I need to make my mind work again. Any tips?

[GreenPillows]

I feel like I’ve been a fog in my mind for so long due to having children, not getting much sleep, and having some yucky life stuff to deal with (bereavement and a close family member being very ill). Things are looking up but it’s like my brain is still foggy and it’s been affecting my ability to do my job and my ability to settle into a task like reading. It’s dumb and I’m sick of it.

Has anyone come through this? Do you have any tips?

I think you just have to give yourself time, GreenPillows. I have had a period of foggy thinking and actually, I found it quite hard to cope with because I was used to having a good memory with straightforward thinking and well able to juggle lots of things at one time. I developed a list-making habit so that I wasn't trying to hold so much in my brain at one time. It helped a bit, and provided an opportunity for some nice stationery. Good food and other self-care also helpful, of course. Alcohol definitely not helpful.

Have you had any blood tests recently? I've just found out my B12 is particularly low, and the cognitive side-effects of low B12 explain a lot about me being a bit "hard of thinking" these days! I'm hoping I'll be a bit more compos mentis by the time I go back to work

As PP said check your B12 levels; mine have been repeatedly low over the years and because of something called ‘positive intrinsic factor’ (don’t know ins and outs just the name) B12 tablets don’t work for me, I need to have injections twice a week for 6 weeks to bring my levels up again. I know they’re low again because I booked time off work this evening for two appointments I thought I had but turns out they’re actually next Thursday 🙄 It’s just a fog when my levels are low and I’m so tired but I can’t sleep properly and it’s all a vicious circle. Guided sleep meditation also helps; it helps me sleep but I also use some of the techniques in the recordings to focus during the day when it seems like I’m going mad and can’t do anything.

Vitamins, exercise and the elevate app, or set yourself a challenge that requires your mind to be applied & time to be set aside for that .

Sleep.
Berocca.
Going to lectures / listening to old Reith lectures etc, to get myself thinking.
Making lists to remember things.
Pomodoro technique to help focus.

That's such good advice.

Blood test eh. That hadn't occurred to me.

The advice on here is usually to ask for a print out of your results to check where in the 'normal' range you lie (if that's what they come back as).

Mediation, walks in nature - especially the woods, listening to music, running, yoga

I’ve started doing some little free courses on Future Learn, I do a few sections when I’m trying to get my little boy to sleep - makes me feel less like my brains atrophying!!!

I felt like young few months ago. I am retired with plenty to do but not much that exercises the brain cells. Not commuting meant I didn't have protected reading time so I joined a book club so I have to read at least one book a month (and not necessarily an 'easy' one I would pick for myself) and think about it critically, and have signed up for an evening class in the autumn in an academic subject I know little about. My sister has also recommended some podcasts but I don't have time to listen to them at the moment I also do yoga and a weekly exercise class which both help with fitness and sleep.

Like you, not like young (I wish!)

B12. I used to be really brain fogged, just couldn't think sometimes and had a blood test. My b12 was deficient so I now take supplements daily. Wouldn't say I'm out of the woods yet, only been on them a week, but I can already see a difference.

Ditto getting B12 tested; also vit D (you may need to ask for this specifically). Prolonged stress is notorious for deplete essential vitamins and minerals.

I agree with Chip's suggestion of getting the actual numbers. Usually only the too-low or too-high results are highlighted, but you could be just over the minimum of "normal".

Also doing some gentle mental exercise. I start the day with this: bestforpuzzles.com/daily-puzzles.html - just the ones that I find easy, though.