How Can Stress Affect Your Memory and Brain
It is a well-established fact that stress is bad for your health, and for cognitive function in general. However, one of the most significant ways in which this can manifest is through harming your memory. More specifically, stress has been shown to impair a person's ability to recall memories and even encode or form new ones.
In this article, we take a more detailed look at the effects of stress on your memory and your brain, and examine a couple of ways in which this impairment can be limited or thwarted entirely.
Short-Term Memory
To date, one of the most important studies on stress and memory was published in 2009 by Roman Duncko et al and it focused on the impact of stress on working memory. In this context, working memory refers to temporarily stored information, which is then referred to in order to carry out specific, short-term tasks.
Participants were divided into a control group and a stress group, and asked to perform a memory test, based on letters appearing on a screen. Those who were subjected to stress prior to the task actually demonstrated faster reaction times, but their test answers displayed substantially more mistakes or 'false alarms'.
It is believed that the secretion of stress hormones impairs working memory processing, because the information is processed more quickly, but less thoroughly, in response to a perceived threat.
Long-Term Memory
However, the impact of stress on memory is not limited to short-term recall. Indeed, according to the findings of a 2007 study, which was published in the Brain Imaging and Behaviour journal, the release of cortisol in response to stress decreases activity in the hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex regions of the brain.
This finding is notable in relation to memory, because the hippocampus is the section of the brain responsible for committing short-term memory items to the long-term memory, allowing it to be retrieved at a much later date.
As a consequence, stress can make it more difficult to consolidate short-term memories into long-term memories. This, in turn, can make it harder to retrieve important information in the future, because the information is often lost or forgotten before the point where it is actually needed.
Potential Remedies
In terms of potential solutions, research shows that long-term memory can be partially protected from the negative effects of stress when forced retrieval activities are undertaken. For example, when revising for a test, actually practising retrieval of information, using flash cards, is much more effective than simply re-reading notes.
Moreover, the effects of stress on memory and brain function can be limited through regular exercise. This facilitates the release of endorphins, which help to reduce stress and improve sleep - something which has also been shown to improve long-term memory. Low intensity aerobic exercise, in particular, can also lower cortisol levels.
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In this article, we take a more detailed look at the effects of stress on your memory and your brain, and examine a couple of ways in which this impairment can be limited or thwarted entirely.
Short-Term Memory
To date, one of the most important studies on stress and memory was published in 2009 by Roman Duncko et al and it focused on the impact of stress on working memory. In this context, working memory refers to temporarily stored information, which is then referred to in order to carry out specific, short-term tasks.
Participants were divided into a control group and a stress group, and asked to perform a memory test, based on letters appearing on a screen. Those who were subjected to stress prior to the task actually demonstrated faster reaction times, but their test answers displayed substantially more mistakes or 'false alarms'.
It is believed that the secretion of stress hormones impairs working memory processing, because the information is processed more quickly, but less thoroughly, in response to a perceived threat.
Here is a video I made that is over on my YouTube channel, it goes into detail on some other reasons why stress affects your memory and how it can be stopped.
Long-Term Memory
However, the impact of stress on memory is not limited to short-term recall. Indeed, according to the findings of a 2007 study, which was published in the Brain Imaging and Behaviour journal, the release of cortisol in response to stress decreases activity in the hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex regions of the brain.
This finding is notable in relation to memory, because the hippocampus is the section of the brain responsible for committing short-term memory items to the long-term memory, allowing it to be retrieved at a much later date.
As a consequence, stress can make it more difficult to consolidate short-term memories into long-term memories. This, in turn, can make it harder to retrieve important information in the future, because the information is often lost or forgotten before the point where it is actually needed.
Potential Remedies
In terms of potential solutions, research shows that long-term memory can be partially protected from the negative effects of stress when forced retrieval activities are undertaken. For example, when revising for a test, actually practising retrieval of information, using flash cards, is much more effective than simply re-reading notes.
Moreover, the effects of stress on memory and brain function can be limited through regular exercise. This facilitates the release of endorphins, which help to reduce stress and improve sleep - something which has also been shown to improve long-term memory. Low intensity aerobic exercise, in particular, can also lower cortisol levels.
The discussed tips are related to the well being of a person health-wise, however, there are many other factors that might affect your memory. To find out more about how to improve your memory, focus and productivity, To get my 100% free 'mastering memory' Ebook with tons more of seriously powerful tricks of the mind, visit www.memoryinsider.com
Oh and one other thing I forgot to mention.. Nootropics are a great way in which you can give your memory that much needed boost. They have helped me multiple times when I have been in a rut and have found it difficult to memorize even the simplest of things.
I have managed to get a discount ESPECIALLY for my readers that applies to the nootropics that I swear by. You can use my special code MEMORY-INSIDER to get yourself a seriously good deal on these cognitive enhancers.
To find out more CLICK HERE
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