Stop brain fog now: 9 proven ways to clear your mind today

Struggling with brain fog? Discover expert-backed ways to clear your mind, boost focus, and reclaim mental clarity today.

The words ‘cognitive function’ are in the news a lot at the moment. If the sudden focus on the mental state of a certain gentleman has got you wondering about your own mental sharpness, our expert psychologist shares her advice on how to help clear your mind from that cotton-wool feeling.

Understanding brain fog

Brain fog is more than forgetfulness. It’s a cognitive haze that makes thinking, planning, and decision-making feel impossible. Around two in five of us experience it regularly, from sleep deprivation and stress to hormonal shifts and chronic health conditions.

“Brain fog isn’t only cognitive,” explains clinical psychologist and author of Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You (Yellow Kite, 2024), Dr Claire Plumbly. “Psychologists also see it as being linked to highly emotive moments and / or chronic emotional load. Suppressing anger, grief, or fear takes up mental bandwidth – like apps draining a phone battery. Avoiding feelings also keeps the body’s threat system half-switched on, which blunts prefrontal clarity.” 

How brain fog comes and goes

“Brain fog can fluctuate throughout the day, coming in waves, rather than being constant,” says Dr Plumbly. ”It’s found in all those moments when it’s hard to concentrate, or you feel spaced out, cloudy, confused, or exhausted, and struggle to plan, think, and communicate clearly. It includes sensory overload (where light or noise feel too much), word-mixing or mis-sequencing (such as saying ‘Thursday’ when you mean ‘Tuesday’), muddling things up, losing track of time or deadlines, snapping at small things, and feeling pressure behind the eyes or forehead,” she says. 

“Short-term brain fog (lasting hours to days) can come from things such as sleep loss, dehydration, alcohol, a sudden shock or acute stress, overstimulation, certain medications, being ill or just post-illness. Medium-term fog (lasting weeks) could be linked to ongoing workload pressure, grief, trauma, caring stress, post-viral inflammation, perimenopausal hormone fluctuation, low iron, thyroid changes, or sustained poor sleep. Longer-term fog (lasting several months or more) can be linked to burnout, chronic anxiety or depression, long Covid, autoimmune conditions, ADHD or autistic overload, unresolved trauma, chronic fatigue syndrome, and persistently toxic environments,” says Dr Plumbly. 

Naming the feelings beneath the fog

No matter how it presents for you, naming the feelings beneath the fog can help you begin to clear the decks. “Naming and allowing feelings, even briefly, frees up mental capacity. When you name your feeling, you normalise it as a nervous system state. Then you can nurture yourself with a regulating act, such as breath, movement, or seeking out safe support. You can also release stress hormones by shaking, dancing, walking briskly, crying, or singing,” says Dr Plumbly. 

After that, there’s no one magic brain fog remedy that works for everyone. But here are some strategies to help move you from cloudy to clear. 

1. See your doctor

“Brain fog is a non-specific symptom that could be related to many different things,” says Dr Plumbly. A GP can rule out thyroid issues, iron, B12, folate, and vitamin D deficiencies, medication side effects, infections, or inflammation. Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause may also contribute. Professional guidance is essential to identify underlying causes and take the right steps.

2. Do some detective work

If your brain fog feels unclear, start a journal. “Patterns and context provide useful clues,” says Dr Plumbly. Audit your body (symptoms), rhythms (sleep, energy), stress load (work, home), and environment. Fog from toxic environments or trauma often clusters around specific people, places, or memories and may come with hypervigilance, dread, or self-doubt. Recognising triggers allows for practical coping strategies.

3. Go back to basics

Sleep is vital. Maintain a consistent sleep–wake window, an evening wind-down, a cool, dark room, and morning sunlight exposure. Movement sharpens executive function—moderate cardio most days and strength training regularly. Eat balanced meals with protein, fiber, plants, and sufficient iron and vitamins. Hydrate, and moderate caffeine and alcohol to protect clarity.

4. Track your inner weather

Don’t overhaul your lifestyle all at once. Keep a fog log for 2–3 weeks, tracking sleep, meals, stressors, screens, movement, menstrual cycle, alcohol, and caffeine. “Patterns emerge when you track consistently. Then change one factor at a time,” says Dr Plumbly.

5. Connect to your values

Brain fog can reduce confidence and shake your sense of self. Tools like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) values cards help identify your strengths and priorities beyond productivity, reminding you of what truly matters.

6. Do one thing at a time

Multitasking isn’t effective; it’s rapid task-switching, which increases cognitive load. Focus on one task at a time, use to-do lists, apps, or reminders to externalize tasks. This reduces mental strain and supports clearer thinking.

7. Seek self-compassion

Fog often triggers shame or impostor thoughts. “Some people overcompensate by double-checking or striving for perfection, which worsens fog,” says Dr Plumbly. Practicing compassionate self-talk and accepting limitations prevents additional cognitive load and preserves energy.

8. Learn to live alongside it

Budget your energy by scheduling high-cognitive tasks during your clearest hours. Pace yourself, protect recovery windows, and communicate needs: for example, “I work best with written summaries” or “I need agendas 24 hours in advance.” Perspective matters: your identity is more than productivity.

9. Take inspiration from nature

Nature can transform mental states. Laura Pashby, in Finding Fog: Enchantment in a Cloud (Simon & Schuster UK, 2024), explores foggy landscapes as a metaphor for inner transformation. Spending time outdoors, journaling, practicing mindfulness, or gentle movement can help you navigate cognitive haze, reconnect with clarity, and regain creativity.

Meet the Expert: Dr Claire Plumbly is a clinical psychologist & founder of Plum Psychology – a team of trauma-specialists who offer intensive therapy packages for burnout and trauma. She is the author of Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You (Yellow Kite, 2024).

Words: Greta Solomon, Images: Shutterstock