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Summer Brain Fog: Fighting Backfires, But 5 Tips Boost Productivity
Many people who have summer brain fog try to fight it with caffeine and other means that backfire, ... More but here are tips on how to cope with it.
As summer heats up, the physical consequences of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, are well-known. But summer heat also has psychological consequences, know as 'summer brain fog.' According to the Cleveland Clinic, summer brain fog affects how you think, remember and concentrate. It can make doing ordinary work tasks challenging. You might lose your train of thought in the middle of a Zoom meeting or conversation with a team member. Or you could have difficulty concentrating on a project or feel more impulsive or irritable than usual as little things setting you off.
June is Brain Health Awareness Month. Your brain has the hefty responsibility of keeping you safe, your career on track and connections to family, friends and loved ones. It's the boss of your mind and body, working for you 24/7, even while you're asleep. It's totally dedicated to you, never taking a break, PTO or vacation.
Yet, if you're like most people, you take this amazing organ for granted, neglecting your brain health and what it needs for optimal health and performance. Neuroscientists are constantly studying brain health, reminding us what the brain needs to be happy and healthy to sustain your career. Too few people know about summer brain fog and how to work with your brain, instead of against it, when you're struggling with summer brain fog.
If you're finding it harder to concentrate during those long, warm days, you're not alone. A body of research shows that the heat itself can interfere with your cognition, and the duration varies from person to person. But the prevalence and impact are more common than you might think.
A study from the American Psychological Association found an eight percent increase in mental health-related emergency department visits on the hottest summer days, while similar studies document a 10% reduction in response times and accuracy on cognitive tests when people are exposed to warmer temperatures.
Studies reveal that as temperatures rise, cognitive performance dips at temperatures of 79 degrees. Elevated temperatures lower the activity in your parasympathetic nervous system--the rest and digest response, antidote to the sympathetic nervous system or stress response. Oxygen saturation levels in the blood also are lower at elevated temperatures which are associated with reduced cognitive performance.
Researchers have discovered an effect from heat on the productivity of office workers. Workplace productivity is highest when the air temperature is about 72 degrees, and productivity starts to drop off in the mid-70s. Another study shows when high school students take a standardized test on a hot day it's linked to poorer performance.
While summer brain fog is real, the typical response is to double down on focus techniques—more caffeine, stricter schedules or forced concentration sessions. But a productivity expert I spoke with by email, suggests that this approach fights against how your brain naturally works during the summer months.
Ryan Zhang, productivity expert and founder of told me that the biggest mistake people make with summer brain fog is treating it like a problem to eliminate. 'Brain fog is your brain shifting into a different, more creative operating mode," Zhang explains. 'When you learn to work with it instead of against it, you can stay incredibly productive while feeling less stressed."
He informed me that summer brain fog happens because your mind naturally operates differently in warmer weather. Your brain shifts into a more relaxed, wandering mode that's better for making creative connections and seeing the bigger picture.
"Think about it this way," Zhang suggests. "Your brain is trying to give you access to different types of thinking—the kind that generates breakthrough ideas and creative solutions. When you force it back into sharp focus mode, you're not just fighting brain fog, you're blocking innovation. The smart approach is to work with summer's wandering mind, not against it."
It's important to mention balance. Your brain loves the warmer months. Longer daylight hours can improve mood and cognitive function. Exposure to sunlight gives you more vitamin D, which is linked to memory improvement and mood enhancement. But the culprit is loss of productivity due to extreme heat. Zhang shares expert strategies for maintaining productivity while working with, instead of against, your summer brain:
1. Redesign Your Work Rhythm. Instead of forcing eight-hour focus marathons, Zhang suggests working in 25-30 minute concentrated bursts, followed by 10-15 minute reflection breaks. He says your foggy brain actually performs better with this rhythm, and you'll accomplish more with less mental strain. This advice fits with what many people are doing this summer--taking slow summer vacations.
2. Capture Scattered Insights. Zhang advises you to take advantage of the fact that summer brain fog makes your mind wander. 'Keep simple note-taking tools handy to capture those random thoughts and connections. What feels like a distraction is often your brain making valuable associations.'
3. Use Fog Time for Creative Work. He recommends that you schedule your most creative tasks during peak fog hours. 'Brainstorming, strategic planning and problem-solving actually benefit from your brain's scattered state. Save routine tasks for when your focus naturally returns.'
4. Turn Conversations into Productivity Tools. Since summer brain fog makes you more open to the ideas and perspectives of others, Zhang suggests that you use this time for collaborative work, team discussions and idea-sharing sessions, adding that your relaxed mental state can lead to breakthrough insights.
5. Embrace Background Processing. It helps to give your foggy brain complex problems to work on in the background, according to Zhang. He recommends presenting yourself with a challenge, then do something completely different. Why? He points out that your diffuse attention will often solve what focused thinking couldn't.
Aside from staying hydrated during summer heat, Zhang reminds us that the key to mitigating summer brain fog and boosting productivity is having simple systems to capture and develop the insights that emerge when your brain is in this more open, associative mode. 'Stop fighting your summer brain and start working with it,' he concludes. "When you align your work style with your brain's natural seasonal rhythms, you maintain productivity while reducing stress and increasing creativity.'
