Have you ever wondered, “Why can’t I think straight?” Does your mind often wander when you’re supposed to be focusing on a task at hand? Do you get frustrated when your brain decides to float off in its own world? As it turns out, a lot of us have trouble with our clarity of mind, and there’s a reason for that.

Getting older is a beautiful thing, but you do require a few extra steps to maintain our cognitive function as the years pass by. Think of your brain like a car. The more time you devote to maintenance, the longer your car stays in good shape. Treating it poorly and doing things that damage it will only lead to more heavy-duty maintenance in the future. And hey, if you maintain your car in good shape for a while, it may even become a classic antique. (Talk about valuable!)

Your brain accumulates wear and tear that affects how you process things as you get older. There’s a multitude of causes, but struggling with clarity of thought is ultimately a normal part of everyday life. Cars get slower, brains get older. However, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. You can take steps to alleviate or even avoid brain fuzz altogether, and here are 7 probable causes of brain fog and solutions for improving your mental clarity.