How to Sell Memory Loss to a Skeptic
I have short-term memory loss and it gets in my way sometimes.
I have short-term memory loss and it gets in my way sometimes.
Last May I turned 71 years old and noticed my short-term memory loss was getting worse. Memory loss is stressful and can slow you down, especially when you’re always forgetting your username and password on social media.
If you are skeptical about your having memory loss and don’t know what to do about it — follow some simple life adjustments and you will be fine. We may get embarrassed, but there are ways to brush it off and move on. But paying attention to your diet, exercise and sleep habits is vital to improve your short-term memory loss. Most of us have good long-term memory, but the short-term is the key problem with most of us.
While wondering if I can do anything to improve my memory, I researched a few academic journals. This is what I found:
The Science of Memory
Scientists and philosophers have been trying to figure out how human memory works for at least two thousand years and they’re still making new discoveries. But we still know there are basically three stages to memory processing: encoding, storage, and recall.
Encoding
Your visual system forms your memory (noticing extravagantly designed buildings, for example). Your auditory system (playing your favorite song loud) and maybe smells (hand soap in a public restroom, for example.)
Storage
We then stored these little bits and pieces of information in different areas of our brain. Your neurons (the nerve cells in your brain) pass signals to each other about what you perceived, effectively “talking” with each other and building either temporary or long-lasting connections.
There are two kinds of memory: short-term and long-term. Short-term or working memory is like your brain's scratchpad. It’s where your brain temporarily stores information before either dismissing or transferring it to long-term memory, for example, remembering what you want to order for lunch before calling the takeout place.
Recall
To retrieve a memory, your brain “replays” or revisits the nerve pathways created when the memory was formed. Repeatedly recalling information helps strengthen those connections and your memory. Techniques like reviewing your notes help you keep information.
Neuroscientists believe it’s that neural activity and the strength of these connections that make a memory. Now that we know some of how memory works, we can use that understanding to improve our memory.
Memories can weaken with age
Both kinds of memories can weaken with age, because the brain loses cells critical to those connections between neurons over time — but that’s not inevitable. As with muscle strength, you can exercise your brain, with memory, it’s “use it” or “lose it.”
Lifestyle changes can improve your memory
Sleep on it — get a good night’s sleep or take a power nap after learning something new. One research study found that people who slept eight hours after learning new faces and names were better able to remember them compared to those who didn’t get the sleep opportunity.
Why is this? It appears that sleep“ ”resets” our brains, and it’s critical for memory and learning. Research found that taking a nap of about 25 to 60 minutes immediately after learning something new could boost your memory 500%.
Get moving
Just as sleep is important for both your physical and mental health, so is exercise. Our brains rely on oxygen to function properly, and to get that oxygen, we need a healthy flow of oxygen rich blood to our brains. Exercising about four hours after learning might be better for improving memory, than exercising immediately afterwards.
Improve your diet
Eat healthier. Saturated and trans fats — the kind you get from red meat and butter are linked to poor memory. Just as cholesterol can build up in your heart arteries, it can build up in your brain.
The buildup of cholesterol plaque in brain blood vessels can damage brain tissue, because brain cells are deprived of the oxygen rich blood they need to function normally.
I eat the Mediterranean diet, which consists mostly of vegetables, fruit, olive oil, seafood, nuts — rich in healthy unsaturated fats, which have been linked in many studies to improvements in memory and lower rates of memory decline.
Here are some memory exercises to lessen memory loss
Musically mnemonic — music is a powerful mnemonic, because it provides a structure for information and encourages repetition
Remember, more with chunking
— chunking technique involves grouping items, finding patterns in them and organizing the items. Chunking works because our brains are primed to look for patterns and make connections.
Write it down, don’t type it out
There are a few reasons handwriting is preferable to using your laptop with memory. First, the physical act of writing stimulates cells at the base of your brain, called the reticular activating system (RAS). When the RAS is triggered, your brain pays more attention to what you’re doing at the moment.
As we age, I guess we all experience “forgetting names, forgetting your car keys, and being forgettful about the small things. Keeping a list and a strict routine seems to help me stay better organized and helps keep my short-term memory sharper. And of course, we need to reduce the amount of stress in our lives and keep our chlorestrol under control if that’s possible.
Reading, writing, listening to music and being active outdoors seem to help me with remembering better. I advocate walking as much as possible.
I hope this article helps you understand your short-term memory loss and you’re more able to cope with it.
Thanks for reading!