Why do I forget what I read? mind-globe.com /why-do-i-forget-what-i-read/

A popular question we often ask ourselves is:”Why do I forget what I read?”. The problem however is notrelated to the fact that our brain can be incapable to store info, but comes from our mistakes.

In this article I’m going to show you a list of the major reasons that make us forget what we read.

1. Weak attention to the topic you have to remember

The first cause of forgetfulness is lack of proper attention to what we want to remember. The result is thatthe experience does not make a strong enough impression on us. We forget because we do not paysufficient attention to what we want to remember in order to imprint it firmly on our mind. A good memorytherefore depends upon attention to what is to be remembered. Since one cannot attend to more than onething at a time, give your full attention to what you wish to remember.

2. Lack of revision

It is normal to forget most of what is learned within a few days after learning it, unless it is constantlyrevised to keep it fresh in mind. Much of what we learn is forgotten almost as soon as we have learned it.The little that remains after that is forgotten more gradually. Research has proven that after one hour, 56percent of the material which we have read such as the one you are reading right now will be forgotten, butafter nine hours, only a further 8% will have been forgotten; after two days, only a further 6 percent and

only a further 7 percent after as long as one month. In other words, about 70 percent of the amount whichwas forgotten in the first month was forgotten in the first hour of the month.

3. Interference of other activities during or just after study time

Research has shown that other activities we pursue after learning something interfere with our ability toretain and remember it later. In other words, we forget something we’ve learned because we learned otherthings subsequently. How much you will forget actually depends on how similar the interfering activity iswith what is being learned. Interference is most helpful when the interfering materials or activities are verysimilar to the material being read.

Another way interference occurs is when what has happened previously interferes with what is happeningnow. Work which precedes learning also tends to interfere with the retention of the learned material. Whathappened before our study time could cause us to forget what we’ve read as well as what happenedafterwards.

4. Repression of what is being learned for some reasons

Repression is the act of controlling strong emotions and desires and not allowing them to be expressed sothat they no longer seem to exist. It occurs in the context of forgetting what we’ve read when we preventourselves from becoming aware of some tendency active in our mind which opposes the desire to recall bya strong resistance or wish not to recall.

Oftentimes, we more easily forget a memory which conflicts with our comfort or self-esteem than onewhich does not. This is why what is repressed may not be unpleasant in itself but may have beenassociated with something else which is unpleasant. For example, it easier to forget what your lecturersaid in that “seemly unending” class than it is to forget your first trip to Dubai.

5. Wrong Nutrition or Diet

It has been discovered that the kind of food we eat plays an important role in our memory. Research hasproven that people suffer physically and mentally because of two things: the food they eat and the foodthey refuse to eat.

Eating foods such as highly seasoned dishes, much meat, salt and stale food affect our brains. Certainitems like cigarettes, alcohol, and caffeine also negatively affect our brain. These foods and items are partof a bad nutritional diet because they hamper the blood and energy circulation in the body and mind.

6. Lack of good rest and adequate sleep

For most students, one of the most neglected areas of their lives is sleep. Are you so busy studying orworking that you are not getting all the sleep that your body needs? Most adults need about 7 to 8consecutive hours of sleep each night; children and adolescents need quite a bit more. If you aren’t gettingenough quality sleep, your memory is one of the first parts to suffer.

You need sleep to create important memory links and connections. When you first learn something, thatinformation is fragile; the imprint on your brain is very delicate. When you sleep, your brain reviews thatinformation and forges stronger pathways so it becomes a more solid part of your knowledge base. Inother words, if you don’t get enough sleep, you will have memory trouble. If you have been sleep deprived,then getting enough sleep is one of the easiest and fastest ways to improve your memory.

I would finally end this article saying you that reading and concentrating on what you’re reading will figureout to be really important for your memory and then for your Intelligence Quotient.

Other resource:

How to Quit a Bad Habit

How to Change Your Life Practicing One Hour of Proper Exercises a Day

How to Approach an Increasing IQ Process

Best Tips to Improve Yourself and Self Development Attitude