Any woman of a certain age will be familiar with the concept of walking purposefully into a room and then completely forgetting what she went in there for. It happens to us all and is something that, as you hit the menopause, seems to get steadily worse.
It often doesn’t travel alone; this wonderful form of forgetfulness is often accompanied by its good friends Fog Brain and Where Did I Put …. Collectively, they mess with our world. Where Did I Put … often hides things from you in the most bizarre places so you lose time looking in logical places to no avail. Fog Brain simply feels like a lovely fluffy cloud of fog in your head, frustrating when you’re trying to accomplish something (have you any idea how long it’s taking me to write this!)
There are good reasons for this. The brain needs Oestrogen to help with its cognitive function. Therefore as your Oestrogen levels lower, the brain feels the effects.
So what, if anything, can you do about it?
Well, one of the best ways to keep your brain active, similar to your body really, is to exercise it. We all love a holiday from having to think, plan, organise and produce the goods and it’s really important to have a rest from the ‘thinking stuff’ and entertain your brain with mindless drivel but having regular brain stimulation is good for you.
This can come in anything that you enjoy; work, obviously, plays a major part and when you stimulate your brain at work, often with concepts that are familiar, then it will continue to stimulate those well-developed neurones to do their thing.
Outside of work, it’s about finding what you enjoy and utilising it to keep your brain active. If you’re a reader, try reading different styles of books so that you’re not settling into the tried and trusted known format that requires less work. If you like fiction, try a different genre, if you like non-fiction, try something on a subject that you don’t know anything about. If you love a good autobiography, read one on someone you don’t know anything about or that you wouldn’t normally consider. Get down your local library and dip a toe in something new.
Learn a new skill, whether it’s a language, craft, hobby or some DIY, challenging your mind as well as your body will help keep you focused.
Exercise not only helps you feel fitter, it also gets your heart pumping and lots of lovely oxygen to your brain. It will also help with sleep, something that can also be affected by the menopause and when you sleep well, you’ll feel more focused too.
At any time of your life, if you’re dehydrated, then your brain will feel woolly and you’re more prone to headaches. We should all drink 2 – 3 litres per day and if you can make a good proportion of that water, even better. Your brain is made up of over 70% water so you can see why, when you’re dehydrated, you don’t function so clearly.
So as you can see, forgetfulness can be a normal part of the menopause but there’s plenty that you can do to manage it. The important thing is to not forget about it!