We all get the dreaded brain fog. We’re thinking of something, talking to someone, learning or studying and like that we lose our train of thought. We retrace our steps, remember where we were and then continue on. For those of us with MS though, the brain fog can occur frequently and can take a lot more effort to retrace and continue – and it can be quite frustrating at times.
I’ve noticed that over the last year my thinking is getting a little clouded. My memory is still quite good but everyday things, such as typing this blog, takes a little more effort than it used to. One of the things I ten dot do us just what you just read. (It should have read “One of the things I tend to do is what you just read.” and that was not staged.) As I type my fingers and brain aren’t always on sync. I catch right away that I just typed something incorrectly but the incorrect typing is occurring a lot more often that it used to. It can be frustrating to take 2-3 times longer to write something than it used to.
It’s worth noting that not all brain fogs are caused by MS. Mine I believe is in part due to my MS but diet, exercise, and sleep can contribute to brain fog as well. I’ve been drinking more colas and teas the past couple of months than I have the past few years. These drinks are natural diuretics that take moisture away from the brain – and the brain needs moisture! (I always say I need to wet my brain when I need to drink some more water.) Too much and too little sleep and exercise also contribute to a foggy brain. So if I’m feeling the effects of MS fog, as it’s called, then I need to make sure I’m not adding to it through poor living. Time for better self discipline, less colas and more water.
What does brain fog have to do with pursuing one’s passions and better self? More than you may think (or not think if you’re in a fog). Pushing through brain fog requires effort. And the more often you get foggy the more effort you exert. That itself can be tiring. But as tiring as it is we still push, we still need to attempt things, chance things, try things – we still have a life to live and we need to live it. We may have a morning fog that doesn’t relent but we can and must push through! Let’ sdot his!
Attempt it. Chance it. Try it. Get to It!