Compilation / Chen Zhenni
Have you ever met someone you know very well, but you just can’t remember where you saw it, or you held the key in your hand, but forgot where to put it when you turned around. What exactly is going on? Why is it always so easy to forget things?
Forgetfulness or inattention often cause trouble. The American “Prevention” magazine identified 7 major causes and proposed improvement methods.
1.hormonal or vitamin deficiencies
Confusion and forgetfulness may be signs of hormone or vitamin deficiency. Insufficient thyroid hormones lead to a slow metabolism that can affect blood flow and brain cell function, says Robert Orford, MD, MD, MD, of the Mayo Clinic’s Department of Preventive Medicine in Arizona.
Anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency can have similar symptoms. Most people can get enough vitamin B12 from their daily diet, but people with Crohn’s disease or celiac disease can hinder the absorption of vitamin B12.
Improve methods:Robert suggested that you go to the hospital for a comprehensive health check to find out the cause and treat it. At the same time, doctors are required to check the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, etc., because if these diseases are not treated, they will also lead to cognitive decline.
2.enter menopause
If a woman is about to enter the non-reproductive age, the lack of clarity of mind may be a signal of the onset of menopause, the gestation period of menopause. Menopause occurs when female hormone production decreases and menstrual cycles become irregular.
Kimberly Pearson, a psychiatrist at the Women’s Mental Health Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States, said that inattention is a common symptom of women approaching menopause. Most women will feel that their minds are no longer as clear and agile as before. Feeling short of words to speak.
Improve methods:If you experience menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, sweating, palpitations, and dizziness, you can consider short-term use of hormone replacement therapy to get through this uncomfortable period. Kimberly-Clark said that if health factors make it impossible to use hormone replacement therapy, it is recommended to evaluate whether it is suitable to replace it with low-dose drugs that can help improve brain power and attention, such as Ritalin.
3.caused by drugs
Taking or stopping antidepressants can affect mood and concentration; antihistamines, sedatives, anti-anxiety and other drugs can cause drowsiness; antidepressants and beta blockers (Beta Blocker) and other drugs can also Causes confusion; sleeping pills have a greater side effect of decreased concentration.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that statins, a cholesterol-lowering drug, can increase the risk of memory loss, but taking a certain amount of coenzyme Q10 daily can reduce the side effects of statins.
Improve methods:List in detail the drugs you have recently taken and stopped, and consult your doctor which drugs will affect your concentration when you take them, when you stop them, or when you take them in combination with other drugs, or take them for a long time, so as to learn more about your own medications. Knowledge.
4.quitting smoking
Studies have shown that long-term smoking will increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and senile dementia by more than double, so the sooner you quit smoking, the better. Christopher Kahler, a psychologist at Brown University in the United States, said that during the period of quitting smoking, you will experience “nicotine withdrawal symptoms” such as inability to concentrate, but after you quit smoking successfully, the physical and mental health you get is worth the hard work.
Improve methods:Christopher said that quitting smoking with a happier mood is more successful, and the coup to maintain a good mood and a happy mood is: write down three happy things in life every night; send thank you letters to those who should be grateful; Part of the cigarette money saved after quitting smoking is used to have fun and happy things with friends. Sharing the experience of quitting smoking can also keep a happy mood.
5.bad eating habits
If you eat a diet that is good for your heart and cardiovascular system, it is also good for your brain. The principles of a Mediterranean diet are recommended. (Shutterstock)Laura Middleton (Laura Middleton), an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Waterloo in Canada, said that eating habits have a great impact on whether the mind is clear; bad eating habits will not only increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, but also Impairs cognitive function, and most obese people are less active.
Improve methods:According to Laura, if you eat a diet that is good for your heart and cardiovascular system, it is also good for your brain. It is recommended to adopt the principles of the Mediterranean diet, that is, eating more fish and fruits and vegetables, less meat, saturated fat, processed food, reducing the intake of sweets, and maintaining the habit of exercising can improve the problem of unclear mind.
6.excessive anxiety
When troubles occur one after another, or when faced with uncertainties, threats or upcoming events, anxiety such as worry, fear, tension, and restlessness will inevitably arise, and excessive anxiety will lead to inability to concentrate.
Improve methods:Turn your attention to positive activities. Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, a psychologist at Yale University, says that if you’re having trouble concentrating because of excessive worry, put aside the worry and do something light and fun to clear your mind. . Moderate exercise, leisure activities, learning how to cook, or talking to friends about your troubles, these positive actions can reduce the psychological stress that interferes with concentration and remove harmful stress hormones in the brain.
Many studies have confirmed that long-term meditation can not only relieve stress, tension, and anxiety, but also improve concentration.
7.busy life
Modern people’s life is too busy, full of work, family, children, and dealing with worldly affairs. While doing one thing in hand, worrying about the next thing in mind, it is almost impossible to concentrate. Studies have found that a busy life can easily lead to inattention and memory loss.
Improve methods:Susan shared her approach: Before starting work, set a time for regular breaks, use a timer to remind yourself to stop working for 5 minutes, take a break, and then rearrange the order of the to-do list. Take a step back in everything and give yourself a buffer space, which will help you to distinguish the priority of things.
There are some things that may be rejected. Although it is not easy to say “no”, it can be learned. Have the cognition that “no matter how bad the situation is, the world will not collapse”. When many people reject others, the psychological barriers include worrying that the other party will not understand, will hurt the other party, will damage the interpersonal relationship, and care too much about the evaluation of others, so they always give in to themselves and perfect others, so as to add unnecessary pressure to themselves. ◇