1 day Ago
Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you were there? Perhaps, you struggled to recall a name seconds after being introduced. While occasional forgetfulness is normal, some everyday habits may be silently sabotaging your memory. If your brain feels foggy or you’re forgetting things more often, your daily routine could be the culprit.
Here are seven surprising habits that might be harming your memory—and what you can do about them. Skipping sleep A good night’s sleep isn’t just about feeling refreshed, it’s essential for keeping your memory in good shape. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain doesn’t have the time it needs to properly process and store all the information you’ve taken in during the day.
In fact, studies show that lack of sleep messes with both your short-term and long-term memory. So, make it a priority to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to keep your mind sharp and ready to tackle whatever comes next. According to a recent study published online in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology, people who have more disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s are more likely to suffer memory and cognitive difficulties a decade later.
Multitasking too much We’ve all been there, trying to juggle emails, texts, and social media while working, thinking that we're being super efficient. But here's the thing: your brain isn't a fan of multitasking. It gets overloaded, and when it has to split focus, it’s actually harder to remember things.
Instead of bouncing between tasks, try focusing on one thing at a time. Techniques like the Pomodoro method can help you stay productive while actually improving your memory retention. Overloading on sugar A sugar-heavy diet doesn’t just impact your waistline, it affects brain function too.
Excess sugar leads to inflammation and oxidative stress, which can damage neurons and impair your memory. Cutting back on processed sugars and opting for brain-boosting foods like nuts, berries, and leafy greens can help protect your cognitive function. Not enough workout Your brain loves to move.
Regular physical activity is a necessity for brain health. It boosts blood flow to the brain, helping to create new brain cells through a process called neurogenesis. Studies have shown that even simple exercises, like taking a brisk 30-minute walk every day, can significantly improve memory and cognitive function over time.
For instance, one key study that supports this is a 2011 research paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by Erickson et al. The study found that aerobic exercise, like walking, can lead to increased hippocampal volume, which is crucial for memory and cognitive function. It demonstrated that just 30 minutes of walking three times a week for a year could improve memory performance and brain function in older adults.
So, getting your body moving isn't just good for your health—it’s great for your brain, too. Ignoring social interaction Going for days without meeting people, engaging in conversations, sharing experiences, keeps the brain active, and your memory functioning. A quick phone call, coffees with friends, or just being socially active, is a good way to give your brain a workout.
Chronic stress and anxiety Stress floods the brain with cortisol, a hormone that, in high amounts, can shrink the hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for memory. If you constantly feel overwhelmed, your memory may suffer. Incorporate relaxation techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, or even short breaks throughout the day to combat stress.
Chronic stress disrupts the brain's ability to process, organise, and store information effectively, resulting in a cluttered mental landscape that impairs cognitive performance. As Noor Amawi, a clinical psychologist based at the German Neuroscience Center had earlier told us, stress often results in anxiety-related symptoms such as overthinkingand rumination, which only intensify the mental clutter. These factors make it harder to maintain cognitive clarity, focus and optimise the capacity of working memory.
Excessive reliance on technology From phone contacts to GPS directions, technology has made it easier to outsource memory. But constantly depending on devices can weaken natural recall skills. Challenge your brain by memorising numbers, navigating without GPS occasionally, or engaging in memory-training games to keep your mental muscles strong.
Why it's important to break these habits In the end, many of these habits lead to memory clutter. Memory clutter occurs when essential brain regions—such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala—become overwhelmed, impaired, or disorganized. Factors like chronic stress, cognitive overload, and aging can weaken these areas, making it harder to retrieve important information.
Over time, the accumulation of memories adds to the strain..
