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Hey, it happens.
We’ve all forgotten a name.
Where we left our keys.
Whether or not we locked the front door.
But there’s a difference between mild forgetfulness and more serious memory problems like memory loss.
And mild forgetfulness is particularly vicious because it can creep up on you. In fact, it could be biting up parts of your brain as we speak.
But it’s not the same as memory loss, which is what we really need to focus on curing.
And to help you out, here are five signs of serious memory loss problems you need to take seriously:
1. Asking The Same Questions Over And Over Again
This is a big warning sign that you have memory loss problems. You might even be suffering from one of the big memory loss diseases like Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
It’s not just that you’ve forgotten the answers to the questions.
You’ve even forgotten that you asked the question before.
If this happens to you or someone points out that you’ve been asking the same question multiple times, please get it checked out.
No shame in having the problem. Just something that needs attention.
2. Getting Lost In Well-Known Places
This problem can occur at any age. It’s not necessarily a sign of Alzheimer’s or dementia, either. It could be a sign of fatigue, dietary problems or thyroid issues.
But if you find yourself getting lost in places you’ve been in many times before (including your home), you know that it’s more than well-warranted to get yourself to the doctor.
3. Inability To Follow Directions
No, I’m not talking about rebellion.
I’m talking about literally not being able to understand and execute.
We all have this from time to time. Sometimes, the instructions are to blame.
But other times, it’s a sign of serious memory loss.
4. Experiencing Confusion About Time
It’s normal to forget the day of the week every once in awhile.
But if it becomes a common occurrence, you need to do something about it.
Not only that, but you can use a Memory Palace to help ensure that you always know what day of the week it is. Here’s how:
Look at the wall nearest your bed.
Imagine it has seven quadrants.
In each quadrant, place an image. For example:
Monday = the moon
Tuesday = a can of Tuna
Wednesday = a weathervane
Etc …
Having a mnemonic calendar like this will make the days of the week more memorable for you as such. But to know for sure, you can imagine crossing out a huge X over the can of tuna before going to bed on a Tuesday.
Or you can do something even more imaginative, like seeing it smashed by the weathervane that represents Wednesday.
In this way, when you wake up, you can think of what happened before you went to sleep on your mnemonic calendar. That will instantly remind you of the current day. And this works just as well for young people as it does for people coping with age related memory loss.
Having a mnemonic calendar is also one of many great brain exercises that will help you keep sharp.
5. Not Taking Care Of Yourself
Seriously. Some people forget to eat, bathe and otherwise take care of themselves.
I know this problem well from the periods when depression has crushed my memory so heavily my hygiene went down the drain.
It sucks and if it happens to you, get it checked out.
8 Simple Cures For Memory Loss And Forgetfulness
The good news is that people are winning the battle against memory loss and forgetfulness. Here are 8 things you can do starting today that will give you the upper edge in the battle against these critical memory problems.
1. Learn A New Skill
Seriously.
Juggling, piano, simple sketching. Anything you can find will help. I’m currently learning more about video production and photography while learning Chinese. The improvements to my memory are noticeable on a daily basis.
2. Volunteer
It could be at a school, community service office or church. It really doesn’t matter what, so long as it’s with other people and you genuinely feel happy about helping others. These kinds of experiences create powerful new memories that will last a lifetime while exercising your brain.
3. Spend More Time With Friends & Family
Be honest. You’re not getting enough face time with the people that matter. And it’s killing your memory.
Get out your calendar and cell phone now. Make the call. Book a time. Your memory will thank you for it.
4. Put Your Wallet, Keys & Glasses
In The Same Place Every Time
Look, I can teach you how to remember where you put objects in the house. But sometimes it’s good to give your memory some relief.
That’s why instead of imagining explosions every time you set your keys down, you can take the pressure off your memory by dedicating a spot for these easily lost items.
5. Get More Sleep
Easier said than done, to be sure, except …
It is easy if you set a computer curfew.
Seriously:
Shut the machine down at the same time every day. Read a book. Play a game. Get in bed. Rest your #memory.Click To TweetI like to spend about 5 minutes wandering a Memory Palace and sometimes exposing myself to something new before turning out the lights.
However, I read a study recently that older people get less memory consolidation than younger people during sleep. Nonetheless, the additional exposure to information can’t hurt – AND those studies are still relatively new.
Point being:
Get off the computer and get more sleep. It’s good for your brain and memory.
6. Exercise, Hydrate & Eat Well
There’s nothing that helps improve memory better than having a healthy brain sitting in a healthy body. There’s no doubt that walking, pushups and other forms of fitness provide great memory benefits.
And it’s a no-brainer that eating foods that improve memory like salmon, blueberries and walnuts are far better for your memory than pizza, chocolate bars and foods bursting with bizarre preservatives. Get rid of the junk and enjoy memory friendly foods.
Drink tons of water too. Studies show that just a touch of dehydration shrinks your brain and harms your memory.
Who wants that?
7. Ditch The Booze
I haven’t touched alcohol for over a year now (except for a bit that touched my tongue by accident at a party).
I used to drink a fair amount, but in the last year, the benefits for my memory are really just the beginning.
Not drinking has contributed to losing a lot of weight and feeling better all around.
8. Get Help If You Feel Depressed
Not a lot of people know this, but even a mild depression can cause memory problems.
For that reason, don’t be shy or embarrassed to reach out for some help.
In fact, doing all of the above almost guarantees that you’ll never get depressed.
But wait! There are more cures for memory loss and forgetfulness. Introducing …
Why Do Memory Loss Problems Take Place To Begin With
Now, before we get started, you might be asking yourself …
Why do these memory loss problems take place in the first place?
Lots of reasons. It could be that you’re reacting to a new medicine – or an old one that has started compounding elements in your body.
Seasonal or contextual depression might be in play.
You might be lacking certain vitamins and minerals in your diet.
Perhaps you’ve had too much alcohol.
Blood clots or tumors might be growing in your brain from a health issue or injury.
Or other parts of your body might be affected.
The Ultimate Cure For Memory Loss & Forgetfulness
For most of us, we’re fit enough that we don’t have to worry that our health is affecting our memory.
We don’t suffer from Alzheimer’s.
There are no vascular issues causing dementia.
We’re not boozing or vitamin deficient.
So why then do we struggle with our memory abilities?
The Answer Is Simple
Lack of memory exercise.
Yes, it is a must to see a doctor if you have any of the memory problems I’ve listed above.
But if it’s just general lack of memory ability we’re talking about, then I’ve got just what the doctor ordered.
The Magnetic Memory Method doctor, that is.
I do hold a Ph.D., after all. Although I am making no medical recommendations of any kind, I can tell you this:
Nothing has boosted my mood more than using memory techniques and experiencing the raw power of recall.
Seriously.
This morning my wife woke me up with a simple request:
To sing a Chinese poem she’d taught me.
Which one? I asked.
Yes, I’ve memorized more than one.
Quickly.
Efficiently.
In ways that make me happy. Boost my confidence. Are ridiculously fun.
In fact …
It’s Impossible To Be Depressed When Using Your Memory!
So if you’d like to experience the cure for memory loss and forgetfulness yourself, I urge you to scroll up and enroll in my free memory improvement course.
You’ll learn the best way to use create and use a Memory Palace. Having one of these easy to make memory tools will let you learn, remember and recall anything.
And it’s the ultimate memory improvement exercise, especially since I teach you exactly how to make sure that you’re memorizing the information that matters in your life.
Then again, you probably already know exactly what would make a huge difference if you could remember it now, don’t you?
Either way, giddy up and sign up for my FREE memory improvement course now.
Enjoy and until we speak again …
Keep yourself Magnetic! 🙂
Sincerely,
Anthony Metivier
8 Responses
I have concentration and distraction issues; thankfully, however, these techniques really help me to remember what I cherish in life.
Memory for me is not a trivial game or a luxury, because I need my noodle to put bread on the table!
Thanks for your tips and advice Anthony. The only extra piece of advice I would add is don’t sweat things. Take it slow and steady and get enthusiastic over small gains.
Start with a basic palace (heck even your sandbox when you were a kid will work!), and keep it simple. You can make 10 stations right there. Forget groceries; how about the Ten Commandments? Or whatever else you find interesting.
Cheers Anthony!
Great pointers as always, Alex!
So true about using the sandbox too. I’ve actually done this – and it addresses one of the questions people often have: What if things change in a Memory Palace?
My dad was always “revising” the backyard and I recall three distinct places we had a sandbox in the backyard. I can also recall three different places the couch was positioned in the living room over the years.
In the first case, that’s really a matter of three distinct Memory Palaces.
In the second, you’re getting into Telesynoptic Memory Palace territory, which, as you point out, is more advanced than most people will ever need. Great brain exercise, though! 🙂
I can testify on the point about depression contributing to memory loss. Last February I was clinically diagnosed with depression, PTSD, and with symptoms of ADD that may have been a result of food allergies. The good news it was not food allergies but food intolerance contributing to many of the problems I was diagnosed with. Medication was an option, but I opted the longer and more difficult path of changing my diet… I’m now mostly vegan, and that change in diet has resulted in an almost immediate, amazing difference. Depression, gone. PTSD, probably gone but no one has been around to piss me off (hahahaha). ADD symptoms, definitely gone.
Great to read about your results, Steve!
I took medication for many years, but wish I would have known to make your decision instead. I would have saved myself a hard and nasty path that could have been cleared up inside a fortnight instead of a decade.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and contributing to helping others heal! 🙂
Hi Anthony, like this post about memory loss. I’m Dyslexic, when I was tested many years ago they discovered that I had a very poor short term memory, but I had an excellent long term memory.
Over the years I have tried many strategies to help my short term memory. No it’s not my age, although it may be getting worse due to that, but my kids said I have always been like that. lol I’m 60 now but keep my brain active learning new skills. I agree this is essential, to keep mentally and physically well I use images instead of numbers and words, quite a lot. Are their any tips you could give me to aid my short term memory?
Thanks kindly for stopping by and sharing your experience.
The best tips I know of for short term memory involve using memory techniques to encode information into long term memory. Here’s why:
When you create a Memory Palace, you’re already exercising your short term memory. You need to manage a few levels of information and juggle them proportionally in order to complete a goal based on principles (which for our purposes will be the Magnetic Memory Method principles).
Then, when you create mnemonic images for each piece of information you want to encode, you’ll need to use your short term memory at a level of challenge that causes it to grow.
For example, at the moment I’m using my ‘Z’ Memory Palace for Mandarin Chinese.
On Magnetic Station #6, I have the short phrase zeng1 jia1 kun4 nan (add to the difficulties or April says I can use it to express something like, “Ah, it’s getting more difficult!”)
To encode this, I needed to not only hold in short term memory that it’s Station #6 in play, but that there’s a Toad Zen Master beating my friend Quinn with a letter ‘G’ while Quinn fights back with some nan bread.
In the beginning, you might want to start with something simpler than that, but I’m giving you a more elaborate example to show how as I’m using the memory techniques to encode this information into long term memory, it’s actually the short term memory techniques that are getting the real workout.
The next level of challenge for me is not just the sound and meaning of that phrase in Chinese, but the characters: 增加困难. I haven’t completely cracked the code on that one yet, but I’ll be working on it and short term memory will certainly get stronger as a result.
Another great activity is to learn the Major Method and practice using it to remember your credit card and bank numbers. This had direct and practical effects that you can benefit from every day.
And once you know the Major Method, you can use it to memorize playing cards, which will make and keep your short term memory very sharp.
It’s all just practice and I’m confident you will have a great time with any of these pursuits and instantly experience a better memory as a result. 🙂
Thanks for explaining that if confusion about time becomes common it usually indicates the need for memory care. The last few times I’ve gone to visit my mother-in-law, I’ve noticed she’s been confused about either what time or day it is. I’m glad I read your article because you helped me realize that we should start looking for a memory care service for her as soon as possible.
Glad you found this article at the right time. Do you think she might benefit from some memory training?