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NABBW Columnist - Eldercare
How
to Make - And Keep - Your Memories As a Generational Coach and because of the my mother’s dementia, I’m often asked by people who are concerned about their “intellectual pauses” if there’s anything they can do to remember more, longer, and make their memories easier to access. Please know that I’m not a “brain specialist”. Nothing written here should imply a diagnosis or a way to prevent Alzheimers or any of the dozen or so other types of dementia. However, based on information I’ve learned through research, personal observation and experience, I say Yes! HOW WE MAKE MEMORIES The brain is an incredibly complex organ composed of billions & billions of microscopic neurons, or brain cells. All the physical and mental tasks we perform (walking, singing, tying your shoes, and thousands of other tasks) are carried out when these cells communicate with each other. This communication is accomplished by a chemical manufactured inside the cell that jumps the tiny gap between the cells, called the synapse. The chemical connection (think of a microscopic hair) creates a memory. Memories are
made through our five senses. Every time we hear, see, taste, smell,
and touch, we’re making a “memory connection”.
In addition, the brain actually creates a new memory connection
for every sensory experience. If you say 1 word 10 times –
you’ve actually made 10 connections for that word. You probably
have millions of connections for your name. Sight is our strongest sense for short term memory. In fact, 73% of our short term memory is through what we see. Hearing, on the other hand, is the least reliable of the senses. We may have great memories for music or the sound of someone’s voice but most of what we hear are abstract “facts” such as names and numbers which lack an emotional context. If you’ve ever tasted something and asked yourself what’s missing, it’s because of a taste memory. A few years ago, some restaurants started featuring “comfort” food (such as meat loaf and macaroni & cheese). It sounded like a good idea but it didn’t work because the food didn’t match the memory of the way “Mom used to make it”. While sight is the strongest sense for short term memory, the sense of smell is the strongest and most vivid for long-term memories. If you’ve ever smelled something and had memories you hadn’t thought of in years come flooding back – thank your sense of smell. And, each of the senses makes its own connection even for the same experience! When you see a rose and stop to smell it, you’ve doubled your memory of it! Researchers also believe that our brain processes and stores memories of emotion differently from the way it stores memories of fact and that we remember emotional memories far longer than fact memories. The memories of Thanksgiving dinners, lullabies your mother sang to you, your wedding, your child’s first words, the first time you successfully rode your bike without training wheels, your old boyfriend’s aftershave, your first kiss, flowers on Valentines Day are all made stronger because of the combination of the senses plus the emotional connection. HOW WE RECALL MEMORIES We make memories through our senses and it’s through those same senses that we recall or “trigger” these memories. Dementia – regardless of the cause – blocks the connection, preventing one cell from communicating with another, the way an accident blocks traffic on a highway. The more connections you’ve made for an experience, the more alternate routes you’ll have to recall or trigger that memory. My mother has very advanced dementia but she can still remember dozens of old songs when the music triggers her memory. My great grandmother died when I was five years old but to this day, whenever I smell lilacs, I have vivid memories of her and the lilac sachets in her lingerie drawer. If I can’t remember a phone number, I place my fingers on a phone key pad and let my fingers “remember” for me. The smell of the sea air, the sound of the wind, the taste of your mother’s meatloaf, the sight of a sunrise, the feel of a baby’s skin are all triggers we created through our emotional and sensory experiences. In addition, every time we think, write, and/or talk about an experience, we make even more memories – and more triggers by which to recall them. YOUR “BETTER MEMORY” ASSIGNMENT When doing routine tasks, challenge yourself to be aware of all of your senses like the taste, feel, smell, and sound of brushing your teeth. Consciously add additional senses to your experiences. For example, revel in the taste, smell, look, and feel of eating something delicious and when you turn on some music, get up and boogie! Make a point to explore new things and/or do things you haven’t done in years. When you walk on the beach, notice the feel of the sand between your toes, the heat of the sun, the heavy summer air, the color of the sky, and the sound of the birds! And include your family and friends. Not only will it create fuller memories for you, it will give them wonderful memories, too. © Copyright AgeWiseLiving™ 2001-2006 Barbara E. Friesner is the country’s leading Generational Coach and speaks on issues affecting seniors and their families. She is an adjunct professor at Cornell University, where she created and teaches “Seniors Housing Management” at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. You can find information about Generational Coaching and AgeWiseLiving™ seminars at www.AgeWiseLiving.com or by calling toll-free (877) AGE-WISE. October
2005: De-Mystifying "Vicky-D's"
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Barbara
Friesner is the country’s leading Generational Coach
and an expert on issues affecting Seniors and their families.
She has been interviewed for Advising Boomers magazine,
featured on NY1 TV’s Focus on Seniors and Coping
with Caregiving on wsRadio. She has also been quoted
in newspapers and magazines across the country and her articles
have been published in the CAPSule, the Children
of Aging Parent’s newsletter.National
Association of Baby Boomer Women Copyright
2005, National Association of Baby Boomer Women |