Around 60 per cent of midlife women experience ‘brain fog’ at some time or other. It is a particular problem during peri-menopause and can take the form of difficulty concentrating or being forgetful. Mindfulness for brain fog is one way to address the problem.
In the first 12 months after their menstrual cycle stops, some women score poorly on verbal reasoning, memory, attention and working memory (your ability to take in new information and manipulate it). Suddenly it becomes difficult to calculate the tip in a restaurant, or deal with sudden changes of itinerary.
Unlike age-related memory loss, midlife women do not have long-term problems with storing or retrieving information. Brain fog is transient, it goes away with time.
The link between the peri-/menopause and brain fog is complex. The hormones oestrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone and lutenising hormone are all involved in cognition. But because hormone levels can fluctuate widely, the effect of them on mental processing is hard to quantify. And other facets of the menopause are known to impact mental processing, including stress, anxiety, low mood, and problems sleeping.
Mindfulness for brain fog: how it helps
Mindfulness helps you learn to watch yourself thinking, and to develop an insight into your own mind, that helps you be a better friend to yourself. Some of the ways mindfulness can help with brain fog include:
- Reducing stress – mindfulness practice is known to reduce stress hormones, which in turn helps you sleep better and your ability to focus and concentrate improves accordingly. And it promotes acceptance that the brain fog is a passing phase, which makes it easier to bear.
- Improved thinking – there is some support for the idea that meditation in particular helps activate parts of the brain associated with thinking and memory, so it is an exercise for the brain.
- Present moment awareness – mindfulness encourages you to concentrate on the one job in hand. It is the antithesis of multi-tasking, something we now know is ‘toxic’ for the brain. With mindfulness you learn not to switch tasks or being doing one thing while thinking about another. This can make you more efficient and is less fatiguing for you brain.
Self-care for brain fog
Mindfulness meditation can help you turn towards difficulties with patience, trusting the any problems focusing or concentrating will pass. Sitting quietly, with your own self and your breath, is the very antidote to trying to juggle multiple tasks. Try the Breathing Space as one way to clear the fog. Other ways to support yourself include.
- Follow a well-balanced diet, whole foods and healthy fats, as found in the Mediterranean Diet, rich in Omega 3
- Get enough rest, as sleep quality and brain fog are inter-linked. See my blog on ways to use mindfulness to help you sleep, and other tips on creating the right environment for rest.
- Regular movement, as being sedentary diminishes mental performance. Brains need increased circulation and oxygenation. Aim for 30 minutes cardio three times a week, and include some strength training, as midlife women also experience bone thinning and loss of muscle mass.
- Hydrate – brains need water – aim for 30ml per kg of body weight, increasing in hotter/humid climates or if you are more physically active than normal
- Declutter – organised your desk, workspace, home, to create a more calm, clear environment for you to function in
- Write things down – take notes and make lists. Helps reduce any anxiety associated with trying to remember things, and one less thing to worry about also increases the likelihood you will remember better.
- Try new things – go to new places, change your routines, and meet people socially. Work your brain the same way you would your body – crosswords, a foreign language, a musical instrument, a new hobby. Use your mental capacity and you are less likely to lose it.
- Disconnect from mobile phones, tablets etc when you want to concentrate. Turn off notifications, put the phone on silent, so you will not be tempted to attend to every beep. This is part and parcel of not multi-tasking, making it easier on yourself by focusing on one thing at a time.
Most memory and concentration problems at midlife are transient. However, if you notice, or your family notices, an ongoing deterioration, do consult a doctor. Particular signs to look out for are repetitive questions and statements, getting lost in familiar places, difficulty with daily tasks and problems making decisions, and changes in mood/personality/behaviour.
Mindfulness is not a magic wand, but small steps taken consistently over time can yield big outcomes. Take care of yourself and always seek medical or professional advice if you are unsure what is right for you. The practice below is not a ‘cure’ for brain fog, but it is an exercise to help you be patient and kind to yourself when you are not feeling at your mental best.
