For most of my young adulthood life, I have discovered how much of a forgetful person I am, especially in the most important things. You know how you plan your tasks in your head and when they should be executed, then you realise towards the end of the day that there is that one thing you didn’t do, and it happened to be the most important of all.
This can be very frustrating, especially if it happens frequently. From forgetting to do that one big task to telling my friend something as if it’s new because I forgot that I already told them about it an hour ago.
One of the reasons I figured played a role in this, is the reality that we have so many things that occupy our time that we forget to sometimes take a breather, but let’s find out what professional health practitioners believe are other contributing factors.
Insufficient sleep: The Harvard Health publication states that the most common and overlooked cause of forgetfulness is lack of sleep. “Too little restful sleep can also lead to mood changes and anxiety, which in turn contribute to problems with memory.”
Anxiety and Stress: “Anything that makes it harder to concentrate and lock in new information and skills can lead to memory problems,” states the publication above. Furthermore, it is mentioned that anxiety and stress both have the potential to disrupt focus and prevent the creation of new memories or the recall of existing ones.
Medication: According to First Post, medications like anti-depressants, tranquillisers, anti-hypertensive drugs, and anticholinergics can affect memory at a young age by causing sedation or blocking brain chemical messengers. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions that cholesterol-lowering drugs could increase the risk of reversible memory loss and confusion.”
Thyroid disorders: Live Healthy claims that thyroid disorders, whether underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive (hyperthyroidism), can mimic dementia symptoms, including forgetfulness, concentration issues, and spatial memory difficulties.
Alcohol: Harvard Health also states that overindulging in alcohol can negatively impact short-term memory, “Although ‘too much’ varies from person to person, it’s best to stick with the recommendation of no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one a day for women.”
Also see: How real is the ‘mommy brain’?
