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by Mary Lennox
We can all be forgetful from time to time. When we try to do too
much at the one time, set ourselves
unrealistic schedules, or are
stressed, memory or lack of it may cause more difficulties. There
are a lot of strategies we can use to help with this. For the
purposes of this newsletter, I will only mention a few of the
options available.
1. The use of mnemonics. Well known ones are
- 30 days hath September………rhyme.
- ABCDEFG, HIJKLMNOP…….
-
Red and Yellow and ………….
- Remember, remember the first of
November.
The more senses your mnemonic appeals to, the more
likely you are to remember it. So, insert colour sound etc into
it.
2. Attach some humour into what you want to remember. You are
more likely to recall something that makes you laugh or smile.
3. If you know you need to do something, don’t procrastinate,
and do it now before you forget!
4. Have a TO DO list but remember to look at it.
5. Try to attach what you want to remember to something else so
that you have a prompt. .
6. Give yourself visual prompts .i.e. Leave a note for yourself
on the car dashboard if you need to be somewhere at a set time. On
the fridge if you need milk.
7. Create a visual association in your head .i.e. if you need dog
food, see an image of your dog unhappy beside an empty tin.
8. If you need to tidy things away, leave them where you can trip
over them.
9. Keep things in the same place. I need to tell myself this with
regard to glasses, keys and phone.
10. Try talking to yourself. Telling yourself what you are doing
can be quite powerful.
11. Work at reducing stress or managing it better as this has an
adverse affect on your ability to remember things.
Try to remember the power of MEMORY. Memories can be useful to
recall when you are feeling low. If your relationship is not at its
best, memories can remind you of the fun times and sometimes the
reason you got together in the first place. Why you should put some
time and energy into making it work for you again.
Memories don’t change; it is how you view them that can alter
over time. If you are hurt by someone, it can be easier to recall
the bad times, or to alter what were positive memories in some way.
You can help to keep your memories in tact by looking at family
videos, old photographs, using mind maps, reading letters or even
talking about past times.
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