Brain Fog Episode 1.6
May 30, 2007 by laura
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time to explore that very misunderstood phenomenon, the brain fog. Today’s example has been provided by b5 media blogger Eric Eggerston (a fellow canadian 
). Eric blogs over at Common Sense PR for the b5 media business channel. I should say a special thanks to Eric, as he the only male blogger in all of b5 to chime in with a brain fog story. That’s not to say that men don’t experience brain fog, it’s just that they are much less likely to own up to it. Thanks for being so courageous!!!!
Eric brings a new form of brain fog to the table, and I suspect this is the one that PWC’s can identify with most closely. The type that he suffers from is brought on by ADD. Here is what Eric had to say, when asked if he suffers from brain fog:
My ADD kicks in some days, and I do things like head down to the basement, but once I get there I can’t remember what I was supposed to do. So I go back upstairs, remember what it was, and head back downstairs again.
Can you spot a recurring theme? As I stand in the basement the second time, trying to remember why I came down there, I wish I had one of those pens/memory sticks that let you record a 90-second audio message. Of course, I’d forget to leave myself a message, or it would be a message from two tasks previously…
Does this sound familiar to you? I have started leaving messages on my home voice mail, reminding me to do things, when I get home. But by the time I actually get home from work, I am too distracted (or too tired) to actually check. When I finally get around to listening to the message (about 4 days later, since I never check my VM) I have no idea what its about.
Eric has a solution to his fog though, he states:
One thing I do to get things done: once I decide on a task, I go directly to where I’m going to do it, and start on it. If someone asks me something while I’m on my way there, I’ll often say, “I’ll be right there once I’ve finished (fill in the blank),” rather than stop to talk. If I stop, I know I’m going to forget what I was about to do.
It’s a good suggestion. Multitasking is the best friend of the foggy brain. If we can manage to focus on one activity at a time, then our fog might start to clear up.
As always, I will end this post by stating that if you want to contribute to my series on brain fog, by talking about your issue with it, and the steps you take to conquer it. Just leave me an email at laura@b5media.com
Hi Laura,
When you said : “Multitasking is the best friend of the foggy brain.” that seemed to me to be contrary to the point of the post… ? Could you ’splain it to me? Multitasking does remind me of a part of my story but it’s not really a foggy story. It’s more like an IBS story. It brings on the diarrhea component of combination IBS in me. Severely. Ugh. I used to pride myself on my multitasking ability. Now I have to avoid it.
Happy to be courageous, Laura, if that’s what I am.
One thing about my “go do the task, without interruption” thing. If I don’t explain to people around me what’s up, they think I’m rude.
Hi Sherril,
After I wrote that about multitasking, I thought I might have said it in a way that might have been misunderstood.
I just meant that multitasking (or doing too many things at once) can bring on a bout of brainfog.
Certainly for me, that is the case. Starting too many projects can confuse me so badly, that I get dizzy.
Does that clear things up a bit???
Eric,
Since no other men volunteered to discuss their fog, you are definitely considered courageous
Good point about explaining the situation to people. I suspect there are a lot of people who think I have blown them off, when I am just trying to concentrate.