Definitely not alone. I can't recall anything anymore. Even with journaling once a week, I depend on my phone for photos to recall what I did or ate that day. It's a strange feeling. Love the self awareness and how you're looking to improve it though such as memorizing directions; I need to sharpen that skill as well for.. survival reasons.
!!!! i have not resonated with a post as strongly in a while — from googling ‘dementia in 20s’, to worrying if it’s a long covid brain fog symptom, not being able to remember what i did this morning..
Thank you for writing about this topic. I definitely notice sometimes my brain gets a bit foggy when it comes to recall and memory. I agree with some of your points—that maybe it’s due to lack of attention or over reliance on phones/apps. I think at least some of it is because of how easy it is for us to just look something up or Google something if we can’t remember it. I think memory is a skill; a muscle that needs to be stretched. That may mean waiting a few minutes before consulting Google in my case.
i’ve been feeling this way as well, especially post-covid! it’s gotten to the point where i sometimes forget what i’m going to say mid conversation because of how long it takes me to recall events. definitely took some time to realize that i needed to be more in the present moment and try to replace screen time with reading, journaling, going for a long walk.
perhaps here’s a different perspective: maybe we aren’t meant to remember every little detail. just because a machine (a phone, the internet) can have all facts at the ready at all time, doesn’t mean our brains need to function like that. perhaps the human brain is better suited for making art and living out emotions rather than perfect instant recollection
I find a strange sense of comfort from your post. I've been spiraling about a similar sentiment, wondering if maybe it was a caffeine induced lack of REM sleep, or possibly worse, dissatisfaction or disinterest in available stimuli, but we're far too young for the cynical latter explanation. I think it's probably related to the seemingly limitless consumption of "new" information in our feeds all fighting for the same hard-drive space in our minds, perpetually replacing the thoughts of conversations with loved ones with "how to lose a guy in 10 days" quotes or videos of babies snowboarding down a mountain. We need the real upgrades like extra hdd space, Elon!
This is something I noticed in myself as well. Part of the reason I want to go into personal documentation in video format like a recap video of my day. I used to be able to read soo much and so quickly now I haven’t picked up a book in years! when I do it’s so hard to complete and this coming from a former bookworm 😭
When you see someone writing about something that bothers you so much, you realise it's okay. We're all in this together (and I'm reading Agatha Christie books now).
Way too relatable, the phenomenon has seemed especially bad over the past year for me - please update if anything you try makes a significant impact on reclaiming retention!
Thank you for putting this overarching, overriding feeling into words <3
Just yesterday, a friend was telling me about someone who recounts every moment of his day as he goes to sleep – what a beautiful way to recap and remember [even if you fall asleep halfway through].
Definitely not alone. I can't recall anything anymore. Even with journaling once a week, I depend on my phone for photos to recall what I did or ate that day. It's a strange feeling. Love the self awareness and how you're looking to improve it though such as memorizing directions; I need to sharpen that skill as well for.. survival reasons.
the fact that you’ve noticed this and spent time and energies reflecting about it is a good sign i guess. awareness is the first step towards change.
!!!! i have not resonated with a post as strongly in a while — from googling ‘dementia in 20s’, to worrying if it’s a long covid brain fog symptom, not being able to remember what i did this morning..
Thank you for writing about this topic. I definitely notice sometimes my brain gets a bit foggy when it comes to recall and memory. I agree with some of your points—that maybe it’s due to lack of attention or over reliance on phones/apps. I think at least some of it is because of how easy it is for us to just look something up or Google something if we can’t remember it. I think memory is a skill; a muscle that needs to be stretched. That may mean waiting a few minutes before consulting Google in my case.
i’ve been feeling this way as well, especially post-covid! it’s gotten to the point where i sometimes forget what i’m going to say mid conversation because of how long it takes me to recall events. definitely took some time to realize that i needed to be more in the present moment and try to replace screen time with reading, journaling, going for a long walk.
perhaps here’s a different perspective: maybe we aren’t meant to remember every little detail. just because a machine (a phone, the internet) can have all facts at the ready at all time, doesn’t mean our brains need to function like that. perhaps the human brain is better suited for making art and living out emotions rather than perfect instant recollection
this was so relatable I feel you! I really hope you'll get to do your resolution all year and fill it with memories!
I find a strange sense of comfort from your post. I've been spiraling about a similar sentiment, wondering if maybe it was a caffeine induced lack of REM sleep, or possibly worse, dissatisfaction or disinterest in available stimuli, but we're far too young for the cynical latter explanation. I think it's probably related to the seemingly limitless consumption of "new" information in our feeds all fighting for the same hard-drive space in our minds, perpetually replacing the thoughts of conversations with loved ones with "how to lose a guy in 10 days" quotes or videos of babies snowboarding down a mountain. We need the real upgrades like extra hdd space, Elon!
This is something I noticed in myself as well. Part of the reason I want to go into personal documentation in video format like a recap video of my day. I used to be able to read soo much and so quickly now I haven’t picked up a book in years! when I do it’s so hard to complete and this coming from a former bookworm 😭
When you see someone writing about something that bothers you so much, you realise it's okay. We're all in this together (and I'm reading Agatha Christie books now).
My (old) dad pointed something out yesterday and said "Remember when..." and I didn't ... Shouldn't my memory be better than his! It's very alarming!
Way too relatable, the phenomenon has seemed especially bad over the past year for me - please update if anything you try makes a significant impact on reclaiming retention!
Thank you for putting this overarching, overriding feeling into words <3
Just yesterday, a friend was telling me about someone who recounts every moment of his day as he goes to sleep – what a beautiful way to recap and remember [even if you fall asleep halfway through].
I’ve been feeling this for the last few months and you put it into words so perfectly! It’s like I’ve outsourced my brain to my phone