Have a conversation.

Not with others. Not with the world. Just with yourself.

I know what you’re thinking, “Isn’t that what I already do, like, every day?”

No. It really isn’t.

There’s a difference between being lost in your thoughts and having a conversation with yourself. The former is passive. You can do it when you’re on the bus, walking back home, or cooking.

But a conversation is active. It’s intentional, purpose-led, and brutally honest.

We need that more than ever today because, forget conversations, we’re not even thinking for ourselves now.

Brain Fog to Brain Rot

When psychology and neuroscience gave us the term, “Brain Fog” a few decades ago, all of us felt seen and validated—and still do today.

The stress and overwhelm of our jarringly complex lives take a toll on how well our cognition functions. In such a state, our thinking can feel muddy, unclear, and foggy. After a hard day, we don’t want to think or make difficult decisions; we just want to escape into a world that isn’t ours.

Technology (specifically our phones and social media) has made that escape easier than ever. It’s quick, accessible, and feels amazing, so it must be good, right?

Wrong.

The same principles of psychology and neuroscience that explained ‘brain fog’ are now sounding the siren on its escape.

Because it’s leading to a state worse than brain fog—the kind you DON’T want to associate yourself with—brain rot.

That’s a real term. In fact, it was the ‘Oxford Word of the Year 2024’.

Here’s how the experts at Oxford describe it: “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental and intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial and unchallenging.”

Said simply, the escape that makes you feel so good is screwing up your mind, your future, and your life. With every scroll, meaningless content is infiltrating your mental space. With every hour spent ‘not thinking,’ you make it harder for yourself to think when it matters. With every unnecessary online drama that takes over your life, you lose control and ROT your brain.

The escape becomes the prison, and you’re back to a state of confusion. But this time, it’s not because you’re tired and overwhelmed; it’s because you’re so lazy and comfortable that you can’t see how your harmless scroll has become a trap.

This is the perfect ‘stab in the back.’ I know it doesn’t feel like one, that’s exactly why it’s perfect.

But now that you’re aware, it’s time to take the dagger and remove it.

The Social Addiction.

Brain Rot is an addiction.

But it’s different than any other. Most addictions are secretive, shame-filled, and loathsome. Brain rot is uncharacteristically public.

On TikTok, it even has a whole genre dedicated to it, “FlopTok.”

On Instagram, you have comment sections filled with young people who know they’re watching brain-rot content, but still do so happily, and they actively engage by leaving a comment.

And on LinkedIn, you find people taking the high ground against the ‘loss of intellectualism’ with a lengthy, AI-generated post no one wants to read.

I’m no science expert, but this feels unique because, for the first time, self-awareness and self-destruction seem to go hand in hand.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen a meme that says, “When I have an exam in 12 hours, but I hear XYZ is trending,” followed by an image of a person glued to their phone.

No one would make a choice so destructive, so shallow, and so meaningless. The exam might unlock unexpected doors and opportunities, but being a part of the trend certainly won’t.

Yet, it’s clear that the trend ranks higher in importance.

Why? Because brain rot is taking over, and rational thinking is being kicked out. Smartphones are, quite literally, rewiring our brains and making us dumber.

But I wouldn’t blame them for it. The phone can’t do anything to rot your brain unless you give it a chance to.

And that is why…

Brain Rot, Brain Fog, or ‘Make it to the Top’: It’s Your Choice

The worst thing about brain rot is also the best thing about it: a high level of self-awareness.

Now that you know, you can easily change this behavior. And you don’t need a complex ten-step routine to create that change, you just need to make that choice.

Find yourself opening your phone without a reason? Pause, and ask yourself, “Do I really need this? If yes, why?” Then do what the answer tells you to.

Catch yourself scrolling when you’re supposed to search for something, but can’t remember what you wanted to search? Put the phone away. Say to yourself, “I’ll pick up my phone when I remember.” And get back to work.

It’s THAT simple.

The world isn’t going to end if you don’t check in on the news for the next few days. Your friends aren’t going to die if you don’t like their post within minutes. Your life is not going to become worse if you don’t know what the latest ‘FlopTok’ trend is.

You are better off working on yourself and BUILDING your mental skills. The questioning I described above makes you pause and brings you back into a conversation with yourself.

When you listen to that inner voice, you honor and build the trust you have within. When you take back control of your life, you start to find the clarity that clears away the brain fog (and rot). You just need to make the choice, have an honest conversation with yourself every day, and build your life with meaning.

That’s the (unlikely) solution to your confusion. It’s not as fancy as a ’30 AI prompts for clarity’ template, but it works well WITHOUT wasting your time. And isn’t that what we’re all looking for?