Episode 274: Anxiety Bytes: Any Tips for Brain Fog?
Join Kelli and Erica as they answer a question from one of our lovely listeners about brain fog... or brain frog if you're Kelli.
To tune into the episode, listen on iTunes or Spotify.
Transcript
00:00.00
kelliwalkercoaching
Hey guys welcome to not another anxiety show I'm your host Kelly Walker and joining me today is my co-host from coaching fromabroad dot com eka laham hey.
00:11.49
erica
Oh hey, girl hey girl how are you? yeah ah can you Im the same history I Just I just posted a picture of you chugging peptoismol.
00:13.49
kelliwalkercoaching
And well pretty good because I saw your face in person last week
00:28.84
erica
Because we had a little like not I mean like a happy hour kind of um, but we well but jalapenos we had. Yeah, we had the.
00:33.72
kelliwalkercoaching
Yep, we had a happy hour that um involved like raw garlic and I'm and jalapenos and I'm too old for those things. But.
00:44.40
erica
We are simply just like I'm now 40 and you're in your early 20 s and like yeah um, we both were like wow we're going to sit in a car now and breathe at each other so that was so fun to see you in person.
00:47.71
kelliwalkercoaching
For every young I wish I haven't been 20 for a long time I yeah no I have never felt so special because your girl eica hair drove. 3 hours and like 38 minutes to come have dinner with me go to a fun comedy show and stay up late because again we're old and you know like Eleven o'clock is just unreasonable any day of the week
01:06.44
erica
Yeah, yes, yeah, we are old. We got back to your house and I was like well good night. Never talk to me again like good night that was.
01:22.87
kelliwalkercoaching
You're like can I guys on like Ditto Ditto I'm glad we're on the same page one had lost a tooth that day which was like mildly traumatic for them I know.
01:25.90
erica
It was really fun I got to see your twins I got to see what mildly product for me I was like ah teeth children's T Um I got to see the big a got to see himself.
01:37.16
kelliwalkercoaching
So I know I know. You. Oh yup, the yup the man of the hour yeah Yeah he watched the kids why we went, we're like see a bye Thanks.
01:44.21
erica
And to see the man of the hour yeah I yeah it was so fun and and ah, you're gonna be so proud of this segue. But 1 of the things we decided to do was answer some questions we we did not not an Instagram live but we we asked like hey what have you ever wanted to know we got a handful of questions and they were great and one of them is what we're going to talk about today in our little anxiety bites I do.
02:13.19
kelliwalkercoaching
Absolutely Erica you want to share the anxiety bittes question and I'm yes.
02:19.78
erica
I would loved him. So glad you asked? Okay, are you ready now this is like a little unfair usually and by anxiety bites. You're relatively going in blind this one We knew of because of the question but it was such a good one And yeah.
02:32.40
kelliwalkercoaching
And I wanted we wanted to spend a little more time right? because the video was like about 5 seconds long and I was like you know, um I don't know if we did it enough justice and I think it's a common question so it was worth just giving a little more little more attention to today. So.
02:41.64
erica
Um, yeah, yeah, we love this. We should do that more often. Okay, are you ready. It's about brain Frog as you wrote.
02:48.64
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah I I know in my notes I wrote brain Frog question I'm like ah Geez has been a long week guys.
02:59.70
erica
But ah, brain frog Any tips for persistent brain fog. Thank you Very simple question. Go for it.
03:08.30
kelliwalkercoaching
Very simple. Yes, short simple powerful. Um, yeah, so kind of like the Instagram reply I love this question because I am very well acquainted with brain frog. Not only. You know was it one of my most common anxiety symptoms and still is when I get stressed or overwhelmed or I haven't sleeped um brain frog is definitely in the forefront for me, but it's also like 1 of my top indicators when my um thyroid's out of wax. So when. When I know I need to up my medication or you know my hypothyroidism isn't well-managed brain frog ah, brain frog. Oh my god guys what is happening there is a mental block guys every time I say it.
03:44.73
erica
I'm into this I wasn't going to stop you I'm just I'm like I'm so into well we were joking about it. Yeah yeah.
03:53.86
kelliwalkercoaching
Oh my god and then I said the word ribbit somehow when I was talking about something else I'm I'm clearly being possessed um about brain fog because guess what I stayed up a little late last night again. It was like ten thirty playing dungeons and dragons don't judge me.
03:59.19
erica
Maybe this is a perfect day to do this about brain fog. Yeah what? Ah um, ah.
04:12.19
kelliwalkercoaching
Had a great night I had exactly 3 glasses of wine. So I'm not tip toppped today I'll tell you what exactly 3 glasses which is like two and a half too much. Um.
04:19.70
erica
You and you're you're little like in it and I don't mean that I don't want to like bring that up I'm you saying like you're what like 5 5 five six and you like you pack a punch but I feel like 3 glasses would do it for me. You know he? yeah.
04:27.43
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah, yeah.
04:34.24
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah I'm sensitive to medications out whatever it is ah for good the bad and the ugly so sensitive. So today I probably have a little bit of brain frog because I went to bed too late and I had 3 glasses of wine. Um.
04:39.67
erica
Ah.
04:46.67
erica
Yeah, yeah.
04:49.84
kelliwalkercoaching
But yeah, so I like this question because clearly I am well acquainted with it. Um, but like quick disclaimer before we dive in if anyone's ever experiencing like a newer persistent symptom. It's worth chatting with your primary care provider.
04:53.50
erica
I Love it.
05:05.75
kelliwalkercoaching
You know, not only to rule out any underlying issue that may benefit from some care. Um, because sometimes brain fog can come from something as simple as you know, seasonal allergies and your pcp is like hey here's an antihistamine. No problem. Um, but at the very least and I think probably most importantly, ruling out.
05:10.66
erica
1 wave. Okay.
05:23.47
kelliwalkercoaching
Brain fog or really any distressing Symptom can as ruling it out as something as you know I don't want to say just but um, as stress or anxiety can help us find some peace with it because it loses some of its fear factor when we know there isn't like a more sinister cause.
05:34.20
erica
M.
05:39.80
erica
Yeah, and you.
05:41.79
kelliwalkercoaching
Right? And it can kind of quiet. Some of the mental chit chat there around it. Um, but so often brain fog is a really common result of chronic stress anxiety lack of sleep and overworking just like a lot of other vague symptoms right? like back pain tension headaches.
05:56.64
erica
Right.
06:00.10
kelliwalkercoaching
Stomach aches things like that. Um, but you know what do all these things have in common a nervous system that is tapped right? if we haven't slept if we're overworked if we're stressed if we're stretching ourselves and a lot of new things are happening. Our nervous system is just tapped so. The best thing we can do is take care of ourness nervous system right? that can help start to shift the cycle bit by bit bit by bit being the kind of key phrase here. Um so I don't know about you Eric but like a few of the things I don't know if you get brain fog number one. Um you.
06:26.89
erica
Yeah, that's big 1
06:35.11
erica
Um, I only get brain frog. Yeah, but incurable. Yeah.
06:36.74
kelliwalkercoaching
You only get brain frog. Yeah, the the more serious cousin of brain fog incurable. Um, yeah says Dr Google right oh god so ah for me, you know if I'm struggling with brain fog because either because I'm waiting for my new thyroid medication to kick into gear which can take 6 to eight weeks and can feel like forever weeks yeah um it can take a while to kick in a gear or if I'm just you know in a bout of not sleeping grade or whatever. Um.
07:00.30
erica
Um, weeks oof. Yeah.
07:11.92
kelliwalkercoaching
For me taking care of my nervous system is key and like what works for me is sometimes taking a quick power nap or like even just closing my eyes at my computer for 2 minutes and like purposely breathing just a little deeper or like unfolding my torso because I tend to have the posture of a shrimp.
07:20.91
erica
M.
07:27.90
erica
Yeah.
07:30.60
kelliwalkercoaching
You know like it's it's There's not a lot of space to breathe when you're sitting like that. Um, and and you know it's like that low key hyper venilation happens and it sends these subtle stress signals to the to the brain when we're like low key hyper venilating like that or shallow breathing. Um yes.
07:34.50
erica
Yeah.
07:48.29
kelliwalkercoaching
So for me, yeah, closing my eyes taking a few deep breaths I try to prioritize sleep instead of yet another episode of the great British baking show because obsessed and.
07:56.33
erica
Oh we could talk about we we need a whole episode on that obsessed no sacky bottoms I dream about a hand.
08:02.68
kelliwalkercoaching
Soggy Bottom A dreaded soggy Bottom Stodgy hope nobody ever calls my baking stodgy had to look that word up. So yes, yes.
08:11.24
erica
I I want a handshake from Paul just like in life I don't need therapy. It's fine. Um, can I ask you a question I I know you're in the middle of explaining like the things you do. But I I'm going to forget this question so I'm sorry.
08:23.35
kelliwalkercoaching
Go go girl.
08:26.96
erica
Is there you know like some of the anxiety symptoms that we can get you know like tingling fingers or tingling face or like you know name a thing those are just the 2 that popped up is there any evolutionarily like advantageous reason why we would become foggy if we're overs stress or anxious.
08:45.28
kelliwalkercoaching
Oh yes, so it really is sort of like um, it's like a survival mechanism for the brain. It's like prioritizing rest. It's almost like forced rest to be honest, like if our brain if you think about your brain being overworked overstimulated. Um.
08:54.50
erica
Okay, okay, okay.
09:03.00
kelliwalkercoaching
You know this happens with people that have Alzheimer's right or Dementia or things like that where their brain is working over time they get overstimated and they'll feel out of it. They'll feel brain fog and some of the things that help them is like reducing stimulus taking a rest slowing down making sure they're getting sleep right? It's sort of.
09:06.80
erica
So.
09:16.21
erica
Okay.
09:21.48
kelliwalkercoaching
Similar you know different but similar here and so the idea is like we have brain frog because brain frog. Oh my god guys I owe everybody a dollar every time I say brain frog today and let's just absorb it. It's now brain frog hashtag brain frog. Um.
09:29.87
erica
Um, ah, let's just like ah absorb it. Let's just make it a thing. Yeah has I break blood.
09:38.46
kelliwalkercoaching
But so you know when we have brain fog. It's sort of our brain's way of taking like a mandatory rest to be honest, like a way to disengage and and regularly and you know it's not very convenient when we need to focus on a task at work or be present or give you know a presentation. It's like.
09:43.75
erica
Yeah, okay so.
09:57.12
kelliwalkercoaching
Pretty distressing. Um in those scenarios but it is our brain's way of trying to take what it needs which is like reducing stimulus. No.
10:01.41
erica
Yeah, we don't have to take that personally you know, but so you were saying you try to prioritize sleep even though you want to watch another episode of the you know Gbbs oh god true true. Okay, so what else do you do? okay.
10:12.21
kelliwalkercoaching
Because there's a new episode tonight. So I'm not prioritizing sleep tonight guys. It's not happening um tomorrow night I'll prioritize sleep. Um I think for me like if something like.
10:21.27
erica
What else helps.
10:26.52
kelliwalkercoaching
Brain fog or stomach aches or whatever sort of my indicators are that like I've been stretching myself chronically for a while um simplifying I think Dr Sarah Woodhouse said this when she was a guest like 1 of the best things I can do is like it's time to simplify delegate and just let go what I can.
10:36.50
erica
M.
10:43.62
erica
Yeah, yeah.
10:45.42
kelliwalkercoaching
Really it's like it's such a nervous system reset and and break and I love the idea of simplifying sometimes it's just going back to basics. Um, but and in the same sense sometimes like moving my body whether it's going for a walk or like a few minutes dance or some flowing yoga or even just jumping on the trampoline with my kids because 2 birds 1 stone playtime um sometimes increasing blood flow to your body and your brain can help us feel more like alert and awake. Um.
11:05.44
erica
You can continue here if you click.
11:14.48
erica
In.
11:17.38
kelliwalkercoaching
And my personal favorite and Hail Mary is like get in a cold shower if I have the time or at least cold like like splash cold water on my face or bring some ice cubes in my water bottle if I'm going somewhere and I'm like all right I need to I Want to be a little present and a little awake.
11:21.15
erica
Oh yeah.
11:34.16
kelliwalkercoaching
And a little engaged or connected here I'll bring like a water bottle with ice. Let it you know melt a little lose some of its integrity and crunch it much to Erica's distress if I'm were about to record. Yeah, it's the worst.
11:42.89
erica
Ah I yeah god I my love for you has no bounds. But I swear to god when you chomp on ice I could drive another three and a half hours and slap you a little um, that's me sophonia baby.
11:50.99
kelliwalkercoaching
You know that's me with coughing both My kids have a cough right now and I'm like breathe deep don't lose your shit like.
12:00.10
erica
Ah, yeah.
12:08.30
kelliwalkercoaching
Like why everybody coughing it's like a course of coughing and hacking and oh my yeah I mean I love them I Hope they feel better but I'm like but here's your cough medicine because I can't hear that milanite no more ah god.
12:13.46
erica
Oh man but stay away from me. Ah, what's interesting about some of the suggestions you have is that when we say rest. We mean from the thing that's exhausting you in part like we mean from life but it doesn't always necessarily mean take a nap that could be 1 of them. But it might be resting the act the active part of that like thing that is exhausting you so like you know.
12:29.00
kelliwalkercoaching
I Yeah no.
12:42.69
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah, yes.
12:45.74
erica
Stepping away from work or delegating those tasks and getting some productive blood flow. You know that rest is is a complicated and magical thing. So.
12:54.69
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah, absolutely and I think kind of something worth saying is like any symptom can become habitual in nature things to neuroplasticity right? Neuroplasticity is like it's neutral, whatever we sort of um.
13:00.51
erica
E.
13:07.82
erica
Ah e.
13:10.14
kelliwalkercoaching
Focus on whatever we pay attention to I mean I've seen this happen all the time just like I had tonsilitis a couple weeks ago and I still find myself looking at my tonsils someday like wait is it Okay, did it come back right? like because because very quickly I got into the habit of like is it getting better is the antibiotic working I got stuff to do like this needs to resolve and.
13:19.86
erica
Group.
13:25.66
erica
Right.
13:30.36
kelliwalkercoaching
Was so interesting How quickly it became this habit of checking assessing sort of monitoring right? Some low key anxiety there a little bit. Um and again neuroplasticity It's neutral. It's just like whatever we focus on can very quickly become habit and pain is easy to focus on or discomfort.
13:35.34
erica
Right? there right.
13:49.00
kelliwalkercoaching
Is easy to focus on or anything that has fear wrapped around. It is so easy to focus on even if it's like you know fear with a lowercase f like it's just really easy. So um, the more we can work with brain fog or any symptom without.
13:55.90
erica
Yeah.
14:05.99
kelliwalkercoaching
100% battling it even if it's like 99% battling it while probably more importantly, showing ourselves some grace and compassion um goes a long way in helping that cycle shift bit by bit right? because it is a very at you know.
14:08.33
erica
M.
14:24.10
kelliwalkercoaching
Best a frustrating cycle at worst it can be really distressing and dysregulating and and scary. So um, we talk about this a bit throughout the show but specifically we did an anxiety bites about how symptoms can become chronic in episode 2 69 um
14:28.92
erica
M.
14:39.37
erica
Yep.
14:41.34
kelliwalkercoaching
And then we had a great guest on episode 2 71 with Christy Weepy who talked about how chronic pain chronic symptoms um become become chronic and how we can kind of get ourselves out of that cycle bit by bit. Yeah.
14:42.16
erica
And.
14:52.42
erica
Yeah, and we did and the next episode's gonna be on brain frog.
14:57.19
kelliwalkercoaching
And yeah, brain frog the close but more sinister cousin of brain fog and.
15:02.80
erica
ah ah I just ah reposted a thing I wrote on Grace actually if anybody wants to talk about or read about all the times that I have not given myself grace go ahead and check out my website and or subsac that's a promotion you weren't expecting it is thank you so much.
15:07.78
kelliwalkercoaching
O.
15:16.70
kelliwalkercoaching
Well, it's coaching fromabroad dot Com right? is that it's on there. Yeah, it's on on there correct It's on one of the broads websites.
15:21.94
erica
Ah, it. It might be if not. It's on my Instagram I I'm switching to substa for my writing. It's like a whole process if anybody wants to help me with my website. You let me know, um I love this I love that it resonated with you I think hearing you talk about it I'm like oh yeah, that is. Something that I've had before it's not my main symptoms I love these questions when it's like oh wow this like there's such a then diagram of things that we talk about you know and it it comes down to so many things but like consistently we say compassion grace ah can you.
15:48.93
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah, so.
15:57.25
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah.
16:01.40
erica
Mindfully do something with this energy and can you shut your mind off for a bit you know and ah.
16:02.23
kelliwalkercoaching
I right? I I woobbling guys I'm still to this day I shouldn't get bet I should be getting paid for you know, advertising this but I'm not I swear.
16:13.10
erica
Can we oh my God Yeah she did.
16:15.83
kelliwalkercoaching
Something about woobbling and I'll tell you what Michelle Obama wrote about it in her biography about knitting and how that really supported her to kind of be able to even sit still for a hot second during the pandemic. So I'm wobbling guys get one of the basics get Pierre Pierre the penguin
16:27.22
erica
Yeah, youre it's I believe in it here I forget what? yeah, it's in my car. It's it's still my car. Um I will that's going to be 1 of my 40 things this one term I promise I I promise.
16:34.54
kelliwalkercoaching
I Know you still have That's what I got you like.
16:42.78
kelliwalkercoaching
Like at winkling Nudge nudge. We'll say.
16:46.20
erica
Yeah I promise I know I swear one of the questions we got on that thing was about my fixation and and failure at whittling. So whoever wrote that question and thank you so much I am not a professional widowr. Thank you for noticing anyway I tell you? what.
16:55.15
kelliwalkercoaching
And. I could make a mean more stick if you give me just a second. Oh yes, yes, thank you Eriica Latham for being patient with my 1000 mentions of brain frog and to our audience for being.
17:05.61
erica
I tell you what? Ah well awesome. Well thank you Kelly Walker for letting us know about brain fog and frog.
17:20.19
kelliwalkercoaching
Super patient too I all I owe you probably all like five or ten dollars for each brain frog mention. Um, so that is our episode. Thanks so much for tuning in today if you're enjoying the show please subscribe and take a minute to write a review on Itunes that we can reach and support more people if you're looking for one-on-one coaching or have a question you'd like answered on the show. Please visit not another anxietyshow.com the show notes and transcripts are there as well and until next time remember be kind to yourself.
