If you have ever stared at your computer screen, unable to summon the energy and mental acuity necessary to complete a day’s work, then you have experienced “brain fog.” It is as common as it is aggravating. There are several online resources for sharpening your memory and mental focus.
They include brain teasers and puzzle apps, as well as full websites devoted to cognitive games that supposedly hone your memory skills. However, after a long day staring at a computer for work, the internet may be the last place you want to go to sharpen your focus.
Luckily, there are natural ways to achieve the same effects. Your brain and body share an intimately linked and infinitely complex relationship, and helping one goes a long way toward helping the other. In this post, let’s look at four all-natural ways to boost your mental focus and memory so that you can kick brain fog to the curb.
Lion’s Mane Tea
This adaptogen mushroom, revered in Eastern herbalism for centuries, is well-known as a cognitive health superstar. Some studies show that drinking tea brewed with lion’s mane can support long-term cognitive health and help you focus better. The mechanism behind the mushroom’s potential cognitive capabilities is straightforward: it delivers compounds that enable the brain to maintain a healthy inflammatory response.
Once only available through herbalists in Asia, you can now buy lion’s mane mushrooms online that come in easy-to-dose sachets.
B12-Rich Foods
B12 is an all-around essential vitamin. It is particularly important to a healthily functioning central nervous system – including your brain.
Unfortunately, statistics show that roughly one in five people are B12 deficient. To ensure that you get adequate B12 in your diet, you can either take B vitamin supplements or go the natural route: incorporating B12-rich foods in your diet. Significant sources of B12 include eggs, meat and dairy products. However, if you are vegan, you can still get plenty of B12 through fortified nutritional yeast, tempeh and certain fortified breakfast cereals.
Rosemary Essential Oil
The piney, citrusy scent of rosemary is more than just a pleasant smell. It may also help combat brain fog. According to this study, exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma positively correlates with increased cognitive performance.
Try a few drops of rosemary essential oil in a diffuser as you take a relaxing bath. You can find the essential oil for sale online or make it yourself in a slow cooker for a fraction of the cost.
A Run Through Nature
Any exercise will do your brain good. But there’s something uniquely mind-clearing about a run through nature. In Japan, there is a practice called “forest bathing,” which involves putting all modern distractions aside and basking in the natural beauty and fresh air of a forested area. Pair that concept with an evening run, and you may have yourself a silver bullet solution to brain fog.
If you notice your memory flagging and mental acuity dropping, take action. Brew an invigorating cup of lion’s mane tea, eat a B12-abundant meal, add a few drops of rosemary oil in the diffuser and take a long run through the trees. Your brain may thank you.
