We all tend to lose things, no matter what age we are. If you put something down in a different place from usual, or you’re not paying full attention when you do, you’re prone to forgetting where it is. Most of us started losing the car keys as soon as we learned how to drive! It’s only when they reach middle age that adults begin regarding forgetfulness as anything more than a passing annoyance. When you walk into the kitchen and forget why you went in there, it’s not usually a cause for concern. A team of Finnish neuroscientists researching into memory loss even labeled those moments: they call them “action slips”, and found that people have between 6.4 and 30 such experiences a week.
The worry, of course, is that forgetfulness is the first telltale symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. For the vast majority, there’s no cause for alarm. And while it’s true that our memories lose some sharpness once we pass our 40th birthday, there’s a lot we can do preserve our mental agility. It’s like a workout for the brain. Research has highlighted a number of techniques that can produce significant gains in memory and information processing.
- Try something new. Puzzles, riddles and chess are all good brain teasers, but the key is to try something new to fire up the neurons. If you’re a crossword puzzle or Sudoku fanatic, try bridge.
- Break your routine. Your brain gets stuck in a rut and you stop paying attention, so change your everyday patterns in small ways. Even rearranging the photos on your desk or taking a different route to work can strengthen the connections between brain cells.
- Act on your creative impulses. We all have poetry in our souls. Take the time to express it. Explore your artistic side by taking up photography or learning how to play an instrument. We need to stimulate the imaginative right-hand side of the brain as the logical, rational left-hand side is walking you through the day.
- Write it down. The act of writing something down or talking aloud helps lock it in your memory. Keep a small notebook handy to write down the things you want to keep in mind.
- Eat “good” fats. If you don’t already take fish oil capsules every day, start now. Or better yet, eat fatty fish such as sardines and tuna. The omega-3 oil helps your brain function well.
And if your mental exercises tire you out, so much the better. Scientists have shown that sleep helps consolidate learning that takes place during the day. So if you want to try to remember something, recall it before you settle in for the night, and then sleep on it.