Page 40 - drive a2b nov 2019 web_Neat

Why am I so

FORGETFUL? TIPS

Our brains are hardwired to recall important
facts. The process that determines what you SLEEP
remember and what you forget makes recalling
every single detail nearly impossible. During slow-wave and REM sleep, memories
are transferred from temporary storage in the
MEMORY DECAY hippocampus to more permanent memory
around the cortex.
When you learn something, a new memory "trace" is NOVELTY
created. But if you don't rehearse and repeat what
you've learned, memories decay and fade.
Learning in creative or unfamiliar circumstances,
INTERFERENCE triggers additional activity in the hippocampus.
or in new ways, is more memorable because it
Old memories and new information compete with STRESS
and distort the formation of new memories, making it
difficult to remember what's new.
Like novelty, stressful or dangerous situations
FAILURE TO STORE helps imprint these "flashbulb memories" into
can make events more memorable. Stress
our minds for easy recall.
Some information is never transferred from short-term
memory to long-term memory - especially details that
are likely to be unimportant. SPACED REPETITION

MEMORY REPRESSION memory of it. Every additional review renews
Reviewing what you learn strengthens the
the learning, slows the forgetting curve, and
Memories of traumatic or disturbing events can
makes the information more permanent in your
be suppressed as a means of coping with difficult memory.
situations.

40 DRIVE A2B magazine · November 2019