Memory Slip-up - When you tend to forget suddenly!
What is memory slip-up?
Have you ever walked into a room to get something or to do something and you just stand there feeling empty or your mind blank? Initially, you feel a bit irritated and you have to walk back to where you came from. Well, this can be due to forgetfulness. Even when you are reading something, and cannot remember what you read a few minutes ago. This could be absent-mindedness or because you didn’t pay much attention when you were reading. Experts say memory loss is perfectly normal especially as we age.
Memory is the ability to normally recall the facts and events of our lives, and it has 3 stages:
- Stage 1: Encoding. This is when someone receives and takes information in.
- Stage 2: Consolidation. This happens when the brain takes the information it encodes and processes it to store it in certain areas of the brain.
- Stage 3: Retrieval. When a person recalls a piece of stored information in the brain.
Usually, memory slip-up starts as early as age 30, though it accelerates more and becomes more noticeable at the age of 50. These cognitive changes can be annoying and can limit your activities and interest, they are part of normal aging.
- Follow a routine. Try leaving your wallet, keys, mobile phone, and glasses in the same place every day.
- Write everything down. Having things written a pocket notebook or a small digital voice recorder can go a long way
- in remembering details, especially dates and names.
- Try doing one thing at a time. The brain can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Overtasking leads to forgetfulness.
- Seek silence. Excessive noise and a busy environment make it harder to understand, memorize, and recall new information.
- Try learning it over again. Circling back and locking the same information in again and again makes the memory
- more durable.
- Create cues. Use classic memory tricks to keep yourself from following up on it like keeping your prescription next
- to your toothbrush to prompt you to take morning and evening medication.
- Exercise regularly. A 30-min walk can help in preventing things that lead to memory loss.
- Stay social. Not only bodily exercise helps in good memory, but brain activities like card games or reading a book also helps in building a remarkable memory.
Is your memory normal?
No one like forgetting important things in their lives, it creates unnecessary frustration and stress which affects our mental health which then affects our brain which again affects our memory, and this ongoing loop continues. Some memory loss goes along with getting old or some health problems such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Common memory problems are:
- Transience- The brain gets rid of knowledge that you haven’t used lately.
- Absent-mindedness- This memory lapse occurs when you don’t pay attention.
- Blocking- This memory lapse occurs when there’s a block between your mind and the information you need.
- Misattribution-This occurs when recalling an experience but getting the details wrong.
In one survey, about 14% of those aged 18 to 39 reported problems with forgetting, as did 22% of those aged 40 to 59. Poor health and lifestyle choices cause forgetfulness, also other factors that increase the risk of memory problems include stress, depression, high blood pressure, or lack of exercise. As humans age, the circulation in the brain slows down and hormone levels changes which can also result in memory loss in old age. normal memory loss usually affects episodic which affects our daily lives.
Disclaimer :
All images, and visuals are used for representation purposes. We do not claim any copyright over these images.
Content Credit: Srashti Sharma
