Strategies exist to minimize occasional memory loss.
- Occasional memory loss, such as when moving to another room, is not a sign of cognitive decline.
- They are linked to the ability of our brain to adapt to its environment. For example, when we change rooms, the brain abandons what we had in mind, because it considers that it is no longer a priority. This allowed us to survive in a hostile environment.
- But if this happens to you too often or causes you problems, several techniques can help you counteract this memory loss, such as limiting multitasking or creating reminders.
If we all experience forgetting when going to get something or go somewhere, it is because this memory failure is actually a common error in our attentional processes. Although it may seem worrying, it is not linked to cognitive decline, but rather to the environment which acts as a distraction.
Our brain has its own priorities
When we change environments, our brain reorganizes its attention based on its immediate priorities. It prioritizes information and constantly deletes data to integrate new ones.
By entering a different room, for example, the brain abandons what we had in mind, because it considers that it is no longer a priority. What was very useful in our evolutionary past, when we had to maintain constant attention to survive in a hostile environment, can now become disabling in modern daily life.
Implement simple techniques to maintain attention
Although it may seem worrying, this type of forgetting is not linked to dementia or an Alzheimer type disease, but rather a common failure of the brain which must concentrate on new elements of the environment and forget the previous ones. To improve your attention and limit this type of forgetfulness, it is advisable to:
• Limit multitasking: in a world where multitasking is very common, trying to limit it can significantly reduce forgetfulness. It’s about focusing on one task at a time, for example avoiding watching television while doing homework, talking on the phone while walking, or responding to emails while attending a professional meeting.
• Create reminders: If you know that you are prone to forgetting frequently when you change environments, you can help yourself by using reminders. These can be sticky notes or on your phone, but also color codes, symbols (a cross on the hand) or objects (changing sides of your watch).
• Practice meditation and mindfulness exercises: they promote sustained attention and mental presence helps not only to concentrate on the present moment, but above all to be aware of one’s thoughts and one’s environment. By practicing regularly, you can learn to better manage distractions and avoid getting caught up in unnecessary thoughts.
Find out more: “Boost your memory” by Jean-Yves Ponce.
