Menopause and memory: five tips to remember before you forget

Have you ever misplaced your keys or forgotten for a second your daughter’s husband’s name? Well, beware! You could be in grave danger!

Just kidding. Having a little “brain freeze” during menopause is most likely caused by an imbalance of estrogen, and is not necessarily a sign of a more serious condition. In fact, memory lapses are generally temporary and often banished upon the balance of your hormones. However, if your long-term memory is affected causing you to forget commonplace information you have known for years and years, you should definitely tell your doctor.

After you have determined that your memory loss is indeed a byproduct of your menopausal hormonal fluctuations, below are five tips to help keep your brain sharp and in your (more) normal state of mind.

Do try this at home

Sleep

When you sleep, your brain gets a chance to rest. If you deprive your brain and body of the rest it craves, neither will function as they should. So, get hours of sleep and your brain may thank you by remembering your anniversary this week.

Keep a date book.

Or maybe you’re even technologically savvy enough to have an IPhone. Use your planner and write down important things to remember. Then all you have to do is remember to check your date book. Maybe you better keep it where you can see it.

Take up Sudoku.

This is possibly the most important step to fighting your depression. You have to be more social. Start going out with close friends again and enjoy their company as much as they enjoy yours. Engage in conversations with them, listen to them, and don’t be afraid to smile and laugh. Reconnecting with friends and re-exploring your social life will make you feel much more content with life.

Exercises

Learning a new activity, like yoga or tai chi, can help stimulate your thought processes and keep your brain active.

Travel

Not exactly something you can do from home, but travel can help diversify your diet, keep you flexible, and exert brain power toward all that planning.

Recommendation

A healthy mind is often accompanied by a healthy body. If you are on the brink of menopause but have yet to experience menopause, you should take preventative measures to minimize your symptoms. If your memory lapses become chronic, talk with your doctor about what treatments are available to you. To read more about memory lapses, follow this link: treatments for memory lapses.