What worked for us
Three readers, who wanted better concentration, sharper memory and less stress, tried Dr Brennan’s plan. How did they get on?
‘I SET MYSELF A MENTAL CHALLENGE EVERY DAY’ Janis Redmond, 56, is married with two adult children and lives in Chigwell, Essex.
‘The pandemic threw my routine up in the air and I had less focus. I’m doing an art history course now online, but while I’m watching a lecture, I start thinking perhaps
I can just move the washing from the machine to the tumble dryer! Dr Brennan’s book made the point not to do too much. You simply can’t function as well if you try to do two things.
One suggestion around mental exercise was to rediscover the joy of learning. I inherited some beautifully illustrated history of art books. I set myself a challenge to read for 45 minutes each day after lunch. I find I’m really absorbing information and my concentration has improved.
I also wanted a better night’s sleep. I turned the heating down before bed, as suggested, and stuck to a schedule. I stopped pressing my snooze button and got up as soon as I woke. This has absolutely given me better quality sleep and once you set your mind to establishing a routine, it’s quite simple to do.’ ‘I LEAVE MY PHONE DOWNSTAIRS AT NIGHT’
Elaine Upton, 46, is married with a seven-year-old daughter and lives in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. She works in local government and is studying to become an acupuncturist. ‘My head has felt like a sieve at times and I’ve become increasingly forgetful since going into the perimenopause. I put it down to stress, however, when I looked at the plan, I realised sleep was the key issue. Despite trying to get early nights, I was lying in bed scrolling through social media until after midnight. My sleep was often light and broken (not helped by the demon night sweats!). In the morning I was back on my phone first thing, even while eating breakfast.
So I began leaving my phone downstairs at night and not switching it on until after breakfast. It killed me to do that, but the quality of my sleep definitely improved. I felt much calmer and more focused at breakfast, with the mental space to prepare for the day ahead. In addition, I began jotting thoughts down in a journal at night, which stopped me lying awake dwelling on things. These simple lifestyle changes made a big difference and I am continuing to reap the benefits!’
‘SMILING
AND POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS HAVE HELPED’ Karen Moore, 63, is divorced with one son and a granddaughter, and lives in Redbridge, London.
‘Normally I feel best when I’m busy with activities, socialising and going out. All things that were made impossible by the pandemic! For me, stress has been the biggest issue.
Two techniques in Dr Brennan’s plan are proving helpful for me. One is deliberately smiling on waking, when you look in the mirror and so on, and the other is using positive affirmations as self-encouragement. The sort of things I tell myself are what I’d say to encourage and support someone else. It all starts with believing in yourself.
The symptoms of brain fog can be quite a lonely place and one of the most useful aspects of the 30-day plan is people talking and sharing experiences.’