How can I improve my memory?
December 29, 2014 4:04 PM Subscribe
In the past few years, my memory capacity seems to have been dramatically reduced. How can I improve my ability to remember "minor" things?
Throughout high school and early college, I feel like I had a pretty good memory for most things. As I've progressed, though (I am now 25), I feel like I've lost the ability to remember things both long- and short-term. Mostly it manifests in my not remembering "trivial" things - for example, plots of TV series I've watched, whether or not I've seen a movie - but I also tend to forget discussions my boyfriend and I have had, work experiences, etc. It's distressing and confusing to both me and my boyfriend when he is talking about a show we watched not too long before and I have no memory of it - and no matter how much he explains, it doesn't even spark a hint of memory. I also get distracted easily while people are talking to me, and sometimes can't even remember what they just said.
I feel like my memory might've been impacted by my decreased attention span - thanks to modern technology I am usually on the computer with multiple internet tabs open while watching TV and things like that, and I've seemingly lost the ability to just sit and read a book. I've tried keeping a journal of things I've done during the day, but it's nearly impossible to write down everything like conversations, TV shows, etc.
Is there something I can do about this? I feel like I'm not old enough for this to be happening already. It is embarrassing and stressful to not be able to remember things that I've seen or done.
Throughout high school and early college, I feel like I had a pretty good memory for most things. As I've progressed, though (I am now 25), I feel like I've lost the ability to remember things both long- and short-term. Mostly it manifests in my not remembering "trivial" things - for example, plots of TV series I've watched, whether or not I've seen a movie - but I also tend to forget discussions my boyfriend and I have had, work experiences, etc. It's distressing and confusing to both me and my boyfriend when he is talking about a show we watched not too long before and I have no memory of it - and no matter how much he explains, it doesn't even spark a hint of memory. I also get distracted easily while people are talking to me, and sometimes can't even remember what they just said.
I feel like my memory might've been impacted by my decreased attention span - thanks to modern technology I am usually on the computer with multiple internet tabs open while watching TV and things like that, and I've seemingly lost the ability to just sit and read a book. I've tried keeping a journal of things I've done during the day, but it's nearly impossible to write down everything like conversations, TV shows, etc.
Is there something I can do about this? I feel like I'm not old enough for this to be happening already. It is embarrassing and stressful to not be able to remember things that I've seen or done.
Response by poster: I usually get 8+ hours a night.
posted by majesty_snowbird at 4:09 PM on December 29, 2014
posted by majesty_snowbird at 4:09 PM on December 29, 2014
Do things that require memory. Little games, pattern-matching games and the like
thanks to modern technology I am usually on the computer with multiple internet tabs open while watching TV and things like that, and I've seemingly lost the ability to just sit and read a book
Do less of this and more book-reading. It's like a muscle, you have to use it.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:21 PM on December 29, 2014
thanks to modern technology I am usually on the computer with multiple internet tabs open while watching TV and things like that, and I've seemingly lost the ability to just sit and read a book
Do less of this and more book-reading. It's like a muscle, you have to use it.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:21 PM on December 29, 2014
You are describing an attention problem rather than a memory problem.
The solution is simple. Pay attention to one thing at a time. If it isn't worth your full attention then it probably isn't worth your partial attention either.
Be fully present.
(sez the guy with 65 open tabs, a bull game on tv and a cat demanding play sitting on the couch with his wife)
posted by srboisvert at 4:23 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
The solution is simple. Pay attention to one thing at a time. If it isn't worth your full attention then it probably isn't worth your partial attention either.
Be fully present.
(sez the guy with 65 open tabs, a bull game on tv and a cat demanding play sitting on the couch with his wife)
posted by srboisvert at 4:23 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
You might benefit from the book Moonwalking With Einstein.
posted by thejoshu at 4:47 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by thejoshu at 4:47 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I was under the impression that book was mostly for memorizing facts and other discrete types of things - can it help with just remembering things happening in my life? Wouldn't I have to use the techniques every time I do anything just in case I happen to forget it later?
posted by majesty_snowbird at 5:41 PM on December 29, 2014
posted by majesty_snowbird at 5:41 PM on December 29, 2014
You are sleeping enough but your quality of sleep might be quite low. Even if you don't have full-on sleep apnea, anything that obstructs your breathing can cause problems (allergies, whatever). As can environmental noise or blue light before bed. It's worth considering this angle; I got mentally much sharper after I started taking allergy medication at night.
posted by vogon_poet at 5:41 PM on December 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by vogon_poet at 5:41 PM on December 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
How about your overall stress levels? Any changes there? The year my stress at work was through the roof I started forgetting all my internet passwords.
posted by deludingmyself at 6:32 PM on December 29, 2014
posted by deludingmyself at 6:32 PM on December 29, 2014
Response by poster: I suppose my stress increased? I don't feel like it did, because I had a lot of anxiety/stress in high school, but I guess it could have subconsciously since I was in the latter years of college and then graduating, starting a real world job, moving, etc.
posted by majesty_snowbird at 6:58 PM on December 29, 2014
posted by majesty_snowbird at 6:58 PM on December 29, 2014
When I had that problem it turned out in retrospect to be due to undiagnosed hypothyroidism. There's more than one medical problem that can temporarily cause serious memory trouble.
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 7:25 PM on December 29, 2014
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 7:25 PM on December 29, 2014
The details of those things aren't as important to you as they once were.
posted by michaelh at 10:42 PM on December 29, 2014
posted by michaelh at 10:42 PM on December 29, 2014
I feel like my memory might've been impacted by my decreased attention span - thanks to modern technology I am usually on the computer with multiple internet tabs open while watching TV and things like that, and I've seemingly lost the ability to just sit and read a book.
Decreased attention span is a natural consequence of habitually ceding control of your attention to external attention-grabbers.
Is there something I can do about this?
Spend ten minutes per day just sitting and reading a book with the TV, the computer and your phone all turned off. Once that's no longer difficult, spend fifteen.
As a 25 year old in 2014, I expect that you will probably find the idea of totally disabling your phone for fifteen minutes actually frightening. Treat that as a symptom of the condition you're trying to correct rather than as a reason not to do it. Change requires courage.
posted by flabdablet at 3:18 AM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Decreased attention span is a natural consequence of habitually ceding control of your attention to external attention-grabbers.
Is there something I can do about this?
Spend ten minutes per day just sitting and reading a book with the TV, the computer and your phone all turned off. Once that's no longer difficult, spend fifteen.
As a 25 year old in 2014, I expect that you will probably find the idea of totally disabling your phone for fifteen minutes actually frightening. Treat that as a symptom of the condition you're trying to correct rather than as a reason not to do it. Change requires courage.
posted by flabdablet at 3:18 AM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Are you taking any prescription drugs? Benzodiazepines (examples: Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, Librium), in particular, are known to have harmful effects on memory and other cognitive functions. Also, drugs for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can also impact your memory.
posted by alex1965 at 7:03 AM on December 30, 2014
posted by alex1965 at 7:03 AM on December 30, 2014
I like to keep a pocket notebook to remember tasks and agendas. If I can't write down on paper then I have my tablet/smartphone as backup. For recalling TV shows I keep a WIP list of all old series I've seen or plan to watch in the future. There's a variety of mnemonic methods to recall specific items if you're curious too. Although, I hate to say it but sometimes many plots are very same-y and I'll get one series confused with another often.
Also, I keep a journal for the past decade or so and that helps me recall old memories well at least parts of them so I don't completely forget them. Basically, I don't think there's a one way to remember info but I like having notes around me so I can look back on it. For entries they don't need to be very precise but a general idea of how your day went or any major events are fine for me. I don't think even I could write in-depth entries everyday as it'd be somewhat stressful and time consuming to record it.
I have heard how the internet is distracting but maybe it depends on the person? For example, I use a feed reader to filter my sites and it's not so much as I forget to read articles but I will skim over them because I didn't find the content to be relevant. For Mefi I use my favorites as bookmarks and I may or may not go back and read the full thread later.
posted by chrono_rabbit at 2:30 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, I keep a journal for the past decade or so and that helps me recall old memories well at least parts of them so I don't completely forget them. Basically, I don't think there's a one way to remember info but I like having notes around me so I can look back on it. For entries they don't need to be very precise but a general idea of how your day went or any major events are fine for me. I don't think even I could write in-depth entries everyday as it'd be somewhat stressful and time consuming to record it.
I have heard how the internet is distracting but maybe it depends on the person? For example, I use a feed reader to filter my sites and it's not so much as I forget to read articles but I will skim over them because I didn't find the content to be relevant. For Mefi I use my favorites as bookmarks and I may or may not go back and read the full thread later.
posted by chrono_rabbit at 2:30 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by Jacqueline at 4:06 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]