We have all experienced mental fog, also referred to as intellectual fatigue, at some point.
At these times, we experience mental confusion, scattered attention, trouble focusing, and a sense that time is moving slowly. Everybody has gone through those afternoons when they feel exhausted, like their heads are buzzing, and they have trouble focusing. We don't currently have any definite ideas. Our heads are completely jumbled.
There is no better way to quickly clear the fog than to go outside and breathe some fresh air. Numerous studies2 have shown that going for a 10-15 minute walk outside can help us regain our mental clarity. Additionally, it supports our mental and emotional health.
It can be challenging to see things clearly when our mind is racing with a thousand different ideas. Making it a habit to write for 5 to 10 minutes each day can help us organise our thoughts.
We regularly empty our thoughts from our heads to lay them flat on a sheet, rather than allowing them to parasitize us. This easy exercise frequently aids in improving our vision and giving us a higher perspective on our concerns.
Regular writing helps us identify and better manage our ruminating thoughts.
Do not multitask.
Mental fog is encouraged by multitasking. We use more energy to complete a task when we attempt to do multiple things at once. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscience professor at McGill University3, claims:
"Multitasking has a biological cost that eventually exhausts us more quickly than focusing on one thing at a time.
We must therefore refrain from multitasking as much as possible in order to gain more clarity. Time-Blocking and Deep Work are two effective alternatives.
Data that is dispersed all over the place causes mental confusion. We spend more time and effort looking for our notes, documents, files, invoices, etc. when they are dispersed across multiple platforms and applications and poorly organised.
We must organise and clean up our space at least once a week if we want more clarity. For more on this, I suggest reading:
After a substantial meal, one feels sluggish and exhausted. We must give our bodies enough time to digest food otherwise we risk becoming ill. If you've ever hosted a dinner party, you understand what I mean.
Information overload is equivalent to overindulging in rich meals. We must give ourselves time to process them because otherwise, our minds become foggy.
It is advantageous to occasionally take an information cure because of this. We read the news less, spend less time on social media, and watch fewer videos during these treatments so that we have time to process the information we have already taken in.