Why do I do this, does anyone else do this, and how can I stop doing it!

[Misak]

I'm not actually expecting anyone to be able to answer my questions but I'm incredibly frustrated with myself and wondering if there's something wrong!

This weekend I watched a really thorough documentary about the events leading up to 9/11, the political aftermath, the USA's response, the rise of the Taliban, the US occupation of Afghanistan, its subsequent withdrawal etc.

I found it easy to follow - fascinating, instructive, informative, heartbreaking, frightening etc. But, despite this, I've already forgotten so much of it and struggled to explain it all to one of my dc. It's like I watched it 2 years ago, not this weekend. I'm seriously wondering if I have some sort of mild cognitive impairment.

Does this happen to anyone else? And, as an aside, does anyone have recommendations of other programmes on the subject that I can watch (and immediately forget!)

Yes. I’m the same with books- totally engrossed, but then can’t remember names or what happened.

This is me also, I've spent so much time recently re-reading some of my WW2 history books and I'm struggling to recall most of it already 🙄

I noticed similar, I expect it's to do with mental overload by overuse of technology/media and multitasking ☹️

Or it could be age ☹️

This is me! You're not the only one, right bloody pain.

Baby brain ?
menopause brain fog ?
normally most people remember an interesting fact or plot twist not the whole plot or all the details

If someone at works asks me on a Monday how my weekend was I frequently have to think for a minute to remember what I did.

It's like as soon as something is done, completed or over I file it away in the past and it's gone from my memory.

I'd rather read about bread baking and fairies sipping from acorn cups than drown in the global misery these phones serve up.

It’s not an age thing. If anybody asked me as a teenager what had been on Top of the Pops that week I could give them maybe 2 songs.
TV is involving, attractive but passive, a bit like bubblegum for the brain.
Same with doom scrolling (guilty).

Most people retain far more of what they write down compared to what they read or see. If you want to retain some basics from what you watched, take some quick notes of names, facts, dates?

You can also train your memory — I need to be able to remember character names, plots, dates, authors, movements, locations etc for work, and I do.

Have you slept between watching it and trying to remember it? And if so, did you sleep well?

We remember “storytelling” type things better if we have had quality sleep between experiencing them and recalling them.

Is that not the sieve and sump thing? Some retain everything they read or learn. Others only retain what they need to at that time.

Well I'm comforted to know I'm not alone. It's very frustrating though.

Good idea to write things down. I know from past experiences that if I rewatch I'll spend the whole time thinking "oh yes I remember this bit now" - but somehow I need to be watching again to remember that I've remembered!

It’s not just you…

How do you train your memory? In everyday life, I'm actually quite good with names. Faces though is a whole other story,

I have slept, yes. But not well - never sleep well.

I'm like this. On paper I've passed lots of good exams and some recently. But ask my to recall that knowledge now and I can't.
I can do my job exceptionally well as it's very practical which is how I get on

I'm exactly the same.

I hear something really interesting and am convinced I'll remember it forever. And a couple of days later it's gone.

I love British history, king and queens in particular. Watch loads of documentaries and listen to podcasts. I suspect I retain maybe 20% max.

I’m the same, but I’m in chronic pain and take strong medications that can have cognitive effects so have an excuse. I don’t remember experiencing this before I became ill.
Hope you can find out what’s happening, OP.

Reading and watching programmes are passive ways of learning. If you were to make summary notes as you watched or made flash cards afterwards, that is a more active way of learning. The best way to test understanding is to try and repeat what you learned to someone else or answer questions on the subject.

Oh, I don’t have a technique or anything, I think I just remember things because my job requires it. You can’t stand up in front of 200 undergraduates and say ‘Oh, you know the bit in your man’s first novel from 1897, or 1879, the name will come back to me in a minute, but you know the bit where Whatsit gets it together with Thingummy.’

Nope you are not alone here. I watched the football earlier. DH came in from being out and asked me what the score was,and who scored, and for the life of me I couldn’t recall 😂 Had to look it up. It had only been a few hours since I watched it. I remembered which team won but couldn’t recall the end score or the scorers. 🫣🙄

Oh yes! Me too. But funnily enough I can quickly correct my DH when he gets something wrong. 🤣

Yep this is me all over! I literally was saying to my partner the other day my brain is like a sponge and I feel incapable of retaining information anymore 😭

Perfect example: today I was gripped by a football match I watched, brilliant match and I watched it from start to finish including the half time commentary etc and then had a detailed conversation with my partner about it afterwards. Three hours later I spoke with my dad on the phone and said to him "oh did you catch any of the football results today", he said he hadn't checked yet and asked me what the score was of the earlier match. I had no bloody idea... it's quite concerning really!

I have just posted the exact same thing above your post 🤣🤣

I think we just have so much information thrown at us constantly at work then with scrolling the net that sometimes it’s an overload. If I’m having bad sleep I definitely notice my memory can be a little sketchy. I think life is just too fast at times.