Are Your Employees Suffering from Brain Fog?

Emmet McGonagle

Nov 14, 2023

It looks like the latest impediment to staff en masse has crept upon us as a result of the coronavirus pandemic: introducing brain fog.


According to estimates from the US Census Bureau, the number of adults with a disability rose from less than 15 million before the pandemic to about 16.5 million in September 2023, a number of which are experiencing “serious difficulty” thinking in a condition that has been linked to long Covid.


This particular infliction - defined by Healthline as “a symptom that [...] can cause confusion, memory issues, and a lack of focus” - has reportedly caused adults between their 20s and 40s to struggle with attention and conversation. People older than this age bracket, however, are more likely to experience memory deficits.


Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO at Thrive Global, has reiterated that brain fog can be caused by a range of different factors outside of Covid-19.


Via LinkedIn, she explained: “Even if that’s true, we should remember there are many factors that contribute to cognitive fog, from burnout and a lack of sleep to the gut-brain connection and the role of inflammatory foods in our diet.”


Indeed, Healthline notes six common causes of brain fog: stress, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, diet, medications and medical conditions.


But it seems not everyone is satisfied with the American government’s connection between the coronavirus pandemic and brain fog.


Sarah Hatter, senior director of community and events at PartnerHero, maintains that “we do not want to acknowledge that the consecutive traumas of a global pandemic, recession and mass layoffs, inflation, ridiculous political upheavals, and two active wars have changed how our brains work.”


On the topic, she elaborated: “We are all changed because of it, and that means the way we manage people has to change.”


On the plus side, there are a series of ways in which brain fog can be managed, including improving your diet, solving brain puzzles and exercising. In relation to the working world, however, brain fog can be combated through avoiding caffeine (yes, even your morning coffee), managing stress and sleeping 8-9 hours a night.


Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our contact page.

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More than half of workers believe that disclosing worker compensation details on job postings will lead to better equality in pay, according to the latest iteration of LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index . The index - which is based on a survey of 3,302 members in Canada between June and September 2023 - found that 52% of people asked felt that people sharing their pay information (including salary and bonus) would improve workplace equality, compared to 48% in 2022. This number varies between different generations, with younger Canadians more likely to express support for pay transparency (73%), followed by 69% of Millennials, 46% of Gen X and 44% of Baby Boomers. However, 37% of those surveyed remarked that they felt anxious about sharing their pay information - a 2% rise from the year prior. Likewise, just under half (49%) said they felt well compensated for the work they do while 74% expressed that the pay gap between CEOs and employees had become too wide. The people of LinkedIn have come out in their dozens to give their two cents on the topic, with Adrienne Tom , executive resume writer for executives, saying: “ I'm all for salary transparency, so long as the number is clear and legit. Some postings list salary ranges so wide that the actual salary number isn't entirely clear, leaving job seekers confused.” “If you have a manager who is not advocating for the pay gap, you are working for the wrong manager,” remarked career strategist Sweta Regmi , while noting that women in Ontario earn an average of $0.87 for every dollar earned by men. On the topic, she added: “Salary ranges with job postings can help close the gender pay gap while allowing companies to find qualified candidates more quickly.” Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our contact page .
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