Absentminded?

Can’t Remember a Report, Lost Object, Or an Idea?

“Where did I put that report?” “What was it that John said in the meeting the other day?”

Too often I hear people complain about their memory as if it was some villain who’s out to get them. It’s quite interesting to note that their description of what happens to them takes on a personification of something outside of themselves. If you suffer from moments of inability to recall something, say an idea someone was talking about or an item you have misplaced, rather than become angry or defensive and verbally bash yourself, there are more productive ways to recall, or retrieve the information. Here are some simple tips that can work.

1. Learn and understand more of how the brain encodes information for later retrieval. By understanding some simple principles you can develop more of an exacting recall upon demand. The “Memory Aerobics Online” course is a good start.

2. Understand that the negative emotion released when you are frustrated by your lack of recall bio-chemically works to the opposite end of the result you are wanting. The cortisol that is produced by the body sends the signal of the brain to the limbic and brain stem area – a natural stress response. Rather than panic, your first response should be one to cue yourself to relax. In a relaxed state of mind, the brain chemistry changes to allow the neurotransmitters to start the “search and find” process.

3. Continue to watch your breathing and slow it down and allow yourself to breath more deeply.

4. Use a concept called “state dependence” (Goodwin, et. Al. 1969) which states that recall can be enhanced when we recreate the state of mind in which the information was encoded. Even though your encoding might have been weak (for numerous reasons), the recreation of the bio-chemical state, can often lead to the rediscovery of the missing item. Of course, this technique requires you to recall details around the missing item, such as room furnishings, temperature, people, mood, your emotional state, etc.

One of the greatest challenges for people in today’s workplace is the constant competition for our attention in fractal units of time. Multi-tasking is a big culprit of awareness and attention deficit in the workplace. The simple technique of “State Dependence” can be a useful tool. I know. I have used it often.

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