What To Do For Your Memory

Keep Calm and Nope...Lost It

Don’t worry if your memory is not what it used to be, sometimes forgetfulness is essential for a healthy brain.

When a name, face, appointment or memory escapes us, it can cause embarrassment and frustration. But understand these lapses are completely normal.  In fact, they are often a sign that our brain is in perfect working order.

Modern life and mobile phones mean that we are exposed to a barrage of information throughout the day. Not only is it normal for our brain to discard most of it, it’s also desirable.

If it didn’t our system would be overloaded. Not holding onto all the information is the brain’s way of tidying up and working functionally.

 

Our memories are formed by the action of neurotransmitters and the connections of neurons in our brain. When we pay attention to an emotional experience, the neurons fire together and then, wire together and store the memory into our hippocampus. The area of our brain that stores our memories, emotions and behavioural patterns.

Our hippocampus chooses what is deemed important to us and the rest of the information is lost. It’s like a screening service.

So, if you can’t remember where you’ve put your keys, don’t be too cross with yourself. Putting our keys down is a mundane activity which doesn’t require concentration. If you’re not aware of what you’re doing the information can’t enter your long- term memory.

Our memory holds onto events that frighten us to avoid us repeating them and our emotion can work as a glue. It glues the experience into our brain so that we may learn from them. That’s why we remember dramatic and negative stuff so well.

 

The real risk to memory can be an unhealthy lifestyle and worrying is one of the enemies of memory. We fill up our working memory with negative thoughts about the future or past and then our stress levels remain high.

Also, poor sleep has a negative effect. A lot of memory consolidation goes on while we sleep. Memories are being laid down, rearranged and put into the right place or in perspective. Therefore, a lack of a good night’s sleep can cause memory problems.

Evolution does not strive to make our memory the perfect hard drive, it’s not the functional way of adapting to the environment.

Rest relax girl on bed

 

So, what can we do to help our memory?

Hypnotherapy can help by accessing the memories in our hippocampus to help process them and move them into perspective. By using pieces of information from the past we can construct simulations of our preferred future. We can use our memories to guide us and help us to plan.

Hypnotherapy can also help to get a good night’s sleep as it helps the mind to relax and let go of the anxieties that are triggering our flight or fight survival responses. Allowing our parasympathetic system to rest and relax our bodies. Allowing our mind to empty our stress bucket.

So, if you have to use Google to look things up when in the past you could remember it, don’t despair, it’s just your brain cleverly adapting to the aids at its disposal.

If you feel your memory is deteriorating more rapidly than it should be, or your loved ones or friends are becoming concerned, then it’s always advisable to see your GP.

Google Look up

 

When you book an Initial Consultation, I provide a full explanation on how hypnotherapy works and how it may help you.
 
Email: info@carolineevanshypnotherapy.co.uk

Tel: 07765 692 072