needs such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, this can create low energy levels and/or low motivation.

Foods and drinks that contain toxins, pollutants, chemical substances, processed sugars, pesticides and insecticides can also deplete energy levels and create brain fog.

A simple addition or subtraction in your diet can do wonders here. 

8. Try to avoid alcohol and drinking coffee in the afternoon

Don't freak out if you drink beer and enjoy a hot coffee in the afternoon. Obviously, everyone is different and there are limits here. It's more about how much is consumed than the occasional glass of wine over dinner.

If you've ever had a hangover though, you'll know just how much alcohol can cause brain fog. And drinking coffee in the afternoon? Well, that might just disturb your sleep which can also lead to brain fog. So, these are guidelines but they do hold a lot of truth. 

9. Spend less time on the screen 

I know covid changed the game and now most of us work online, if not completely, then partially. So, stepping away from the screen is tough. And considering our little dopamine receptors get excited by notifications, messages, views, videos, and other wonderfully crafted pings and dings, so we're battling a strong chemical reaction here. 

But whenever you can, step away from the screen. Lift your gaze, look out to the horizon, and wash your hands and face with water. 

As much as screens and the online world are beautiful and opportunistic, they are also accredited with depleting energy levels over the long-term whilst paradoxically overstimulating our nervous systems and eyes. 

There's also the radiation factor (yikes - I went there!) 

So, step away for a while, try and create a healthy balance wherever you can. Switch off your wifi router at night and turn your phone on airplane mode. 

Use simple tricks like these that can create space naturally. 

10. Get some zzzz's 

This one's kind of obvious but it can't be left off the list. Brain fog is hard enough but brain fog on little to no sleep? That's even harder! 

So, rest. Take time to stretch, meditate, and unwind. Fill your days up so much that sleep comes at just the right time.  

11. Positive thinking 

I left this one until last for good reason. The power of the mind can override pretty much all things - cold, disease, viruses, exhaustion, pain, and physical limitations. Negative thinking, on the other hand, can make us spiral into darkness, create anxiety and depression, and zap our life-force energy. 

Which one we choose is ultimately a personal choice. 

The ten tools above support positive thinking and positive thinking then encourage them to continue. It's a beautiful feedback loop that keeps on giving. Trying to change the way we think can be tough. But doing things that inspire our thoughts? That's much easier! 

If all you have to hang onto in moments of doubt or despair is this, then ask yourself one question - what would Love do now? And then act in accordance with the answer that comes from your heart. 

To recap

• Listen to brainwave music/binaural beats 
• Breathe 
• Use powerful supplements like lion's mane
• Exercise 
• Get out in nature 
• Create
• Switch up your diet if required 
• Try to avoid alcohol and coffee in the afternoon
• Spend less time on the screen 
• Get some good sleep 
• Think positive thoughts