Remedies for Forgetfulness

The human brain is an ever-changing machine. It can adapt itself to new circumstances with ease, and it can essentially recreate itself. It forms new pathways and connections to accommodate new information. It also can grow lazy from non-use. Though forgetfulness can stem from hormonal changes and the onset of dementia, it also is frequently the result of simply not challenging your brain and keeping it sharp.

Brain Games

• HelpGuide.org recommends regularly giving your brain a workout, just as you would the rest of your body to maintain optimal health. The best way to do this is to learn something new every day, giving your brain brand new information to process. When you process the same information day in and day out, through work or your leisure time, you're not challenging your brain.

Pay Attention

• Some forgetfulness comes about because you're just not paying attention. You may be distracted by your over-busy life, so you do certain things by rote. When this happens, your brain isn't able to encode your activity to remember it later. If you're already thinking about what you're going to make for dinner when you come through the door and drop your car keys, your brain won't process where you left them. One solution to this is to live in the present; always try to pay attention to what you are doing.

Create Habits

• Despite your best efforts, you're sure to be distracted once in awhile, so use routine as a backup plan. Structure counteracts forgetfulness because it imposes order on your life. You don't have to try to remember where you dropped your keys if you always put them in the same place. If the belongings you use most have their own special place, and if you make a conscious effort to put them in that place when you're finished with them, you can't possibly forget where you left them.

Get Enough Sleep

• Your brain doesn't take time off when you're sleeping. During the deepest sleep cycles, it's working to consolidate memories from the day, to sort them out and store them for future reference. You can disrupt that process when you get too little sleep. Your brain also gets sluggish when you're tired, making it harder for you to process information and remember things.

Eat the Right Foods

• Certain foods react on the brain to enhance memory and cognitive abilities. These include anything that contains omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish like tuna, mackerel and salmon. Other good memory-boosting foods include blueberries, chocolate, nuts and avocados. The resveratrol in red wine increases blood flow to the brain and may help fight forgetfulness but in too-great quantities, alcohol destroys brain cells. Drink in moderation.

Take Supplements

• In addition to eating right, some supplements help to fight forgetfulness. Ginseng improves memory function and ginkgo biloba helps the flow of blood and necessary oxygen to the brain. Rosemary also has properties that stimulate brain function.