As a working mom, I manage quite a number of demands on my time and attention. On any given day, I field multiple requirements, requests and reminders from my office, family and other pursuits.
Sometimes, though, with so many distractions and competing concerns, I find myself overwhelmed and out-of-depth, struggling to remember tiny details or concentrate on tasks.
From time to time, I have been known to:
- Look for my car in the wrong parking lot
- Start writing multiple emails which never get finished or sent because I got distracted
- Have trouble recalling agreements with colleagues or discussions with my family members
- Forget to attend meetings that I have already accepted and even put in my computer’s calendar
- Walk into a room and forget what I went there for
I’m sure this phenomenon is not new to many moms out there. In fact, it has been given a name: the “mom brain.”
In the article The Science of “Mom Brain,” author Vanessa LoBue, Phd. cites that researchers speculate that oxytocin, the hormone present in mothers during pregnancy, labor and nursing, may be contributing to lapses in memory. This keeps women from developing bad memories from the experience of motherhood, an evolutionary benefit that helps ensure we try our hand at parenthood again and again.
It’s just too bad that these memory lapses may wreak havoc in our career, household and social lives.
Fortunately, there are ways to counter the effects of mom brain.
Practice mindfulness. This is the discipline of being present and in the moment, of being aware of where you are and the intentionality of what you are doing, and not being overly reactive to external stimuli. This allows you and your brain to seize control of your actions and reactions.
Considering the laundry list of things you must pay attention to, whether it be a family, social or work concern, take a brief time to pause, relax and simply think.
Train and retrain yourself. Be open to new experiences, particularly in learning new things. This will help build new neural pathways in your brain to acquire and store your new knowledge. In her article How the Brain Creates New Neural Pathways, Dr. Lisa Christiansen states that the more these pathways are used, the stronger they become, increasing the likelihood of new long-term connections and memories.
This would be a great excuse for you to treat yourself to a learning adventure, like visiting an interesting art exhibit or learning a new recipe. You can even teach yourself a new work skill by reading a good business book, signing up for an online course or browsing through online tutorials.
Nourish yourself. It has long been known that eating the right kind of food helps in improving memory and mental concentration. According to a BBC Good Food article, the digestive system not only provides the body and brain with key nutrients from food and drink, it also produces important hormones that enter the brain and impact memory and cognitive function.
Foods rich in antioxidants, good fats and selected vitamins and minerals, while providing us with the energy needed to perform our tasks, also help in protecting our brains.
To further boost the effects of good food to your memory, and overcome the effects of mom brain, you might want to consider supplementing your food with added nutrients.
Vida Nutriscience, Inc., the company behind a wide range of wellness products which include GlutaWhite, MyBeauty and Sleep EZ, has introduced a new dietary supplement: Spike Brain Booster.
Taken in capsule form, Spike Brain Booster helps improve general learning performance, increases memory functions and mental fitness, enhances concentration and mental alertness under pressure, and improves memory speed.
Among its key ingredients is neuravena, a green oat extract known for its positive effect on cognitive markers. It enhances blood circulation, stimulates the brain and supports dopamine levels, thereby helping to improve concentration, alertness, working memory and mental performance.
Another active ingredients is magnesium lactate. Magnesium contributes to energy production and regulates the levels of other important nutrients in the body.
Alphasize 50 WSP, on the other hand, is known to contribute in improving key brain functions including memory, concentration, learning, recall and focus, while Bioperine helps the body in the faster and more efficient absorption of nutrients.
Lastly, Vitamins B3 (Niacin), B6 (Pyridoxine), B9 (Folic Acid) and B12 (Cobalamine), often referred to as B-complex vitamins, are needed to maintain healthy liver, skin, hair and eyes.
It is advised to take one capsule of Spike Brain Booster daily after a meal. On days which require added mental alertness or concentration – such as a presentation to the office’s upper management, attending a seminar, or planning a marketing campaign – Spike may be taken twice.
I usually take a capsule after lunch to counter effects of the “ungodly hour” – the time after eating a heavy meal when I feel sleepy or groggy.
Spike Brain Booster is FDA-approved and is available at Mercury Drugstores nationwide at Php990 per box containing 30 capsules. For more details and product updates, follow Spike Brain Booster on Facebook and Instagram.
Mom brain may be a hassle, whether in the office or at home. But with some practical steps, and proper nutrition, the manifestations of mom brain can be overcome.
Disclosures: This post is sponsored by Vida Nutriscience who also provided product samples for me to try and review. Product details are provided by the company as well.
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