Why do I forget what I just learned?

Forgetfulness is a common problem. Many people do readily forget what they have just studied, learned, or heard.

Why are we Forgetful?

There are many possible contributing factors to this.

1. You could be feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Stress often impacts focus and attention more than memory itself. When the information is not properly laid down in the brain, one’s ability to recall new information will be affected.
2. Many young people like to engage in multitasking, for example, studying and using social media at the same time. Overextending yourself with too many tasks can cause you to become distracted and not create new memories or store information properly. Frequent interruptions can make it hard for your brain to form new memories.
3. Many people have insufficient sleep on a long term basis. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is important for the consolidation of memory. After a hard day work of studying, it is important to have adequate sleep so that the newly acquired information can be properly stored. Also, if you are sleep deprived, you will feel sleepy in the daytime and hence not able to focus well on registering the new knowledge.
4. Many people with depression also find that they have poor memory as they cannot focus or concentrate well.
5. The side effects of medications. If you notice that your memory is not so good after you started on a medication, it is relevant to highlight that to your treating physician. Very often drugs that have anticholinergic side effects would affect our memory. This is because the cholinergic receptors in our brains are important for memory.
6. In young children and adults, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) also needs to be considered as many individuals with ADHD do have poor focus and concentration. The other interesting feature about ADHD is that the sufferers have problems shifting focus. For instance, they can play computer games very well and for long hours, but they just cannot shift their attention to the books to read.
7. Medical problems like an underactive thyroid also need to be considered. Do approach your family physician for an assessment. You can also directly seek consultation with a mental health professional, e.g., psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor.