While not a full medical diagnosis, brain fog relates to a variety of problems with memory, attention, and focus, says neurologist Faye Begeti, MD, PhD – for example, having trouble keeping track of a new full calendar or to experience fatigue after a series of virtual meetings. “Such problems can be seen in a variety of medical conditions, but for the majority of people who do not have a physical or mental illness, brain fog can also be a result of the increased stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic.” Disruptions to our routines, ”says Dr. Begeti.

Essentially, the part of the brain called the hypothalamus responds to stress by signaling the production of cortisol. And this hormone has particularly powerful effects on the prefrontal cortex (which plays a role in attention and problem solving), the hippocampus (which mediates our memory), and the amygdala (which helps us process emotions), says Dr. Begeti.

“Any disturbance in our routine puts pressure on the prefrontal cortex, which means we feel overwhelmed by additional planning and attention requirements.” —Neurologist Faye Begeti, MD, PhD

And just because many are coming out of quarantine and embarking on an updated version of pre-pandemic normalcy doesn’t just mean the fog is clearing. “Every disturbance in our routine puts pressure on the prefrontal cortex,” says Dr. Begeti, “which means that we can feel overwhelmed by additional planning and attention requirements, which also leads to the symptoms that we also call brain fog.”

But there are ways to clear this fog. If you’ve been one of many to incorporate a daily walk into your quarantine routine, you already know that stepping outside brings powerful mental health benefits, even for a short period of time. And given the research that is available on this nature walk, experts say the benefits can extend to post-quarantine removal of brain fog as well. This is why hiking is a free, easy, and natural way to feel healthy and clear.

“In many ways, nature acts as the conductor of your brain’s symphony, with neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin representing each section,” says psychotherapist Mike Dow, PsyD, author of The brain fog correction. “When busy city life is like this symphony playing a quick staccato, nature can help it play a more soothing lullaby.”

In the following, Dr. Dow, Dr. Begeti and the lifelong hiker Wesley Trimble, Creative Director of the American Hiking Society, discuss the multiple mental health benefits of nature hiking.

Here are 5 mental health benefits of hiking that provide evidence of its ability to clear brain fog:

1. Natural light helps align your internal clock.

Our circadian rhythm or the internal 24-hour body clock helps us fall asleep easily at night and wake up just as easily in the morning. But its effect on our general mood and brain function is just as powerful.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases in the morning with the incidence of light (the so-called cortisol waking reaction) and usually decreases at night when the light diminishes. “The light indoors does not help to align this rhythm, but natural light does,” says Dr. Dow. This means spending time outdoors in a sunny spot can help alleviate any irregularities in that cortisol cycle. “This improves the overall quality of sleep and also prevents plaque from fogging up the brain,” adds Dr. Dow added. Not to mention that bright sunlight can help increase the production of serotonin, one of the feel-good hormones, and increase the potential for mental clarity even further.

2. Contact with new forms has a calming effect.

While any change of scenery can be a welcome brain-boost – as opposed to the monotony of doing the same thing every day, the imagery nature offers can create an especially helpful, mind-clear state when you’re in need of it.

“Cities are made up of sharp angles of things like buildings that the subconscious can perceive as a danger and that drive up adrenaline and cortisol levels,” says Dr. Dow. “When you go for a walk in nature, you are exposed to fractals, the calming shapes that make up the universe (like seashells, snowflakes, and trees), which naturally increases your serotonin levels.” And although the contrast may be especially pronounced for city dwellers no matter where you live, the forms of nature offer these calming benefits.

3. The stimuli of nature can help to increase creativity.

In most built environments, we only use a handful of materials and experience the same sensations repeatedly, says Trimble. “When we’re in nature, it’s really an all-encompassing sensory experience. You can feel different materials under your feet, hear bird or insect noises or the rustling of branches and smell very different things, ”he adds.

Trimble cites the tapping of these various senses as a mechanism to get the creative juices flowing – a claim backed by research. A study from 2012 found that four days in nature increased the performance of a creative problem-solving task in a group of 56 hikers by 50 percent.

4. Walking means exercise that has its own beneficial effects on the brain.

“Any kind of physical activity releases endorphins, which have a mood-enhancing effect and can improve the quality of sleep,” says Dr. Begeti. “It also fills in areas of the brain like the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, each of which plays a role in attention and memory.”

And the benefits also extend over the time after exercise, which is why you may feel even better after a hike, for example. “A chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is released and acts as a fertilizer for our brain cells and helps them thrive,” says Dr. Begeti. “It also supports the hippocampus, the memory center.”

When you bring this exercise into nature, the mental health benefits become even greater. A 2015 study found that among 60 people who took a 50-minute walk in either nature or an urban setting, the nature hikers had less anxiety and brooding and better working memory on a psychological assessment than their counterparts who did went for a walk in the city. And these results were mimicked in another 2015 study that included 38 participants, half of whom took the 90-minute nature walk and the other half took the walk in an urban setting – the nature hikers showed less brooding and less activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain associated with depression.

5. Hiking allows more mindfulness and a broader perspective.

Being in nature helps you be fully present in the moment, Trimble says, even if you are just dragged away from the constant hustle and bustle of equipment – which can lead to better emotional resilience and less reactivity. “Since the rhythmic pace of a mountain hike allows you to mindfully step into the here and now, you are allowing nature to direct this symphony of brain chemicals so that feel-good neurotransmitters naturally rise while stress hormones fall,” says Dr.

To experience this shift, you will likely need more than 15 minutes outside, where a longer hike of say 90 minutes may be enough. “We know the benefits are dose-dependent,” says Dr. Dow. “A long, unstructured and meditative time in nature can better balance your neurotransmitter levels when you switch from ‘doing’ to ‘being’ mode.”

The positive effects of this calm “being” state on the brain have been documented in studies of forest bathing, the Japanese process of spending long periods of time under trees. If you slow down during a hike to pick up the sensory details of everything around you – from the leaves under your feet to the whistle of the wind – you can also center your mind, says Trimble, “The average human pace was about three miles per hour for many years, and only recently, in the past few hundred years, have we developed all of these technologies that allow us to go faster, ”says Trimble. “But going back to nature for a long time can bring your mind and body back into a slower, more natural rhythm.”

There is also a deep sense of connectedness in nature that, with enough time, can carry over to the functioning of our brains. “When you become part of your natural environment, your mind can make new connections – just as everything in nature is connected,” says Trimble. “Because of this, hiking can help you overcome writer’s block or come up with a solution to something that was too fuzzy to resolve when you sat in front of your computer.”

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