“What are you doing?!” I screamed? “Why did you do that?”
My 2 year old had poured numerous cups of water on the dinning room floor and had also managed to spill her brothers milk and Opps All Berries cereal too.
Now, I’ll be honest. I also have asked myself that same question numerous times daily, “What are you doing, Mama?”
Standing in the shower, I paused. There I was poised with my shaver, shaving cream and my leg up on the edge. Wait a minute, I told myself. What are you doing?
Now maybe you’re not like me and you’d go about the task of knocking out shaving leg number two (sorry, bad metaphor, I know). Or maybe you are like me and your not sure if this is actually leg number two?
Suddenly I was having horrific scenes flashing through my head of walking around in shorts at HEB or even better, at church in a short dress, with one leg smooth as a baby’s bum and the other hairier then Willie Robertson’s beard.
I quickly switched legs.
What am I doing?
There have been days where I sat and tried to play with the kids, sit and rock my baby or spaced out with my phone scrolling Facebook because I couldn’t get my brain together.
Brain fog is real, folks. It sucks. It traps you in a place where you feel like you can’t move forward.
Have you experienced brain fog, also known as brain fatigue? I’m sure as a mom of littles you have experienced this exact thing. Not sure? It’s when, ” You may feel confused or disorganized or find it hard to focus or put your thoughts into words.” -webMD
Now obviously my two year old doesn’t have brain fatigue but simply an undeveloped brain. That unfortunately is not my situation (at least I think so).
So many things fill our brains. In particular to me, having to make lots of little decisions make my head hurt. I’ve found eliminating those exhausting and annoying decisions with routines allow my brain to cruise easily on auto pilot. Then the only decisions left to make would be big ones as they come up. One of the best resources I’ve recently read on the subject of routines is Hello Mornings by Kat Lee
Also, preparing ahead like picking out outfits, making lists of what I ought to do (so I know what the heck I should be doing), menu planning and packing lunches the night before are helpful.
I am right in the thick of parenting and feel intense Mom guilt when my husband comes home and I have nothing to show for my day. I’m home all day with 3 preschoolers and find it hard to daily sweep the floor, make a bed or keep the toys picked up (not to mention the piles of laundry migrating around the house).
What am I doing?
Besides getting into some good routines and pre-planing, you might consider drinking more water. Consuming at least your weight in ounces is a good place to start. We don’t drink near enough water in Texas and it’s a life giving habit to begin.
Recently my husband and I started placing a tall glass by the filtered water faucet each morning so we start our day off with H2O. It helps purge and wake our minds for the day. Even more so than coffee. Did you know sometimes brain fog can come from too much caffeine?
I’ve also begun (when I remember) stretching a little in the morning as well. Just to get my blood flowing and my body limbered up so I feel fit to tackle the day. My body is always grateful when I stretch; I wish I’d take the time to do it regularly.
Brain fog is also something that can be worse in seasons of stress. If you have some anxiety you’re walking through keep this is mind. Try to take deep breaths, get outside, maybe take a walk. Whisper a prayer and try to move through it.
Stress also can cause us to not make good food choices which effects our brain functionality. I know it’s hard to eat more fresh food when it’s so easy to grab some chips or a brownie. It’s crazy how eating healthfully takes more work then grabbing snacks but your brain and body will thank you for the effort.
One thing I’ve started doing also is taking B-Complex. Any variation of Vitamin B will suffice. I’ve taken it in the past when I’ve felt run down or overly tired and it’s helped restore my energy and made my brain perkier too.
Hopefully in the future we’ll remember together to implement these small home remedies of self care for our tired brains. See if planing ahead, drinking water, stepping outside for some deep breaths, and stretching give you the life and lift you need.
Next time you wonder, “what am I doing?” No need to scold yourself. There will most likely be more days down the road where you’ll have spaced out mornings and it’s ok. Don’t be worried that you have an undeveloped brain. As a mom at home, day in and day out with little people it’s hard work to stay sane.
Pray God will carry you through the fog. He’s carried me before and he can carry you too, busy mama, in whatever wild season you’re in right now.
