Senior moments

Have you ever had the experience of stopping mid-sentence after completely forgetting the rest of your thought? Or perhaps meeting someone in the mall, accompanied by your daughter and then as you are about to introduce her, her name suddenly slips your mind? Better yet, have you ever dialed a telephone number and then begin to draw a blank trying to figure out who it was you were calling? Trust me. It’s happened to all of us. 

For those of you who would like to retard this process of memory loss, read on. After being introduced to an article on the Discovery website, I thought I’d share some of their suggested ways to do just that. You may be surprised at what may actually help. 

1)  Drink in moderation. Surprised? Alcohol and memory have an interesting dynamic. Drink too much or not at all, and your memory can be aversely affected. But taken in the proper doses, there is evidence that light to moderate consumption can improve memory and cognition. Although there is still much research to be done, a French study (conducted on people over 65 years old) found that those who consumed a maximum of two glasses of wine a day were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than non-drinkers. Everything, again, is all about balance.

2)  Address any state of depression. As we know, the hippocampus is the part of the brain that is most involved in memory. Depression, stress, anxiety or anger can eventually corrode its ability to function at optimum memory levels. Cortisol increases in the bloodstream as a consequence of a depressed state. It is this increase that diminishes certain areas of the brain, most especially the hippocampus. Since it is the latter that acts as the “clearing center” for short-term memory, a prolonged depression handicaps the brain’s ability to learn anything new.

Sadly, it also affects the types of things that one is able to remember. So it is no surprise that it is negative thoughts that may be retained and together with this, a diminished capacity to concentrate. 

3)  Move your body. Exercise seems to be the panacea for many ailments. In this case, a constant healthy blood supply to the brain allows better brain activity. Certain studies show that the more physically active a person is, the greater his/her cognitive performance.

 4)  Association and visualization. These activities are perhaps the most commonly suggested tools to improve memory. Stringing things together so as to “connect the dots” and retain the thought is one. The other is to create a picture in your head that will trigger the memory. Both involve creating a story no matter how funny or bizarre. Something that will stand out in your mind and help bring the occurrence to the forefront. 

5)  Focus and pay attention. The amount of suggested time required to effectively transfer an event from short-  to long-term memory by focusing on it is essentially eight seconds. Regardless of how effective your visualization skills are, unless you can do the transfer, your brain will not be able to retain the picture. It’s like trying to withdraw something from a “memory bank” without realizing that nothing was actually deposited. Paying attention to what is before you is important. Minimizing external distractions, whether visual or audio, is also a great help. Focus and your mind will do the same. 

6)  Repeat names. I don’t know about you, but for me, trying to remember names and faces remains the ultimate challenge. Some people find that repeating the new acquaintance’s name out loud such as,  “Mr. _____________, truly a pleasure meeting you,” is effective. Others prefer to observe a detail about the person — long curly hair or perhaps an irritating tick that will set this person apart in their minds. While others still prefer to do both. In fact, some will create an entire story combining both the name as well as the detail in one interesting epic.

7)  Chunking. Numbers comprise another area of difficulty — cellphone numbers, pin numbers, your SSS or your TIN. As an aid, “Chunking” is suggested. It’s quite simple really, Chunking is a way of “bundling” numbers/data into more digestible parts. For example, an 11-digit mobile can be broken down into three sets of three to four numbers that are easier to remember than one full string of 11. The entire concept is premised on breaking down information into smaller chunks that are easier to manage.

8)  Method of Loci. The Ancient Greeks were pioneers in mnemonic devices. Associating things with a location/place became known as the “Method of Loci” and is still used today. For those of us who have no sense of direction, this is a Godsend. In fact, some people incorporate visualization into this process as a double surety. Using what is familiar to traverse the unfamiliar is an extremely useful tool, especially for those of us who constantly get lost in new places.

9) Use your external environment. For those of you who need something that is literally “in-your-face” in order to remember something, this method is a perfect match. Here, you insert something in your environment that would normally not belong there so that you can create a visual reminder for yourself. For example, if you don’t want to forget a particular book, put it squarely in front of your dresser mirror — some place where it obviously does not belong. I guess this is the same principle behind tying a red string on your finger to remind you of a thought or perhaps a different colored string tied around your wrist to remind you of a mantra. 

10) Practice! Practice! Practice! Lastly, as they say, “practice makes perfect.” All of these suggestions will be of no use if you don’t actually try to apply them. The wonderful thing is that you can be anywhere and practice — waiting in line at Starbucks, in a cab, in a supermarket. You can visualize, chunk, repeat a name (albeit quietly to yourself if you are alone, lest people begin to think that memory loss is not your only condition) or even do as the Greeks (Method of Loci) did. Anything is possible.

For those who are determined to get to the bottom of this memory thing, here are some more suggested titles you can look into:

1)  Saving your Brain by Jeff Victoroff

2) Your Memory by Kenneth Higbee

3) You Can Have a Near Perfect Memory by Mort Herold

4) How to Remember Names by Thomas Crook and Cristine Allison

As you can see, there is always hope. The only challenge now, of course, is to remember that.

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E-mail tcbautista@arkeology.org.