Brain fog makes life miserable by creating a persistent, overwhelming sense of mental exhaustion, confusion, and reduced cognitive function. It makes simple tasks challenging such as where you have kept your mobile, why you entered a room, why you’re feeling hungry, whether you had your lunch etc. It causes frustration, anxiety, and a loss of confidence. The inability to focus or remember often leads to decreased productivity and strained interpersonal relationships, acting as a constant drain on mental energy.

Leading Indian doctors and neurologists describe brain fog as, “not a disease, but a symptom,” reflecting underlying issues like chronic stress, extreme sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, or post-COVID cognitive dysfunction. Experts warn that persistent mental fatigue, deprived concentration, and forgetfulness are now common in young professionals and are often linked to digital overstimulation, nutrient deficiencies, or thyroid problems.

Dr. Nasli Icchaporia highlights chronic sleep deprivation from excessive screen time as a major contributor. Dr. Aditya Aundhakar links it to the gut-brain axis, noting chronic gut inflammation can affect cognitive clarity. It’s become the “Post-Covid” phenomenon. Many specialists, including Dr. Vaibhav Tandon, recognize a sharp rise in post-COVID, long-term cognitive issues causing reduced mental stamina. Studies using advanced PET imaging have identified increased AMPA receptor density, confirming a biological basis for cognitive issues.

Dr Bhojraj, an interventional cardiologist, recounted the case of a woman in her early fifties who came to his clinic feeling exhausted, inflamed and mentally foggy. She was a teacher and a mother, physically active and mindful of her diet. Her blood reports showed no red flags. From a clinical standpoint, everything appeared normal. This is a common picture.

Brain fog, often manifesting as cognitive fatigue, reduced mental clarity, and diminished situational awareness, is a major, often hidden, factor in aviation accidents. It contributes to significant human performance issues, with studies indicating that fatigue and associated cognitive issues play a role in 15-20% of commercial aviation accidents.

Several prominent Indian celebrities have spoken openly about mental health struggles that involve symptoms of brain fog, such as cognitive dysfunction, memory issues, or lack of focus etc. Some famous surgeons have mentioned that while operating at times  they feel the brain fog and it takes a while to come back to realisation. Brain fog leads to a blank mind suddenly. 

Brain fog, characterized by fatigue, poor concentration, and slow cognitive processing, significantly increases road accident risks by impairing a driver’s ability to react to hazards, maintain focus, and judge distance. Caused by factors like sleep loss, stress, or illnesses, this mental state leads to dangerous scenarios such as “highway hypnosis“.

Highway hypnosis is a trance like mental state where a person drives long distances, often on monotonous highways, while operating on “autopilot” with no conscious memory of the past few minutes or miles. While the driver remains engaged in basic tasks like steering, their awareness is reduced, posing significant risks of failing to react to sudden hazards. It happens because of long, straight roads, minimal traffic, and unchanging scenery trigger the state. Brain goes on autopilot mode because of the subconscious mind takes over, like daydreaming while doing a familiar task. Drivers feel sleepy because of the long stretch.

Actress Alia Bhatt who is diagnosed with ADHD, revealed experiencing “zoning out,” difficulty focusing, and mental exhaustion. Deepika Padukone openly speaks about her bouts of brain fog. She described symptoms of feeling empty, directionless, and struggling to focus, which are often linked to mental fatigue.

Why brain fog causes significant misery?

A person may feel dazed, slow-thinking, or as if your mind is clouded, making it hard to process information or hold conversations. It reduces productivity simple, everyday tasks become overwhelming, leading to low work quality, burnout, and anxiety over falling behind. Misplacing items or forgetting daily tasks can be demoralizing and embarrassing.

Brain fog is a, non-medical term used to describe a set of symptoms including confusion, forgetfulness, poor concentration, and mental fatigue. It is not a diagnosis itself, but a symptom of underlying issues like stress, poor sleep, nutritional deficiencies, or illnesses such as COVID-19. Symptoms, which can include feeling “spaced out,” often come and go but can severely hinder daily productivity. Trouble focusing on tasks or maintaining attention.

Chronic lack of sleep, poor nutrition, dehydration, excessive stress, and too much screen time. Long COVID, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety, migraines, hormonal imbalances (pregnancy/menopause), and nutrient deficiencies like vitamin B12. Over-the-counter antihistamines or other sedative medications can contribute to the sensation

Brain fog can significantly disrupt, your life and interfere with daily functioning, according to studies shared by the National Institutes of Health. Brain fog is often temporary and linked to specific, solvable causes like fatigue. However, it can become chronic and last for weeks, months, or longer if it is tied to conditions like long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome, or unmanaged chronic illnesses.

Conclusion

Addressing the root cause is key, which may include managing stress, improving sleep quality, ensuring a healthy diet, and consulting a doctor for potential vitamin deficiencies or underlying, health conditions.

All drivers have distinctive personalities: some think that they are the best drivers, they tend to go out and teach every driver some or the other lessons, some are calm, some are frustrated, some get agitated for smallest mistake of others, some are stringent law-abiders, while some like to break rules on the road……so while you drive, you meet all sorts of drivers and vehicles on the road. Each driver experiences something different behind the wheel; from getting stuck in traffic jam to getting cut off on the freeway, somebody bangs his car into your car, or you lose your control and bang into some other vehicle……… each day driving experiences is different. The experience triggers feelings of anger, frustration, anxiety and helplessness. And with more numbers of cars and people on the road than ever before, it’s no wonder our time spent in the car makes or breaks us.

Getting into a car accident is one of the worst experiences and inconceivable. If no one is seriously injured, we thank the Almighty. But, if something untoward happens, then the blame game starts. The driver, whosoever he/she is needs to visit police stations, lawyer’s office, and the court of law, the insurance issues etc, etc. It messes up life completely. From an insurance stand, dashcams can become an impartial view on a road accident. The criminality of fake accidents involving cars – claiming medical compensation from the insurers, who play their terrible games, hiking the premiums of the car driver, and often making their insurance policy invincibly complex. The dashcam can put a logical end to all of this.

With the introduction of mandatory dashboard cameras, each car could be asked to produce evidence based on their claim/defense meaning, as long as the camera if on and recording, there is an impartial review. After a road incident, people can often be unwilling to admit guilt and risk losing their no-claims discount by telling the truth. This can lead to a war of words resulting in reduced or settled insurance claims.

At times, we get involved in an accident with a pedestrian, or somebody walking on road talking on his mobile, it is such a menace to explain who is right and who is wrong. The driver cannot run away, he keeps confessing his righteousness and people around the scene create more hassles. And believe it or not, there are people out there who actively try to hamper the traffic and create chaos.

Sometimes the most dangerous place for your car is a parking garage. The car next to you might scrape yours when pulling out, or even worse, your ride could get damaged. And, when you leave your vehicle unattended whether in a parking garage or your own driveway, anything could happen to it – hooligans steal spare parts, somebody might just dash into it, some tree branch might fall on it, anything can happen.

The dashcam is a device that goes on your car’s dashboard.

We can avoid all of this nonsense by installing a dashcam which helps in preventing many post-accident legal headaches by recording the facts. The beauty of dashcams is that they don’t have to stop recording when you park your car. Since many are battery operated, you can leave these cameras on while you’re away. You can avoid crashes, brawls, and quarrels. Sporadically, these car-ready cameras record some pretty unbelievable footage and sheer driving skills. The dashcam is a device that goes on your car’s dashboard.

It is advisable to use your dashcam 24/7, the prime motivator is your own safety and legal protection because you can also capture some pretty unbelievable footage just by keeping these cameras powered on.

Many of you must have heard of the Chelyabinsk meteor which was caused by an approximately 20-metre near-earth asteroid that entered atmosphere over Russia on 15 February 2013. The light from the meteor was brighter than the Sun, visible up to 100 km (62 mi) away. It was observed over a wide area of the region and in neighboring republics. Some eyewitnesses also felt intense heat from the fireball. There are plenty of videos of this spectacular event, primarily because so many drivers in Russia use dashcams. One of the best was captured by a parked car, which happened to have its dashcam on.

I know of many enthusiasts who use their dashcams to record autocross runs, track days, and questionable excursions on local public roads and the dashcams record them brilliantly. You can capture some of the best road trips from beginning point to end point finding something weird, exciting, or both on the way, something that you never planned for! It is worth investing in a dashcam.

Whenever some VIP dies in road accident, discussions take place on various media channels; when hundreds of common people die every day we pay no heed. The World Health Organization has revealed in its first ever Global Status Report on Road Safety that more people die in road accidents in India than anywhere else in the world. Calling road fatalities an “epidemic” that will become the world’s fifth biggest killer by 2030. The statistics for India are frightening. At least 15 people die every hour in road accidents in the country.

Road transport in India is popular than other transportations. The exponential growth of vehicles on the roads has worsened its conditions especially in cities. For inexcusable reasons, the rate of road-accidents and fatality in the country is on a steady rise. Travelling by road provides a lot of flexibility, suitability, speed and consistency; particularly at short distances in cities and towns. Therefore, it is the most preferred medium of transport. But, there is a severe parity between the growth of vehicles and maintenance of roads; especially in cities. Everyone is in a hurry; everyone wants to overtake at any cost.

Let me list some of the reasons for the rising accident rate:

• Lack of road sense of the drivers
• Driving licenses are given illegally
• Lane discipline is totally missing
• Traffic rules and regulations not followed; it’s become a fashion
• Conditions of vehicles not checked on a regular basis
• Overloading of passengers and goods is very widespread
• Unmanned railway crossing most hazardous
• Multiplicity of authorities causes utter lack of coordination
• Talking on mobiles while driving
• Drug abuse is on rampant among drivers

The account of neglected roads is pathetic. In the first Five years Plan the outlay was 6.9 per cent of total expenditure which got declined to 3 per cent by the Eighth Plan. The neglected and poorly maintained roads give up tolerance of too much load on them. About 2 lac lives are lost every year in road accidents. Moreover, there are about 55 vehicles of different sizes and styles, both slow and fast moving which hinders the smooth flow of traffic.

A bursting family of wife, husband with their 2-3 children riding a two-wheeler is a common scene on roads. Young romantic couple driving in zigzag fashion is also not uncommon, young lads of rich parents brashly driving their sporting cars and motorcycles showing off their purchasing power are familiar scenes.

In rainy season the roads become dreadful; numerous potholes and street drainage add to worsening it further. The pavements on both sides of the road are encroached by street shops, khokas, dhabas, workshops etc. adding to congestion and reduce the valuable road space.

Can some price be calculated for the value of human life??  Are we so insensible to the mishaps and transgression on the roads? If we are truly principled and have little realization left in us let’s take some preventive measures without delay.

Danger never takes a vacation.