The case of the disappearing brain
Gather round readers, and I’ll tell you of a time not long ago when my brain was as sharp as a tack. I was the girl to whom people would say things like, “how did you remember that?!” and, “you’re so on top of things!” Before starting a family, I was aware that “mommy brain” is an epidemic that strikes when one becomes pregnant, but no one ever told me that it sticks around after the babe is actually born – and gets WORSE.
I’ve been growing increasingly frustrated with myself lately because it seems that I have become a complete airhead, and I have no control over my failing memory! Once upon a time, if I forgot where I put something, I would be able to remember where it was pretty quickly by retracing my steps. I never missed a to-do, even if I didn’t write it down. Now, there are times where I actually have no earthly recollection of my own actions no matter how I try to muster up what I did. It’s almost as if I black out for period of time and find myself wondering what the heck happened to that piece of paper, or how the remote ended up on top of the washing machine. IS THIS NORMAL?
According to Google, the answer is yes. While this helps me feel better about my failings, it still doesn’t help the fact that I am a stranger in my own brain and need to figure out how to get things under control in there. Here’s what I will try:
- Make lists. I’ve always been a huge fan of making lists, and now they are even more crucial to keep my business in order. The good, old-fashioned pencil and paper method has never failed me. But, I’ve also discovered some handy ways to keep an organized to-do list digitally, and one of my favorite productivity tools I’ve adopted is Wunderlist. This app (available for iOS devices and Android) helps me manage a fairly robust list of tasks, sends me alerts when I need to do something, and lets me share to-do lists with others. I can even send push notifications to those who share my lists to remind them that a task is at hand — as you might imagine, my husband is a huge non-fan of the honey-do list I’ve created in this app.
- Keep an organized calendar. Because I can’t remember anything on my own these days, I am now a slave to my calendar. While a thought or task I know is in danger of being forgotten is still fresh in my mind, I make sure to create a calendar reminder that tells me to take care of it when I need to. And, the fact that I can sync my work and personal calendars across all of my devices is a huge plus.
- Do brain exercises. After I misplaced his keys for the thousandth time, hubby told me about Lumosity, an online program of brain games designed to help you improve ‘brain health and performance.’ If you have a moment or two to spare, you can log in and complete a couple of exercises focused in certain areas (memory, attention, speed). I just started doing these from time to time, and I hope they help! Lots of folks seem to think they do.
- Sleep! According to WebMD, the more sleep you get, the more “momnesia” goes away. This is a tricky one and not always easy to achieve with a wee one, but hopefully it is something I can do more of with the help of my pal the Tranquil Turtle.
I think I had something else to say, but I forgot.
But seriously, has your brain failed you after becoming a mama? Please say yes, and share what helps you defeat mommy brain in the comments.
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18 Responses to “The case of the disappearing brain”
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- - February 7, 2013
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Girl, my kids are almost 11 and 8, and I still suffer from mommy brain. If I didn’t have my lists, I would just sit and stare at the walls some days, lol.
LOL! Glad to hear I’m not the only one!
I feel your pain! I do not forget or misplace things. Correction: I USED to not forget or misplace things. However, pregnancy brain is in full force and it makes me really scared of mommy brain. Last week I lost a brief with all of my handwritten notes and comments for drafting my response. What the heck?! This never happened to me before. And I totally get the black out analogy. Lately, my response to simple questions seems to be a completely blank mind. It’s not even like I’m busy weighing my options – it’s just that nothing is happening inside my head. So annoying!
Ugh…agreed about the blank mind sentiment. We’ll have to do some brain games together when Ava comes to keep each other sharp!
My girls are 14 and 18 and I don’t know if I will ever get my brain back! I’m intrigued by the idea of brain training and may need to look into that!
Barb, you should try it! I’m a newbie, but a big fan so far
Count me in as one of the infected. I used to feel so on top of things, and now I can’t seem to get caught up, let alone remember small things. I’ve taken to carrying around a small notebook in my bag to jot down things to get, things to do, ideas about blog posts, etc. Will have to check out the Wunderlist app! And, yeah, after not one but TWO separate occasions of forgetting where I parked my car at Target, I’ve taken to doing weekly puzzles.
LOVE the idea about the notebook. I will definitely try that! And sigh, I hate misplacing one’s car. Totally been there!
I’m sure lack of sleep is a big part of it raising kids. Don’t worry. I still like to punch in phone numbers, and keep things in my head to keep my brain storage working. My sister-in-law got stranded at her hair appt. once, because her phone went dead, and she didn’t have anyone’s phone # in her head anymore. You can get yourself in trouble relying on too many gadgets:)
Thanks for the reassuring words, Courtney. And so true about relying on devices! I need to figure out the right balance of organic brain power and getting a little extra help
yeppers I’ve totaly been there started a story….. what was I saying yep being a MOM means you have NO MEMORY at all–that why we have to blog every thing that happens to us ASAP so we can go back and read about our day LOL
Ha! You’re right…I’m glad I have this documentation of what I did to go back to one day when mommy brain takes over completely!
Thanks for writing about this! Nobody really tells us that mommy brain continues even way after a pregnancy. Once I have driven through a traffic light not knowing if the light was green or red. YIKES–I know! If I didn’t have my post it notes, alarm on my phone, calendar on my laptop, and dry-erase board my life would be in shambles, lol.
So true G, I had no idea this would happen! Glad to hear I’m not alone
This is soooo me, I have a small calender I carry in my purse and I tell everyone, if I don’t write it down it won’t get done.
YES! Especially lately – my friend asked mw how Sunday was, and I stopped to think but couldn’t remember Sunday – and she said, Leigh it was your birthday party! (which was fantastic and fun btw) I just couldn’t get me brain to think back
OLD is how I feel 