Burnt Out, Anxious, or Shutdown? (Decoding the brain fog)

You're standing in the pantry. Again.

You came in here for something. What was it? Snacks for school? Dinner ingredients? Your sanity?

Your teen just asked you three questions at once. Your phone's buzzing. Someone needs permission for something. And your brain? It's completely offline.

Welcome to brain fog.

But here's what most people don't tell you... not all brain fog is the same. And understanding which type you're dealing with changes everything about how you respond.

The Three Faces of Brain Fog

Your nervous system has multiple ways of protecting you. And each one comes with its own flavour of foggy, can't-think-straight brain chaos.

Anxiety brain fog feels like your thoughts are racing on a treadmill going nowhere. You're thinking constantly, but nothing's getting done. It's mental overactivity... overthinking every decision, replaying conversations, worrying about things that haven't happened yet.

Shutdown brain fog is the opposite. Your thoughts slow right down. Everything feels distant, blank, or like you're watching your life through frosted glass. This usually hits suddenly after something stressful or overwhelming.

Burnout brain fog is cumulative depletion. You've been running on empty for so long that your brain can't concentrate, can't remember, can't problem-solve. And rest doesn't fix it.

All three mess with your ability to function. But the cause? Completely different.

How to Tell Which One You're In

Let me make this stupidly practical.

If your brain feels like it's got 47 tabs open and they're all playing different music... if you're lying awake at 2am mentally composing an email you'll never send... if you can't watch TV without scrolling your phone because your mind won't settle? That's anxiety fog.

Your nervous system is stuck in fight-or-flight. Your thoughts are racing toward imaginary fires. You're physically tense (jaw clenched, shoulders up around your ears). Your heart's beating faster than it should be.

The mental load of motherhood cranks this up to eleven. Because you're not just anxious about one thing. You're mentally tracking permission slips, friendship drama, who needs new shoes, whether you defrosted the chicken, and why your teen suddenly hates you today.

If your brain feels like someone unplugged it mid-sentence... if you went from functional to completely blank in seconds... if you suddenly can't access your own thoughts or feelings? That's shutdown fog.

This is your nervous system hitting the emergency brake. It usually happens right after something overwhelming. A fight with your teen. Sensory overload (everyone talking at once). Emotional flooding.

Your body feels heavy. Moving feels like pushing through mud. You want to hide, sleep, or stare at your phone doing absolutely nothing productive.

Shutdown is protective. Your system decided "this is too much" and pulled you offline before you combusted.

If your brain fog has been building for months... if you've had plenty of sleep but still can't think clearly... if you've forgotten words mid-conversation, missed appointments, or stood in the supermarket unable to decide what to buy? That's burnout fog.

This isn't sudden. It's cumulative. Your nervous system has been running on stress hormones for so long that it's genuinely depleted. Your concentration is shot. Your creativity's gone. Problem-solving feels impossible.

And the kicker? Rest doesn't fix it. Because burnout isn't just tiredness. It's nervous system dysregulation plus chronic depletion.

The Quick Decoder Test

Still not sure? Ask yourself these questions:

Did this fog come on suddenly after something specific (argument, overload, bad news)? Shutdown.

Has this been building gradually over weeks or months, getting worse despite rest? Burnout.

Are your thoughts racing and you can't slow them down, even when there's nothing urgent happening? Anxiety.

Do you feel physically wired (tense, heart racing, can't sit still)? Anxiety.

Do you feel physically flat (heavy, slow, numb)? Shutdown or burnout.

Can you pinpoint when it started? Shutdown (sudden) or anxiety (often triggered).

Has it been going on for ages and you can't remember when you last felt sharp? Burnout.

Why This Matters for Mums of Teens

Teenagers are walking nervous system disruptors.

They're loud. They ask impossible questions at 11pm. They need things urgently (but won't tell you until the last minute). They push your buttons like it's an Olympic sport.

If you're already dealing with stress management challenges... if the mental load of motherhood is maxed out... your nervous system doesn't have much buffer left.

So when your teen slams a door or asks "What's for dinner?" for the fifth time, your system tips into one of these states. Fast.

Anxiety fog shows up as snapping. Overthinking their every move. Lying awake worrying about their choices.

Shutdown fog shows up as going blank mid-conversation. Walking away. Hiding in the pantry because you physically can't handle one more question.

Burnout fog shows up as forgetting things constantly. Struggling to make simple decisions. Feeling like a fire-breathing dragon by 3pm because your capacity is gone.

What Your Brain Fog Is Trying to Tell You

All three types of fog are your nervous system's way of saying "something needs to change."

Anxiety fog says: "You're stuck in threat mode. Your body thinks everything's urgent."

Shutdown fog says: "You just hit overload. You need a circuit breaker."

Burnout fog says: "You've been running on empty too long. This is depletion, not laziness."

None of these mean you're failing. They're protective responses that have overstayed their welcome.

The problem? You can't think your way out of nervous system dysregulation. You can't mindset-hack your way back to clarity when your body's offline.

You need nervous system regulation tools. And you need them to be fast, practical, and doable in real life (not a 45-minute meditation you'll never do).

What Actually Helps

For anxiety fog: you need to downshift your nervous system. Long exhale breathing (4 in, 6 out). Jaw and shoulder releases. Anything that signals to your body "the threat's not real."

For shutdown fog: you need gentle activation. Movement (even just stretching). Cold water on your face. Naming what you see around you (orientation). You're bringing yourself back online slowly.

For burnout fog: you need to reduce decision load and rebuild capacity. Defaults instead of decisions. Boundaries that protect your energy. Tools that help you regulate daily, not just when you're in crisis.

And honestly? Most mums need all three at different times.

Stop Guessing, Start Regulating

If you're sick of the fog... if you want to actually understand what your nervous system is doing and how to work with it instead of against it... that's exactly what nervous system regulation tools are for.

Not fluffy self-care. Not another app you'll ignore.

Practical, OT-backed strategies that work in real mum life. The kind you can use standing in the pantry. Or sitting in the school pickup line. Or locked in the bathroom while your teen yells through the door.

The Decision Fatigue Reset is designed specifically for burnout fog and decision overload. No fluff, no mindset homework. Just fast tools to cut through the mental sludge and get your brain back online.

If you're dealing with all three types of fog (because let's be real, most of us are), The Everyday Mum Escape Pack gives you the full toolkit. Self-regulation techniques for anxiety, shutdown recovery strategies, and burnout prevention tools you'll actually use.

You don't have to keep running on brain fog and hope. You can regulate your nervous system, reduce the mental load of motherhood, and get your capacity back.

Let's make that happen.

Hayley x