🧠 Poor memory
Poor memory can also be due to lack of sleep; an underlying condition such as depression; stress; a thyroid disorder; excessive use of alcohol; or prescribed or recreational drugs. In most cases, memory improves again when the underlying problem is treated. When memory deterioration occurs with symptoms such as confusion, intellectual decline, and a change in personality, it may be a sign of dementia.
🩺 See your doctor first
- Make an appointment to see your doctor if your memory is deteriorating.
- Also see your doctor if you are taking medication such as sleeping pills that may be affecting your memory.
✨ What you can do yourself
Sleep, exercise & diet
Get a good night’s sleep, get regular exercise, and include plenty of fresh fruits (especially citrus fruits), green leafy vegetables, nuts, olives, whole-grain bread, and cereals in your diet.
Don't stress about forgetting
Try not to worry about your memory failures; anxiety and lack of confidence will only make them worse.
Word games & reading
Exercise your brain with word games. Read rather than watch TV to keep your mind active.
Calendars & routines
Note tasks and events on a calendar and in a journal that you keep with you at all times. Be orderly: keep essential articles in their own place. Have fixed days and times for important tasks.
Avoid excessive drinking & drugs
Don’t drink excessively or take recreational drugs such as marijuana and ecstasy. However, drinking 1–2 ounces of alcohol a day (a glass of wine) may help reduce the risk of dementia.
Vision & hearing
Have your vision and hearing checked regularly. Sensory decline can contribute to memory difficulties.
📘 Practical techniques · Memory aids
🔍 Pay attention & repeat
Pay attention, particularly in situations where you feel excited or under stress. Ask people to repeat information that doesn’t register immediately. Then repeat it in your own words.
👤 Remembering names
If you tend to forget a person’s name moments after you are introduced, repeat the name back, then try to make a picture from it incorporating the person in front of you.
🏠 The memory palace (loci method)
To remember a list, use a set of locations in your home and put an item from the list in each one. Make the mental images incongruous and exaggerated — the stranger the image, the easier it is to recall.
💰 Exercise your memory daily
Keep track of your money by remembering how and where you spent it since you last went to the bank. Alternatively, try to recall the main points of a recent conversation with a friend.
🔄 Seek further medical advice
📅 Arrange to see your doctor if: your memory is continuing to decline and/or you are finding it difficult to cope.
💡 Remember: Occasional forgetfulness is normal at any age. But if memory problems are affecting your daily life, or if you notice confusion or personality changes, speak with a doctor. Early intervention makes a difference.