Some days it is not sadness or stress. It is just fuzzy. You reread the same email, lose your train of thought mid-sentence, or blank on a word that used to come easily. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Across Region Five communities, including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton–Newport News, the Eastern Shore, the Northern Neck, and nearby localities, people describe this “brain fog” every day.
As licensed mental health professionals, we hear two questions again and again: How much brain fog is normal, and when should I get help. This guide answers both in plain language with steps you can take today.
What do we mean by “brain fog”?
Brain fog is not a diagnosis. It is a common way people describe problems with focus, memory, word-finding, mental clarity, or feeling mentally slower than usual. It can happen to anyone and has many possible causes, from chronic stress or poor sleep to treatable medical issues or mood conditions such as depression and anxiety (American Psychological Association).
How much fog is typical with aging?
A little forgetfulness can be part of healthy aging. Examples include misplacing items more often, needing extra time to find a word, or walking into a room and briefly forgetting why. What is not typical is thinking or memory trouble that interferes with daily life. Warning signs include getting lost on familiar routes, repeating the same questions, or struggling to manage bills or medications. If thinking problems begin to disrupt everyday functioning, schedule a medical check-in.
Specialists at UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center note that healthy aging most often affects thinking speed, attention, and multitasking. Concerning changes look different. Red flags include rapid forgetting, disorientation, or difficulty completing familiar tasks.
When brain fog points to a mental health issue
Many mental health conditions can feel like fog. These are common and treatable.
Depression
Depression is not only about low mood. It often brings slowed thinking, poor concentration, and memory glitches, especially in older adults. If fog shows up with loss of interest, low energy, sleep changes, or feelings of worthlessness, ask about a depression screen and therapy options.
Anxiety
Ongoing worry can hijack working memory, the brain’s scratchpad for attention and decision-making. People with anxiety often report distractibility or “blanking out” in conversations or meetings. Evidence-based care such as cognitive behavioral therapy can lower anxiety and improve daily functioning.
Chronic stress and burnout
Long periods of high stress hormones, especially cortisol, can impair attention and memory and speed up cognitive wear and tear. If you have been running on fumes with double shifts, caregiving, or financial pressure, your brain may be overloaded. The good news is that stress-reduction habits are evidence based and help clear the fog over time.
Sleep loss and sleep disorders
One rough night can dent attention. Ongoing sleep problems, including obstructive sleep apnea, are strongly linked to daytime fogginess. If you snore, wake unrefreshed, or feel excessively sleepy, ask about screening for sleep apnea.
Grief and trauma
After loss or traumatic stress, many people feel mentally far away. In the short term, fog can be a protective response. Therapy helps you process the experience and regain mental footing.
ADHD in adults
Executive-function challenges such as organizing, planning, and sustaining attention can look like fog. If these patterns are lifelong and disrupt work or home life, consider an adult ADHD evaluation.
When the cause could be medical
A primary care visit can catch reversible causes of fog.
Thyroid problems
Hypothyroidism commonly causes mental slowing and memory issues. Treatment depends on lab results and symptoms.
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Low B12 can cause confusion, slower thinking, and memory problems that often improve with treatment.
Medication side effects
Sedatives such as long-term benzodiazepines and strongly anticholinergic medications, including some allergy, bladder, and sleep medicines, are linked to cognitive impairment, especially in older adults. Never stop a medication on your own. Ask your prescriber about safer options.
Long COVID
Post-COVID brain fog is real and recognized by Virginia’s Department of Health. Many local residents report changes in memory, focus, and stamina that began after infection. If your fog started post-COVID, talk with your clinician.
Perimenopause and menopause
About two-thirds of women report memory or concentration complaints during this transition. Sleep disturbance and hot flashes can intensify fog. Symptoms are usually temporary and targeted care helps.
Emergency rule
If fog is sudden and comes with new weakness, facial droop, vision loss, trouble speaking, or severe headache, call 911. These can be signs of a stroke.
“Is it time to worry?” A quick self-check
Consider a medical evaluation if you notice any of the following:
- Thinking or memory problems that interfere with daily activities such as managing money or medications, driving, or work tasks
- Progressive decline over weeks to months
- New neurological symptoms such as weakness, balance changes, or severe headaches
- Fog that started after a new illness, a medication change, or a COVID-19 infection
Consider mental health care if:
- Fog persists for at least two weeks and you also notice anxiety, low mood, irritability, loss of interest, or significant stress or burnout
- You are using alcohol or substances to push through
- You feel detached from life and it is affecting work, parenting, school, or relationships
What helps right now
These practical, evidence-informed steps help many Region Five clients.
Prioritize sleep.
Keep consistent bed and wake times and build a simple wind-down routine. If snoring or daytime sleepiness are issues, ask your primary care clinician about apnea screening.
Lower the stress load.
Try brief daily practices. Examples include paced breathing, a 10-minute walk, or a short mindfulness exercise. Lower stress supports better cognition over time.
Single-task, then switch.
Multitasking strains working memory. Use guardrails such as silencing notifications during focused work, using 25-minute focus blocks, and jotting quick capture lists so your brain does not have to carry everything.
Externalize memory
Calendars, sticky notes, and phone reminders are not crutches. They are cognitive tools that free mental bandwidth.
Move your body
Regular physical activity supports brain health and reduces anxiety and depression symptoms, which often improves clarity. Start small with 5 to 10 minutes most days and build from there.
Talk with a therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy and other evidence-based approaches treat depression and anxiety, which are frequent drivers of fog. Therapy helps you sort the why and build personalized strategies for attention, energy, and focus.
A brief local story
Local coverage has profiled Hampton Roads residents coping with long-COVID brain fog. Nurses, parents, and students described once-automatic tasks becoming exhausting. Their experiences echo what many in our clinics report. The right mix of medical care, pacing, sleep support, and counseling made daily life more manageable, even when recovery took time.
Not sure where to start?
You do not have to figure this out alone.
Start with primary care
If symptoms are new, worsening, or you suspect a medical trigger such as thyroid changes, B12 deficiency, sleep problems, medication effects, or post-COVID concerns. Bring a current medication list.
Start with mental health
If fog travels with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or burnout. Therapy can run in parallel with medical workups. You do not have to choose one lane.
Live in Eastern Virginia? Region Five can help you find the right door.
Region Five resources
- 24/7 Crisis Call Center: (757) 656-7755. You can also walk into the Crisis Receiving Center at 5268 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk. Transportation is available. For immediate help anywhere in the U.S., call or text 988.
- Same-Day Access and CSBs: Many Community Services Boards in Region Five offer same-day assessments or rapid access to counseling and supports. Check your locality’s CSB for current walk-in hours.
Bottom line
A little fog now and then is part of modern life and normal aging. But if it’s persistent, disruptive, or paired with mood, sleep, or stress concerns, that’s your sign to reach out. Many causes are treatable, and mental health care is a powerful part of the solution.
You are not “broken.” You might just need the right support.
Clinical disclaimer: This article is educational and not a diagnosis. If cognitive symptoms are sudden, severe, or worsening, or if safety is a concern, seek immediate medical care or call 911. For urgent emotional support, call (757) 656-7755 or 988.
