So you're in the middle of a good conversation, everything's flowing nicely and everyone's enjoying themselves. You begin to interject, your friends look to you to listen to what you're about to say and BAM. Forgot. Everything. No, there's not a cute person you're interested in that you get nervous around or anything of the sort. It just happens. You zone out for a second, come back and laugh, "Well, sorry, forgot what I was going to say."
If this is a familiar situation for you and you have plenty other moments like this in other facets of your life, keep reading. Help me to help you before I forget everything.
1. Reminders, Reminders, Reminders. [Look To Your Smart Phone]
This is the MOST critical step. I honestly have no clue how I'd make it through the day without my phone sending me constant reminders, including reminding me to look at my planner to remind me about everything else I should be remembering. Take some time and set as many reminders as you feel you need! Because, God forbid, you come home with the hotdish you JUST made and your parents are left with the dog when you were supposed to pick up the hotdish to bring to your parent's house on your way home from getting your dog from the vet. Reminders can be in any way, shape or form; post-its to phone reminders, planners, and more.
2. Set Up A Routine!
Reminders also play a huge part in this because how can you remember to follow your routine if you're not being reminded when you forget? I have an alarm on my phone that goes off every day after I get out of my classes to look at my planner. I also set my clothes out for the next day and occasionally make a lunch the night before so I can get out the door in a heartbeat...with a nightly reminder of course. It'll take a little bit but you'll have to keep working at it. Eventually, you'll find your groove.
3. Work Your Brain.
Memory is a muscle you have to work on and flex! According to Health.com, and studies conducted by neuroscientists from Harvard, Stanford and many other Ivy league schools, it was reported that there was a 97% success rate in memory improvement after only 10 hours of playing brain games. This includes sites like Luminosity, which was the primary "brain-training" program used in the studies above. I have yet to try it but I have friends and family telling me it works, so it's worth a shot!
4. Prioritize Sleep.
Neuroscience News posted an article last year regarding sleep and memory retention. A study done by one of the neuroscientists in this article found that sleep is basically a way for the brain to isolate itself from stimuli that can interfere with retaining memory. The article also mentioned the release of dopamine and the strong correlation between deeper sleep leading to more stable memories due to the reduced release of dopamine. I could go on about this since neuroscience is what I'm currently in school for, but simply take care of yourself and sleep!
The world is your oyster. Now get out there before you forget everything! #WerkThemBrains
