Busy Lives Equals Memory Problems?

[smalfry]

Do you think that people experience memory problems more now than in past decades? I swear my mind is running at all times. There is always something that I need to think about or I need to do. I have also noticed that in the last year or so I have been having a harder time coming up with the "right" word when needed. Do you think that with our busy lives we are creating memory/brain problems and at younger years?

[Excei]

I do think that people that are always on the go or always running could have memory problems. I know that when I have too much to do, my body gets spazzy. I feel like I am losing my mind. I bet it has something to do with how busy we are. Our minds never rest.

[Racoon]

Minds never seem to rest.

Yet resting your Frazzled mind is a very productive way to enhance its functionality, and well being.

 

Why do you think that something like Meditation takes practice??

How can sitting on your ***, and do nothing, and think nothing, take 'Practice' ?? :huh:

 

When I was studying under a very good martial arts instuctor, he basiclly told me this gem: I paraphrase;

Imagine your thoughts as a passing cloud. Let them drift by without paying any particular attention to them.Let go of any thought that your mind tries to wrangle with.

Just take some time to breathe and let your mind & muscles relax.

 

A few minutes minimum of this decompression will recharge your mind to its priorities.  IMHO.

 

 

In response to your inquiry, I would also suggest creating  little word games, or such,  in your mind to help remember things.

 

"Can't be Late, pick up Jacob by Eight"

 

"My husband said Ten, don't forget the eggs and butter again"

 

 

When your mind can associate with a rhyme, or game,or other reference, it greatly increases your ability to remember.  .

[Excei]

Excellent tips Racoon! I have found that when I repeat something to myself when I first think about it, it helps me to remember. I have never tried meditation but I am certainly going to. I take a lot of exercise classes - ones that keep me up and moving. Maybe I need to try a yoga class. I think they really help you relax.

[arissa]

Yes I do and it happens to me at least once a week. Another thing I have noticed is that I am always more tired now compared to years ago. We seem to do so much now but we are rushing around and not fully enjoying life. It puts a damper on our mental health and our family life too, at least for me I can say it does.

[smalfry]

Those were great ideas raccoon. I need to do something. Is there any kind of natural herb that helps with memory loss?

 

I wonder if I change my lifestyle (more time for me) if this will help.

[Deepwater6]

I suffer from the same memory loss. I do a lot of puzzles to keep my mind sharp, but still the forgetfulness seems to rise every year. I have noticed with co-workers of mine that I have known for years and are around my age starting to show their memory degrade. Often we have discussions when we go to lunch about a movie have all seen. We all know the actor, but none of us can remember his or her name. The phrase "but you know who I mean" gets uttered a lot with us.

 

With so much of our world running in automatic these days it is odd that we feel more pressed for time than ever before. It also serves to help us alienate each other. We used to have to slowly cook a meal on the stove top instead of a microwave. This meant spending more time with each other. When we had something important to tell someone and couldn't get them on the house phone we would go see them in person instead of sending a text or an e-mail designated as "HIGH IMPORTANCE".

 

This automatic world does ask for a lot of our time though. We have to set up our online banking accounts, program the dishwasher AC or TV because it has so many options. In days of old it was just on and off. We also have to set up and keep track of passwords. I have six different computer programs at my job that each require a password. Whenever you visit most websites the first thing they want you to do is set up an account for you to log-in later. We also have companies that will help you remember and guard all those passwords, but then you have to set that up too.

 

I wonder if we will evolve from all this technology. Not in regards to artificial body parts or us merging with machines, but with humans having the ability to vastly increase multi-tasking and store large volumes of information on how to set up and access to technology.

 

All I know is soon after I passed 40yrs old my memory has declined at a steady pace. It seems this didn't happen to my elders until they were much older. I'm concerned all this information overload is getting us to suffer memory loss sooner.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Deepwater6

[Deboer13]

I've found that since we've had kids my memory has really deteriorated. I have two kids and often call them each other's name. My wife and I now have a shared calendar on our iPads becuase its the only way we can remember what we're supposed to do. So technology can help.

[Deepwater6]

I absolutely agree with you Deboer13. I lean on technology such as my electronic calendars more and more. Most of the time when I create a list on paper I forget where I put it. I can't tell you how many times I've left the list for the grocery store at home.

 

On another note, the doctor's offices in my health care network calls the night before to confirm and remind me. It's an automated computer voice calling you, but it's a big help to me. Especially when it's a doctors office that has month's of lead time to get an appointment.. 

[arissa]

Children make us lose our minds, I like it. I know before we had kids I always felt a bit sharper but lately it seems like I need more reminders just to make it through the busy days. That still goes back to being busy though, even if you do not have kids if you have a hectic life I am sure other suffer the same memory problems that we do.

[pagetheoracle]

It's not children per se that make us lose our minds but the speed at which they move.  Memory from my experience, echoes Racoon's point, which is that stillness and silence helps us percieve the world and therefore better remember it.  Movement blurs our perception and this means we have no clear picture to record of past events.  Children are full of energy but not very grounded - hence their wonderful imaginations but not so good memories.  Again from my experience, life is like The Tao in that children have outer life (emotionally charged versions of reality) but adults have better memory because their journey is inward as they slow down and they see reality clearer (cool intellect takes over from Father Christmas, adventures in the wild and dreams of being Superman).  I'm not saying this is good or bad just external progress (adventures), followed by internal musings (reminiscining). 

[Logical]

I was watching a story about a very responsible woman. She was a highly decorated war veteran and a devoted mother. She forgot her child in the car and the child died of the heat. So many people point to her and say she's a bad mother and that no "good" parent could ever forget their child, but the science behind what happens in these cases contradicts that. People create in their minds memories. She swears she remembers the conversation she had with the daycare worker that morning which is impossible since obviously she never even dropped her child off. It just goes to show that the mind is a terribly complex thing. 

[pagetheoracle]

With regards to what you're saying Logical, I can concur that this happens even in my humble life. I think when you get tired you fantasize your life rather than perceive it. By this I mean you 'imagine' that you've done something but it only happens in your mind, not the outside world. There have been cases where I've been typing something on screen and I look, to discover a word missing that I was not grounded enough to get out of my head down on the page, even though I saw it there as going on the page. I believe a lot of people who we accuse of lying are actually in this state of being so tired that they cannot distinguish between fact (physically happened) and fantasy (occurred in your mind as intention but never got any further).

 

[pagetheoracle]

Another thought has occurred to me on this subject and that is about Susan Cain's book "Quiet." It is about direction of attention and goes back to Jung's stereotypes of introverts and extroverts, plus speed. Extroversion is the journey outwards into the physical world, following exploration of what is out there, just as introversion is the journey within, to make sense of our experiences. Extroversion leads to speeded up responses as introversion leads to slowed down ones. A noisy, busy world is naturally extroverted as a quiet, still one is naturally introverted: Geek versus Jock, Library versus Gym environments. Don't think, just do or don't do, just think (Thought stops action - action stops thought). Get on the merry-go-round or get off it.

[ErlyRisa]

Actually covert agencies have been known to use the techniques of memory manipulation to their (or arguably societies) advantage. It is completely possible to make anyone believe anything you want, all it takes is repetition and time. The more rudimentary the individuals life (repetitious, similar thought process), the easier too create similar thoughts as they were the individuals own. The more "versed" and sometimes "true believers" are easy too manipulate in the sense that all you have to do is reward/anti-reward them and they react in some very creative manners...but you will notice that most of them have better memories and don't confuse reality with a dream, problem is that the versed can be used very easily as work horses (Like an opneheimer project style thing: You either do it or we start killing off your family one by one sort of thing) Memory is a very important subject in this regard because you can always fake the memory of the person being alive. I have seen some people that have had love ones die think that thier loved ones are still alive, and are in complete shock as too where they are...it takes time for them to rework their mind as to what happened since the death, and this is where selective memory comes into play. Sometimes we just don't actually care about our Skype password, b/c we are usually logged into Fbook.

[pagetheoracle]

Self-centred individuals wouldn't fall prey to such blackmail because you need to feel affection for others, to be manipulated in this way. Alzheimer patients because they have no short term memory, can be told of a loved one's loss and react the same way each time as if the news is fresh - is that what you mean? True believers with simple minds? Just think of any fanatic, whether religious or political, whipped into a frenzy by 'what someone says' is the truth, versus someone who uses their own senses, to question what is or isn't true: If you're not grounded, then you are going to confuse what is or isn't real, hence brainwashing and sleep deprivation etc.

[arissa]

Kids and pets get that at our house, call one by the other name and it seems like something I do at least three times a week. I know when my life is less crazed I seem to do better but even simple stuff sometimes bugs me.

 

I called my sister this weekend and I actually had to message her to find out what her area code was. It is the same area code that I grew up with since she still lives in our home state but my mind completely wiped out something even that simple.