Have you ever lost your train of thought and scratched your head trying to remember what you were about to say or do? Embarrassing, right? But you aren’t alone — it’s actually more common than you think. For the longest time, I blamed it on poor memory. But as it turns out, there are scientific justifications behind it.
It happens to me time and again where I’ll go to the kitchen for a glass of water only to forget about it as soon as I pass the doorway. Scientifically, it’s known as the doorway effect. Here’s what happens: getting a glass of water isn’t a stand-alone task, in my head it’s linked to finishing my lunch followed by getting ready for work and doing assignments. Amidst navigating the hierarchy of tasks, a change of surroundings can be distracting and the thought of getting water slips away.
Brains process memories in complex ways. They encode new information, store, and retrieve it when needed. But sometimes, there is a lot of information to process or often information is thrown at us so hastily that it forces the mind to filter out. It keeps the important ones and lets go of others, making us feel like we ‘forgot’ stuff.Â
Not long ago, I blanked out mid-conversation with a friend. It wasn’t the first time. It felt like I knew what I wanted to discuss and what it was linked to, but it remained elusive until two days after. This has a name, it’s called lethologica —informally tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon — and it is universal. The phenomenon is a result of factors including being worn out, inaccurate encoding of memories, or memory interference. While occasional memory lapses are normal, frequent ones may signal cognitive issues. It can be frustrating, hence, the best way to resolve it is to not think about it and give yourself some time.
Sometimes it’s not a memory or word lapse, but rather the general tendency to forget. It can be due to side effects of some medications, anxiety, poor diet, and lack of sleep. Personally, I am an over-anxious person to an extent that all my energy goes into feeling okay, leaving me with nothing to process the memory. Taking less stress, having a healthy diet and good sleep can prevent damage to neurons, hence making it easier to create memories.
There are ways to train your mind, one of which is the mnemonic device FOUR, which helps to store memory more effectively. Focus on what you want to remember, Organize the information in your head, Understand the information and Relate it to something you already know. This helps with accurate encoding and storage of information.Â
There is also no shame in using memory-aid tools, these are created to help us. I have all my deadlines on my calendar and it gives me peace of mind striking them off at the end of the day. Use planners, reminders, calendars, and anything else that helps you improve the quality of your life.
Forgetting can be annoying when you cannot recall what you forgot, but in most of the cases it’s forgotten momentarily and isn’t always a bad thing. I think of it as a blessing in disguise. Looking at the upside, it allows you to take a minute and re-focus. Instead of thinking of a hundred things, you can redirect your full attention on one thing at a time.
As we grow older and we gain more life experiences, recurring forgetfulness becomes more pronounced. It’s similar to having highlights on your Instagram — once you reach the maximum, the oldest story gets edged out. In a world where many people are deprived of privileges that we take for granted, consider the privilege it is to have so many experiences that you have to make room for more. So next time, don’t be hard on yourself when you forget things, your brain is trying its best to hold a lifetime of memories.
