There’s nothing like forgetting the name of someone you recently met or blanking on the name of a new movie you just saw to remind you that you’re getting on in years. Some slippage in memory is perfectly normal as we age, as certain processes that aid our memory don’t function quite as well as they did when we were younger. We certainly know that insufficient or interrupted sleep can get in the way of encoding, consolidating, and storing new memories, and other age-related conditions can cause your memory to falter or be less reliable. Conditions such as poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, heart disease, depression, and the medications you take can all take a toll on your ability to make new memories and retrieve memories from long ago.

There is also research examining the role of “mental clutter” and how, as we age, our brains become less capable of sweeping away the unnecessary stuff that clutters our minds to make space for collecting new information and creating new memories. This interference from the old clutter makes it more difficult to learn and remember new things as we get older. 

But just as you’re never too old to benefit from the value of physical exercise, it appears that you’re also never too old to improve your ability to remember and retain information. There are strategies that will allow you to compensate for diminished brain connections or memory encoding- in essence, “workarounds” to help you strengthen your ability to recall information. While lifestyle changes that lead to healthier aging will also benefit your brain’s ability to retain memories (better diet, exercise, better sleep, etc.- you know the drill by now), there are other tricks to employ to help this process. Such simple ideas as avoiding multitasking, minimizing distractions, and repeating out loud information you need to remember can all help you encode new memories. We also know that writing down information will help you better remember it (perhaps having a dedicated journal nearby will remind you to jot things down). There is research that supports the practice of writing by hand, rather than digitally typing, to help you better remember the words you want to retain.

And finally, if you’re one of those people who constantly sets reminders on your phone or places sticky notes throughout the house to help you remember things, well, researchers have now published a study supporting this practice as an excellent strategy to reduce age-related memory decline. According to this new study from the University of Texas in Arlington, using reminders is a valuable way to counteract age-related memory decline, especially for tasks that require “prospective memory,” such as remembering your weekly card game or staying on schedule to take necessary medications. As you get older, this prospective memory skill tends to decline, yet it’s a crucial ability for functioning in everyday life. So, whether you use the alerts on your smartphone, the support of your Alexa, or even the old-fashioned bright-colored notes taped to your bathroom mirror, you now have scientific validation that this is a smart- and appropriate- way to support your memory. To find out more, set your alerts and read here and here.