Whether you call it a “coming of age moment” or a “mental failure,” the truth is that as we age, our memory and thought processes are not what they used to be. A friend of the mind claims that for the last ten years he has not remembered the name of any new person he met. Another describes those frequent moments when the word is right on the tip of your tongue but for the life of you it just doesn’t materialize. Still another says that her memory has gotten so rusty lately that her children take advantage of it, sometimes leading her to believe that she approved an expense, when she doesn’t even remember being asked!
Just as daily repetitions of weights in the gym strengthen certain muscle groups, mental exercises strengthen and improve memory and thinking functions over time. The following are some exercises you can use to increase your memory fitness:
o Do crossword puzzles and brain teasers regularly.
o Play games that use memory like chess, bridge, or Trivial Pursuit.
o Memorize your shopping list by visualizing your visit to the supermarket. See yourself stopping at each aisle putting what you need in your cart. When you arrive at the store, use your memory to select the items. Carry a written list with you to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
o Every time you come to the end of a chapter in a book you’re reading, imagine yourself summarizing it as briefly as possible to someone who hasn’t read it. Do the same with the whole book when you finish it.
o Link the items you need to remember in story form. If you need to run errands that include going to the hardware store, the dry cleaner, and the post office, your story might be: You get your clothes oiled at the hardware store, so you have to go to the dry cleaner. While at the dry cleaners, he finds an envelope in his pocket that needs to be mailed.
o When you meet someone for the first time, repeat their name when you are introduced. Ask a question about the spelling (is it Ann with an E at the end?) Find a distinguishing characteristic of the person and imagine it with the spelling of the person’s name. Associate the name with a song, beat, or celebrity (Example: If you know someone named Marilyn, associate the person with Marilyn Monroe).
Along with aging, memory loss is often the result of chronic stress. If you’re going through a particularly stressful time in your life, chances are you’re experiencing difficulty remembering things. Try the following to help with forgetfulness caused by stress:
o Put your keys in the same place in your wallet and leave them in the same place when you enter your house.
o Try to park in the same spot when using the parking lots you frequent regularly.
o Keep a small notebook handy and write down the things you know you need to remember.
o Buy a small digital recorder or use the voice recording feature on your cell phone to record things that happen to you while you are away from home.
o Use timers to remind you of appointments and when you need to take medicine.
o If you take more than one medicine a day, buy a pill reminder box and use it so you don’t have to guess if you have taken your medicine or not.
o Slow down!
Sometimes memory loss is just a symptom of a busy life, but it can also alert us to a problem in the brain. Most of us at one time or another worry about having early Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re concerned about whether your forgetfulness has an organic cause, you can read Understanding Memory Loss, an online booklet from the National Institute on Aging that can help you determine if you should request an evaluation. Put the title of the booklet in your search engine to find it.
When you can’t remember something, it often makes you feel anxious or stressed. Good self-care for yourself may include improving your memory. Using memory exercises, finding stress-reduction strategies that work for you, and educating yourself about what is normal and what is abnormal memory loss can help. Of course, you have to remember to make them!