Why am I so forgetful? How to improve your memory and remember almost everything
Did you love this show on Netflix, or was it Hulu? -with what's her name in that movie with the actress, you know, with the cool hair?
If you've been through times like these, you're not alone.
"Almost everyone struggles with some form of loss before they reach middle age," says Gary Small, MD, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center and author of The Memory Bible: An Innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young.
In a nationwide Gallup poll of 18,552 American adults aged 18 and older, researchers found that about 14% of the youngest group (aged 18-39) complained about their memory.
And the problem seems to be getting worse, thanks to increased screen time and poor lifestyle choices.
But you can fight forgetfulness.
In a recent episode of the Write About Now podcast, Dr. Small discussed some memory-boosting techniques that will make your brain happy.
Why are we so forgetfulTo understand why we forget things, it helps to understand how we remember them in the first place.
“Memory has two main components: learning and recall,” says Dr. Small. "You have to get this information into your brain, and you have to be able to retrieve it."
But anyone who has ever played with a smartphone, computer or social media knows how entertaining they can be. And that's a problem.
"If you don't focus your attention, you'll never get that information into your brain," says Dr. Small. "We are constantly bombarded with more and more incoming data. This often results in information overload that likely decreases the percentage of stimuli that enter our short-term and long-term memories."
Bad health equals bad memoryUnhealthy lifestyle choices are another major contributor to memory loss.
Just as eating too many donuts and not eating enough donuts can lead to problems like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, these behaviors can also affect our brain health, according to Dr. Small. "They prematurely age your brain."
Our mental health also suffers. Many of us feel overwhelmed by the pandemic, burnout, gas prices, and life in general in the 21st century.
"When we experience feelings of depression and anxiety or prolonged stress, we become distracted and our memory abilities decline," says Dr. Small.
How to improve your memoryWhile many of us struggle with forgetfulness, there are effective ways to get our memory back in shape for the fight.
Watch, Capture, Connect
Dr. Small suggests a memory skill he and his former colleagues at UCLA developed called "Look, Snap, and Connect."
The principle is that if you can create something meaningful, it will become memorable. How does it work?
Look: First, slow down, notice, and focus on what you want to remember. Write down all the details and meaning, like a new face, a conversation, or a route to a new location.
Snap: Create a mental snapshot of what you want to remember. The brain has a natural ability to remember things visually, so take advantage of that. Say, for example, you meet someone for the first time and want to remember them. A mental snapshot could be their hairstyle or their smile.
Connect: Connect these mental snapshots to remember in a chain, starting with the first frame, which is associated with the second, and so on. If you meet someone named Harry and you notice he has a lot of hair. You relate Harry to Hairy.
Move
Studies show that exercise increases memory function. Research from the University of Illinois found that when you exercise, your body produces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which Dr. Small describes as "fertilizer for your brain cells." . BDNF “grows branches in your brain so they can communicate more effectively,” he explains.
You don't have to follow a strict diet either. According to Dr. Small, even a brisk walk of 20 minutes a day reduces your risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Sleep more
Insomnia is the enemy of memory. When we don't get enough sleep, we shut down our ability to focus and remember things. Dr. Small recommends seven to eight hours of sleep each night. It also advises against excessive caffeine, which makes us irritable and distracted.
Eat more foods with antioxidants and curcumin
Obesity can trigger cognitive impairment at the end of life, says Dr.
Did you love this show on Netflix, or was it Hulu? -with what's her name in that movie with the actress, you know, with the cool hair?
If you've been through times like these, you're not alone.
"Almost everyone struggles with some form of loss before they reach middle age," says Gary Small, MD, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center and author of The Memory Bible: An Innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young.
In a nationwide Gallup poll of 18,552 American adults aged 18 and older, researchers found that about 14% of the youngest group (aged 18-39) complained about their memory.
And the problem seems to be getting worse, thanks to increased screen time and poor lifestyle choices.
But you can fight forgetfulness.
In a recent episode of the Write About Now podcast, Dr. Small discussed some memory-boosting techniques that will make your brain happy.
Why are we so forgetfulTo understand why we forget things, it helps to understand how we remember them in the first place.
“Memory has two main components: learning and recall,” says Dr. Small. "You have to get this information into your brain, and you have to be able to retrieve it."
But anyone who has ever played with a smartphone, computer or social media knows how entertaining they can be. And that's a problem.
"If you don't focus your attention, you'll never get that information into your brain," says Dr. Small. "We are constantly bombarded with more and more incoming data. This often results in information overload that likely decreases the percentage of stimuli that enter our short-term and long-term memories."
Bad health equals bad memoryUnhealthy lifestyle choices are another major contributor to memory loss.
Just as eating too many donuts and not eating enough donuts can lead to problems like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, these behaviors can also affect our brain health, according to Dr. Small. "They prematurely age your brain."
Our mental health also suffers. Many of us feel overwhelmed by the pandemic, burnout, gas prices, and life in general in the 21st century.
"When we experience feelings of depression and anxiety or prolonged stress, we become distracted and our memory abilities decline," says Dr. Small.
How to improve your memoryWhile many of us struggle with forgetfulness, there are effective ways to get our memory back in shape for the fight.
Watch, Capture, Connect
Dr. Small suggests a memory skill he and his former colleagues at UCLA developed called "Look, Snap, and Connect."
The principle is that if you can create something meaningful, it will become memorable. How does it work?
Look: First, slow down, notice, and focus on what you want to remember. Write down all the details and meaning, like a new face, a conversation, or a route to a new location.
Snap: Create a mental snapshot of what you want to remember. The brain has a natural ability to remember things visually, so take advantage of that. Say, for example, you meet someone for the first time and want to remember them. A mental snapshot could be their hairstyle or their smile.
Connect: Connect these mental snapshots to remember in a chain, starting with the first frame, which is associated with the second, and so on. If you meet someone named Harry and you notice he has a lot of hair. You relate Harry to Hairy.
Move
Studies show that exercise increases memory function. Research from the University of Illinois found that when you exercise, your body produces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which Dr. Small describes as "fertilizer for your brain cells." . BDNF “grows branches in your brain so they can communicate more effectively,” he explains.
You don't have to follow a strict diet either. According to Dr. Small, even a brisk walk of 20 minutes a day reduces your risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Sleep more
Insomnia is the enemy of memory. When we don't get enough sleep, we shut down our ability to focus and remember things. Dr. Small recommends seven to eight hours of sleep each night. It also advises against excessive caffeine, which makes us irritable and distracted.
Eat more foods with antioxidants and curcumin
Obesity can trigger cognitive impairment at the end of life, says Dr.
What's Your Reaction?
