When Lebanese-American poet and philosopher Khalil Jibran said, “forgetfulness is a form of freedom”, he might have been refering to the painful thoughts. Nonetheless, when forgetting everyday affairs, this freedom turns into a nightmare.sni

Aqsa, a 25 year old girl drums her fingers on the desk as she opens the mail box in her laptop. She is also talking to her university fellow on the phone at the same time. Her table is full of books and notes as she has to prepare for the next morning’s test. Her eyes are bulging due to lack of sleep but she is not in habit of sleeping at night. She is so deeply involved in work that she completely forgot where she put her reference papers 15 minutes ago.sni

On the other hand, 49 year old Sameer, an office coordinator is going towards the main lobby with several files in one hand and some letters in the other. He forgets to take the right turn. He stands in the middle, staring and recalling where he had intended to go.sni

 Saira, a 35 year old housewife is not any different. She stands at the grocery shop trying to remember what she forgot to buy.sni

In no different fashion, 18 year old Ali, a pre-medical student always forgets whatever he has memorized for exam. He worries he will not be able to score enough to get into medical college.sni

Forgetting is not unusual to Aqsa, Sameer and Saira. They tend to experience the state often. Many like them have become victims to the fast-paced life where forgetting has become a norm. Such people suffer from the phenomenon known as bad memory. Hence, rely on mobile reminders, write down somewhere handy or request others to remind them. Well, one does tend to wish for having a better memory when stuck in an odd situation. But how can one improve memory? Does eating almonds early in the morning help? Let’s find out.sni

What is memory

Memory is the ability to learn new things and retain this learning. It is like software installed in our brain with three different versions. As Saba Shabbir, a psychologist from Lahore explains it, one is short-term memory which is normal quality software that does not last long and can hold seven things for 20 seconds. Second, is working memory that has relatively better software which can retain information, but only if being attentive. The third nevertheless, is the long term memory. It is the best software capable of keeping things in mind for a long time.sni

Our brain holds one quadrillion information pieces, which means it is limitless. The memory software is installed in the neurons of the hippocampus (a part of brain). Its function is to process memories. “People with bad hippocampus experience memory issues. We remember things that we attend to and forget those which we do not,” explains Saba. So, the more we concentrate on a thing, the more we would be able to recall it when required.sni

According to researcher doctor Will Thalheimer, founder of Work-Learning Research indicates that we forget 40 percent of the things we did in 20 minutes, 77 percent in a week and 90 percent in 30 days. And with 70,000 thoughts a day, it is normal to forget.sni

Factors affecting memory

There are many factors involved in forgetting such as occupation, mental focus, basic education and background. Prof Dr Samina Khaleeq, a neurosurgeon from Islamabad adds that sometimes it also genetic.sni

  Others factors include stress, environmental pressure, disorganized life, lack of sleep, unhealthy lifestyle, eating junk food, having distractions and taking sleeping pills. In case of youngsters, fast life and changing trends are also to be blamed for. It has become a norm to remain up till late night and sleep in day time like in Aqsa’s case. This habit affects memory.sni

According to Dr Samina, there are chemicals in our brains that are secreted at day time to help regulate brain activity and they depress in the darkness. People who do not sleep at night rely on the artificial light and thus start experiencing memory issues even at an early age.sni

Multitasking or being over occupied may be the reasons for Saira and Sameer to be forgetful, but Ali’s case is different. Dr Arslan Ahmad, a neurologist blames Ali’s case on our faulty education system. It encourages rote memory instead of problem-based learning. Teachers encourage cramming that blocks our brain’s power to retain information for a long time. So, if you train your memory in a manner which enables learning or remembering through experience and experimentation one will not have memorizing problems.sni

Tips to enhance memory

Good memory depends on an active brain. According to experts following things can be done to enhance memory and mental performance:sni

Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits and organic food. Drink plenty of water. Stay away from junk and fatty foods which slow down your brain power.sni

 Both physical and mental exercises help. People who remain active, engage in physical and mental games such as cricket, volley ball, scrabble, sudoku (mathematical puzzle game) and do yoga or meditate have good memory. Meditation clears all negative thoughts from your mind and relaxes your brain. A relaxed mind has a better memory.sni

Socialize and make new friends. Join different clubs to interact with people around.sni

Sleep well. It helps improve memory.sni

People, who have an organized life, forget less. Therefore, stay focused, set priorities, do one thing at a time and avoid distractions.sni

Mother should teach her children to recognize things, new words, play with them and make them feel the environment around them as it helps open their minds. When you learn something new, the physical grey matter of your brain increases in size indicating increase in storage. It is a natural treasure that increases with use.sni

Research proves that either reciting two pages of the Holy Quran or learning parts of it by heart daily is the best way to boost your memory. It will not only enrich your soul but also increase your memory even if you are 60 years old.sni

Stress and pressure affects the ability to save and store information. Ability to remember reduces when the brain is flooded with stress-producing hormones. It is normal to have these problems in this fast paced life. Do not let them consume you. Nip them in the bud as it harms your memory.sni

Doctors also agree that a positive mind is a more contended mind. Such mind is less likely to forget things and always sees the brighter side of life.sni

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