The key is to always remember the important things

Taking care of our health is essential at any stage of life, and not only Physical healthon condition Memory is an equally important part As we age. However, just as we can strengthen our muscles and physical condition, there are also ways to improve our memory and not forget the most important things.

So said the neuroscientist Elizabeth Kensinger And a neurologist Andrew Bodson They gave some clues to Harvard Gazette On how to achieve this, Without forgetting the most important things.

As they explain, memory failure usually occurs when an error occurs at any of the various stages that allow us to access those memories, e.g Encryption, storage and memory That information. In this sense, Kissinger noted:Get enough sleep “It’s one of the most important things we can do.”

Although many people think that forgetting is a bad thing, the truth is “Forgetting is important “Because if every time we tried to predict the future or understand what is happening now, we had to scrutinize everything that happened to us, it would be ineffective.”

But to make sure we remember the most relevant things, we can follow a four-step procedure, represented by the mnemonic tool fourThis will allow us Encoding information into memory more easily. These four steps consist of: First, Focus of attention; second, Organizing information; third, Understanding the information; Finally, And connect it to something else we already know.

“It is much easier said than done,” they point out. “Often when someone says: I went to a party, and I met all these people, and I don’t remember any of their names.. The collapse was in that first stage, Not paying enough attentionKissinger explains. “At the time of recovery, we can also experience failures. Any student has experienced this, when they know the content, but during the exam, they cannot remember it. Or when you look at someone’s face, and you know his name, but at that moment you can’t remember it. “Then, instead of trying to generate potential responses, we can use general retrospective cues, such as thinking about the last time you saw this person, and the context and possible connections.”

Memory in old age

Inevitably, memory deteriorates with age, because “as we age, there is a transmission to the brain that… Prioritize the essence of what happened. The brain accepts similarities between events rather than trying to latch on to each individual event. “That can lead to a lot of memory frustrations, and it can also make us susceptible to some types of memory distortions or false memories where we think something happened, but it was something a little different.”

Despite everything, the neuroscientist adds that “it is also important to note this There are some advantages to this shift.“First and foremost, Bodson notes that regardless of age,”There is nothing wrong with externalizing your memory or using aids “To remember.”