So at this point in the pandemic, many of us might feel like we have mush for brains- whether or not we’ve even had Covid. If pressed, we might have a hard time recalling events that occurred over the past couple of years or be unable to account for our time. Is it just lack of brain stimulation that’s left our memories impaired? In fact, there are legitimate reasons that your memory may not be quite as sharp due to your pandemic isolation. Apparently, your brain sorts through experiences to determine what information should be retrievable and what should not- and the pandemic has messed with that sorting process. Given that your attention span has been affected, you’re likely only having short-term encounters, and your day-to-day life has been pretty limited. So there’s less likelihood that events stand out in a way to cue your brain to store them- and thus, there’s been less stored in memory over the past many months. Perhaps it’s a smart way for your brain to recognize that we’re better off forgetting what’s happened during the pandemic!

But if you want to sharpen your memory at this point, there’s new research to help you in that effort- and once again, it involves exercise. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh conducted a study to determine the impact of exercise on your episodic memory (which is the kind of memory that deals with past events and is one of the first types of memories to decline with age). What they found by analyzing previous studies is that with regular exercise at least 3 times a week, for at least 4 months, you can boost your episodic memory. Published in Nature Communications Medicine, this research determined that the earlier you begin such exercise (ideally between the ages of 55-68) the better the boost to your memory as you get older. It also works better if you begin without having yet experienced any cognitive decline and if you’re consistent with your exercise routine. There’s also another recent study in the journal Cell Metabolism that found the natural mineral selenium (often found in grains, meats, and nuts, especially Brazil nuts) may counteract the learning and memory deficits that follow a stroke. While these were just mouse studies, and do not yet suggest any sort of selenium supplementation for your diet, it is a good reminder that a healthy diet can support better brain (and memory) health. To find out more, grab a handful of nuts and read here.

Perhaps the most interesting new theory that’s lately emerged about memory and aging has to do with the concept of “brain clutter.” According to this theory (which has not yet been scientifically proven), older adults have an abundance of memories and information that the brain needs to sort through whenever you are trying to remember something. So the reason you may have more difficulty remembering, or it may take you longer to come up with what you are in search of, is that your brain is working hard to sift through the “clutter” in order to find the precise information you need. So instead of feeling bad that you have trouble recalling an event, you might instead feel a sense of pride that you’ve accumulated so much information and wisdom over the years. As one expert stated, “For older people, it takes longer because each memory is linked to more information, like trying to find a single book in a vast library of similar works.” What can you do to “declutter” your brain? Experts actually think this kind of information overload helps older adults be more creative, as they have more information to draw upon. So instead of feeling embarrassed the next time you try to remember something, you may want to just relax as your brain is likely sifting and sorting to come up with your response.

But for those silly everyday items that are not lost in your memory but instead misplaced in your home, how do you activate your memory to remember where you left them? Both the Washington Post and Harvard Health recently offered some tips to help you remember and track your items to avoid these sorts of daily annoyances. For example, the Post advises that there are lots of behavioral tricks to keep handy- it’s not that you’re losing your memory so much as you’re not paying sufficient attention for the information to be stored in your memory. So, when you place something down- say your car keys or your glasses- do so in a consistent, routinized place and say out loud where you’re placing the item (to help plant it in your memory). When you meet someone new, repeat their name- and if you can never remember whether you turned off the stove or locked the door when you left the house, verbalize what you are doing when you do it- so it’s more likely to be encoded within your memory. By talking to yourself out loud in these ways, you’re not crazy- you’re just supporting your memory and saving yourself from future annoyance and potential embarrassment!