Six Things That Could Be Making You More Forgetful
If you’re always forgetting things, like the names of people you meet or where you put your keys, here are six things that could make it WORSE:
1. Not getting enough sleep. Not sleeping enough can affect your ability to learn new things by up to 40%, and it can affect the hippocampus part of your brain, which is responsible for making new memories.
2. Multitasking. Forgetting things can sometimes be an attention problem . . . so if we’re distracted or multitasking, we’re more prone to forget.
3. Not exercising or moving your body. It increases blood flow to the brain and helps to protect brain cells. Exercise also helps reduce the risk of common illnesses that are linked to memory loss, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
4. Drinking alcohol. It can damage brain cells and long-term drinking can cause the brain to decrease in size.
5. Smoking. That includes cigarettes AND marijuana. Smoking can impair lung and heart function, which slows oxygen transport to the brain. And less oxygen in your brain can lead to less brain function and memory loss.
6. Not eating certain foods. If you’re looking for foods to boost brain function, opt for leafy vegetables, fatty fish, berries, tea, coffee, and walnuts.
