Brain Fog & Psoriasis

Since I was diagnosed with psoriasis, brain fog has been one of my more prevalent symptoms. I have always found it one of the more destructive symptoms too.

When I was 29, I was pregnant with my first child and I added baby brain to the mix. With time this slowly started getting better as I got more sleep and schedules returned to a new normal. My brain and I came to an agreement that this is where we are and we work together.

Fast forward a few years and I've started to see a steady decline. Or rather a steady incline of brain fog.  Forgetting small things and noticing a lack of focus overall.

What is brain fog?

So what is brain fog? If you are new to this journey, this may be something that you are experiencing and you have not yet been able to realize it.

For me, it comes in the form of loss of memory, short term memory in particular. Then, there is a distinct lack of focus, which really can prove rather challenging. 

I have noticed recently that my brain has forgotten how to do certain things. Things that I have done for years and now suddenly when I do them and look back at them, I think there is no way I would have done them that way.

Brain fog at work

Brain fog has proven particularly challenging at work. I work with accounting systems and do reconciliations for our company. I have started to notice on a monthly basis that there are small things that are slipping. This makes me feel so anxious.

I am worried I will suddenly forget how to do my job. That I will wake up one morning with it all just missing. I am still deciding on ways to approach this with my seniors and if I should as all. How exactly does one go about explaining brain fog to your boss?

Tips and tricks for the office

I have decided that I am going to try and tackle brain fog in own my way. I've set reminders on my calendar. I am also leaving sticky notes in my line of sight for the daily things. Hopefully, with the help of these tools, I will manage to find a way to manage this before it becomes a real problem.

• Write things down! I am currently busy rewriting my job description and clarifying the standard operating procedures for some of the things that I do.
• Enlist the help of a co-worker. This could help keep an eye on your tasks and see if there are things that need to be done differently. Also, if they see you daydreaming for the hundredth time, they'll be able to check in on you.
• Get up & get moving! Another idea is to make sure that you get up from your desk at regular intervals to get the blood flowing and oxygen levels up. If this actually helps or just makes me feel better, I do not know. I do it anyway as I figure that it must do something.

If nothing else, these tactics are helping me get super organized at work. Hopefully within that, lies the magic of managing brain fog at the office.