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AGING AND MIND: CHECKING YOUR MEMORY
First, list the specific memory difficulties that upset you most (e.g., forgetting names). Getting what we want to remember into long-term memory demands focusing. We are incapable of focusing on everything at the same time. Concentrate initially on improving just one of the things on your list, the problem that is most troublesome to you. This will make success possible, and later you can expand what you have learned to other areas.
The research suggests as an older person you have to manage the time you spend on memorizing and recall with particular care. Try to avoid any pressure to do things quickly. Give yourself plenty of time to practice the following memorization techniques. When you are under pressure to remember something not quickly available to consciousness, try to stall. For instance, if you must come up with the name of a person or a book, say graciously: \"Didn\'t I meet you at so-and-so\'s party? Wasn\'t our hostess great?\" or \"I loved that book about dogs. I thought you were someone who would share my taste.\"
Don\'t be so nervous about remembering that you ensure your mind will go blank. Try to regain some perspective when you feel your anxiety level rising. Forgetting things happens frequently to everyone, even those who call their memory good. If you can understand this book, your mental powers must be acute!
Another difficulty is likely to be concentration. You must be aroused enough emotionally to focus on what you want to remember, but not so anxious that you can\'t listen at all. Don\'t daydream while reading a book and then wonder why you can\'t remember the plot. Read while you are awake and alert. If your mind begins to wander, decide \"I\'m too sleepy or preoccupied; now may not be the right time to read.\" Don\'t worry so much about remembering the name of the person you are being introduced to that you become certain to forget.
Remembering names and what is read (or heard) are memory problems older people typically complain of. So let\'s outline how, by devoting real effort, you can make your ability in each area not just better but excellent. But first, let\'s look at a way to minimize another type of forgetting, the memory problem closest to my own heart - remembering where my elusive purse could possibly be.
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GENERAL HEALTH
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