The Scottish novelist and playwright (and creator of Peter Pan) J. M. Barrie once said, “God gave us memories that we might have roses in December.” Memory, and the memories we store, allow us to live in a world more robust and rewarding than we might otherwise be able to access at any given time. And while life can still be happy and pleasurable even if our memory begins to falter, for many,  losing touch with memories diminishes one’s sense of self and the world around us. That’s why preserving and even strengthening memory is a top concern as we get older. For previous agebuzz posts on memory and aging, click here.

But this preservation and maintenance are not self-fulfilling. Like every aspect of healthy aging, you need to take affirmative action to keep your memory sharp and in shape. As the authors Dr. Andrew Budson and Dr. Elizabeth Kensinger make clear in their recent book (Why We Forget and How To Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory), memory is not passive: “Every time that we’re bringing a past event to mind, we have to use effort to rebuild that memory.”  You need to be an active, engaged participant in efforts to keep your memory strong and your memories alive. Whether that means paying more attention and staying in the moment as events take place, getting good sleep (which is critical for consolidating memories in order to later retrieve them), or keeping your body and brain more generally active and engaged, your ability to keep your memory strong is as much a result of the actions you take as from your genetics or just good luck. There are now even tech applications coming to market to help strengthen your memory.

Recent research from Yale professor Becca Levy provides another strategy for keeping and recovering memories. In a study published in JAMA Network Open, Levy and her colleagues reported that older adults who suffer from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are 30% more likely to regain their memory and cognitive function if they have positive beliefs about aging. And furthermore, in this study of over 1700 participants aged 65 and older, those who had positive beliefs about aging were less likely to develop MCI in the first place than those with more negative age beliefs.  As we’ve previously pointed out in agebuzz, a positive attitude toward aging not only has substantial health benefits but is a trait you can cultivate and learn to adopt. But like preserving memory itself, it can take effort and action. For more on this study and how to become more positive, put on a smile and click here.

A word of warning, however. Whatever efforts you use to help support your memory may be challenged by the medications you take, which can cause serious memory problems. For example, a recent mouse study out of the University of Bristol reports that long-term use of steroids (commonly used as anti-inflammatories for allergies, asthma, or arthritis) can impair memory performance. While more research needs to be done in humans, this suggests that the use of medications such as steroids may affect or alter the hippocampus, the area of the brain critical for memory and learning. AARP reports other medications may similarly impact your ability to form or retrieve memories. For information on these additional medications, close your medicine chest and look here.