Stress turns on primitive brain areas associated with threat detection (like the amygdala ) while degrading the influence of our higher learning centers (like the prefrontal cortex ).

These changes occur because of the ways chronic stress alters brain function. When our sympathetic nervous system over-dominates the parasympathetic, we become hyper-fixated on protecting our survival at the expense of essential kinds of maintenance: proper digestion, sleep, and focus. Or it can show up as brain fog: struggles with concentration, mental cloudiness, fatigue, and more. Practically, this can look like feeling free-floating tension even when there's nothing scary in our immediate circumstances. An imbalanced nervous system is less flexible and less responsive: in this state, we can't appropriately shift between sympathetic and parasympathetic states based on environmental or internal bodily cues. Ĭhronic stress causes nervous system imbalance. But when we're chronically stressed, we can become accustomed to low-level yet ongoing tension. When we face small and infrequent doses of stress, we return to balance quickly and without lingering effects. We can trace the connection between brain fog and anxiety to the impacts of chronic stress on our bodies.

Can anxiety cause brain fog? Or is it the other way around? Anxious, ruminative thoughts about brain fog can themselves feel tiring, amplifying your exhaustion and fogginess in a self-reinforcing loop.Īs a result, anxiety and brain fog can fade into one another, creating a chicken-and-egg situation that begs the question. Brain fog can bring fear about what the fogginess might mean for your health, motivation levels, or work performance. Nearly everyone has felt brain fog: cloudiness, lack of concentration, and fatigue.īeyond the frustrations of brain fog, it can also trigger stress, anxiety, and overthinking.

Can anxiety cause brain fog? 8 lifestyle shifts to help you find relief (even if you don't have tons of time, patience, or willpower)ĭo you ever feel like your motivation and mental clarity are inaccessible? If so, you're not alone.

Icon for brain