Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with forgetful

Hello, McFly?

Fairchild — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:47:42 -0800

I'm very distressed that I cannot remember anything and do not feel sharp. How can I improve my memory and feel more with it? I have never had a good memory but lately it seems my head is empty. I can manage my day to day life reasonably well but still feel dimwitted. I cannot remember plots or characters of books I have read. I don't remember names very well. If a person tells me they are going on vacation/having surgery/buying a new house I will forget to ask about this major event the next time I see them. I'm not familiar with many things that other people seem to have no problem with. There are huge stretches of childhood and adulthood that I cannot remember. There are stretches of my children's lives that I can't remember. I cannot remember some simple facts. Is this normal?

Sometimes I fall short on sleep but mostly get adequate sleep. I exercise a few times a week but sometimes have stretches of inactivity. Maybe since I haven't worked in years has something to do with it. I stay home with my children and work very part-time in my chosen profession but it is a very laid-back environment that requires little brain power. I used to have a job that requires very specific skills. If I wanted to return to this type of job I would have a lot of brushing up to do.

I'm basically distressed that my mind feels very dull and empty. I don't have quick comebacks. Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with intelligent conversation. Sometimes I stammer and have problems expressing a thought. I just feel very dull and while my memory has always been average I feel duller and more forgetful than ever. (I don't have a problem learning new things. I learn and grasp concepts reasonably well but don't often remember them and have to look them up to refresh my memory.) I do have some social anxiety and have trouble living in the moment. Maybe I am too busy thinking about other things to remember what is happening in real life.

How can I improve my memory and feel more "with it"?

Sammy Jankis wrote himself endless notes. But he'd get mixed up.

rinosaur — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:02:59 -0800

Can I learn to be less forgetful and scatterbrained? I'm constantly forgetting where I put my keys, wallet, purse, etc. I've never had a pair of glasses that I didn't lose completely. Occasionally I'll leave for a concert or sporting event without bringing the tickets, or leave for work without my gym bag or my lunch. I miss minor appointments (like haircuts) frequently.

The biggest problem, certainly, is that I'm not as organized as I should be. A compounding factor is that I'm pretty busy, and if I have to remember to do 10 things, it's likely that I will forget a few. I've tried making lists and writing myself reminders, and I have a calendar on my computer that reminds me of the important stuff, but I still find myself turning the house upside down last night looking for a camera that I misplaced (I left it at my parents house). This makes my life more difficult than it needs to be, and is a source of stress between me and my SO.

I'm looking for organization tips, or tricks, advice, and methods that have worked for you to either "re-train" my brain or to slow down and not gloss over the minor details of my life.

Thanks in advance!

Jogging memories. Ah, the feeling of tracksuit sliding betwixt my legs, the honking of angry drivers.

Ambrosia Voyeur — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:40:58 -0800

How do you jog your memory? I have a spotty memory. I saw this guy the other day, for example, and I remember that his name is Daniel and that I think he's nice and smart, but don't know where I know him from! I'm also pretty hopeless when I've lost something.

Are there tricks to jogging memories once something's been forgotten?

Help me remember a physics website.

nile_red — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:53:44 -0800

Help me find an interesting website I've forgotten the name of. There was a website a while back that had masses and springs and you could create 'animals' or machines that would move but also make interesting sounds. I can't remember the name of it, and I want to use it in a physics course.

Are you forgetful?

ashbury — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 05:34:05 -0800

Are you forgetful? If so, what do you do to remember things? MI It seems that as I get older, I'm becoming more forgetful. For example, just this morning I decided to get a banana, but when I got to where they are kept, I did something else. As I walked away, I realized that I hadn't gotten the banana and returned to get it.