With so many of us citing forgetfulness and mental fog, it’s time to talk about it. It’s clear that life is getting busier and it’s easy to get caught out taking on too much. When we overcommit ourselves, we get tired and our brain’s memory stores become depleted. If constant forgetfulness is plaguing your day, it’s important to hear the warning and take action. Here’s five tips on how we can do this.
Acknowledge your frustration
Once you realise that being forgetful is getting on your nerves, you can do something about it. A starting point is to draw three columns, in the first write the situations you are forgetful, in the second write its impact and in the third column write what you could do about it. For example, one of our clients was consistently forgetting her computer passwords, the impact was that she was always feeling embarrassed on the phone to her IT department and to combat this, she simply started keeping her passwords written in her paper diary.]
Identify Stressors (and manage them)
The body releases cortisol when it’s under stress or is feeling anxious. One of the effects of long term unbalanced cortisol levels is memory lapses and mood alteration. This being said, the clearer you are in identifying your stressors, the easier it is to contain and manage them. If emotional and stress management is too much of a stretch, book in to see a life coach to help you balance your conflicting demands. Life coaches can help you see where you are over-exerting yourself and where you can afford to take some pressure off.
Slow, Down.
The more things that you’re doing at once, the more likely it is that you’re going to let something fall through the cracks. So when you’re packing your bag, practice mindfulness and just pack your bag. Don’t brush your teeth, fill up your water bottle and straighten your hair at the same time. Be in the moment, even if the moment is doing something that seems dull. Oh, and get more sleep.
Get your iron levels tested
With 1 in 5 women being iron deficient, more than ever brain fog and shady memory is clouding our women’s minds. It’s as simple as getting a blood test from your doctor and letting them know your concerns. Generally the worst case scenario is taking an iron supplement for a certain period of time. While you’re there, you might like to get them to check your thyroid functionality as a precaution too.
Cut some commitments
Set aside some time to review your priorities and keep only the top-ranking activities. Seth Godin said “be a meaningful significant, not a wandering generality”, so be your best self with those people and events that matter and give the rest a (compassionate!) flick.
No one is immune to forgetfulness so go easy on yourself. Learn the lesson, take some action and use the memo list in your phone.
Tammi Kirness is the founder and Head Life Coach at VisionScope.