“If I make dinner plans for next week there is no way I will remember it if I don’t write it down”
Have you ever faced this horrific situation when you call someone and once they pick up the phone you totally forget why you are even calling? Or when you go to the supermarket or to the kitchen to ask for honey or sugar and you can’t even remember the word? Don’t worry, it happened to me and I started assuming that I am beginning to suffer from Alzheimer’s. So I read about it a lot and discovered that it is all in my head and my lifestyle.
First, let’s understand how memory works
When we take information from the outside world, it goes through the brain to the limbic system. It is a part of the brain made up of several structures such as the hippocampus to store visual memory and the amygdala to store emotional memory.
Our brain’s ability to store and retrieve or recall information can differ due to many factors in normal levels, including:
- stress (this increases the level of certain hormones that can affect your memory)
- alcohol
- distraction or lack of concentration and inattention
- instability in memory performance -like those days where you just can’t get your body or mind motivated to go to the gym or anywhere else
- illness that can cause infections like pneumonia
- sleep disorder or insomnia
How I got my memory back
So changing our lifestyle is the main factor in getting back our mental health again. Below I listed some changes that I made and some others that I am still working on in order to feel better:
- Change your EATING habits. Start eating half a cup of berries and strawberries (full of Antioxidants) two to three times a week.
- Eat two to three times a week wild fish that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.
- Practice good sleep, at least 7.5 hours a day. Avoid caffeine after 2 pm. Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. Avoid electronics, texting, and emails one hour before bed.
- Exercise at least 2 times a week or walk in nature, swim or take a walk on the beach.
- Have a ME TIME
- Make a list and organize your day, make your notebook your companion.
- Find a new hobby. I started cooking, it makes me so relaxed and focused.
- Cut back on sugar and carbohydrates and introduce a healthy diet to your routine such as grains and food high in fiber.
- Listen to music that makes you happy and relaxed. My sleeping playlist is chillout and instrumental music
- Learn a new language. I still didn’t start with this step yet, but I am planning on learning Italian or Spanish very soon.
- Avoid alcohol and soft drinks, drink water and tea instead.
- I eat a banana before I go to sleep, IT works.
- I try to avoid distractions when I am focusing on something. One thing I did and really worked is that I created a corner for me where I have my laptop and notebook and trained myself that every time I am working or need to concentrate I move to this corner and focus.
I hope this blog really helps and motivates you in having a healthier lifestyle. If you have any additional questions, feel free to write them in the comments below.
xoxo gracy…