The Words Escape Me
Have you ever had a moment where you couldn’t think of the word you were trying to use? Many times the person we are talking with will provide the missing word and we go on about our way. But what if this happens to you with increasing frequency? Should you be worried?
If you find you are having trouble remembering words to use and forgetting other little things in your life you may need to sit down and assess what’s going on. Although probably not serious, lots of little indications of short term memory loss could eventually be adding up to a bigger problem with your health.
For most people the single biggest cause of memory loss is stress. Much of the stress is self induced such as hectic schedules, over spending, too much work, etc. However if you find that you are increasingly struggling with your short term memory it might be time to make some choices regarding the pace of your life.
The most important word you may forget on a daily basis is no. When you are tempted to volunteer at the school, the soccer team, the neighborhood, say no or at least say not right now. By keeping your level of activities to a manageable level you can keep your stress down and your short term memory operating efficiently.
Another reason you may have trouble remembering things could be your body’s chemistry, in particular your blood sugar. Make sure you are keeping your body filled with quality fuel. Your care doesn’t run well when it’s empty and neither will you.
Along this same line of thought getting the appropriate amount of sleep is perhaps the single biggest factor of short term memory loss in otherwise healthy people. Studies have shown most people need between 6 and 8 hours per night of quality sleep. Adults are not able to catch up on sleep by getting extra hours on weekends. The key is 6-8 hours of quality sleep night after night.
People who are sleep deprive experience short term and long term memory loss and it is directly related to their lack of sleep. Experts have studied people with a disease called sleep apnea which inhibits the body from getting into deep sleep. When treated so they could sleep well, these former sleep deprived individuals performed much better mentally and had much better functioning short term memory.
While you may not suffer from sleep apnea, make sure you are getting quality rest. If you still find you are struggling with your vocabulary set aside some time to read every single day. Find books that interest you and make sure to write down any words you don’t know. In this way you can improve your vocabulary and have fun while doing it.
Another way to improve your vocabulary is to take a writing class through your local city, community college, or even online.
Practice makes perfect and that is very true when it comes to vocabulary. You may not even know what words are escaping you but you can catch them if you try.
