Short-term memory......?‍♀️

Some days I cannot do any of my crossword but if I keep coming back to it I can usually do most of it.

As Amberone said, it would be a challenge if I had to tell the police what I did on a particular day. I wouldn't have the faintest idea.

In detective fiction, including TV series, it always seems unreal to me when people are asked to provide alibis for a date and time that was weeks or months earlier. Obviously you would be able to remember what you had done on, say, the 7th of September between ten p.m and midnight if you were committing murder, but how could anyone else remember? Yet they always say something like, "I went out with Bill for a drink." "What time did you get home?" "About half past ten."

Unless I went out with Bill for a drink every night of my life and always got home by half past ten, there would be no way I could answer. But no-one ever stares blankly at the detective and says that they have no idea and can't even remember what they did yesterday.

I think it’s name blindness I suffer from. I take ages to recall people’s names. I’d be useless on Pointless.

It may be time to get it checked out with your GP. Then again it could simply be age related cognitive decline. Out brains are at theie optimum at the age of 25 and they then start to decline. I've also read something about the fact that we can only hold I think, six things in our memory at a time. If you think of an extra one then the brain parks one of the others. I'm reading everything about brains now that mums got Alzheimers. I can also recommend YouTube vidoes by Teepa Snow.

One of my school reports 90 years ago said ‘Forgetful and lacks concentration’!
The only things I cannot remember now are the names of plants. I used to know all their Latin names, and some peoples names.

Nanna58,that made me lol.
Thank you.

I remember the things which are important to me and tend to forget others. I think we worry about our completely normal memory lapses as we think it may be the onset of dementia or similar illness.
I'm always amazed at witnesses in TV programmes and films who can remember a person lurking round three months ago or the colour of a car parked nearby. I wouldn't have a clue after three days.

Camelotclub What a beautifully knitted jumper. Such a complicated, attractive design.

My bedtime routine of checking door locked, heating off and lights turned off used to take a few minutes. Now I often have to get out of bed as I can't remember doing one of those things.
Reassuring that I am not the only one.

V3ra I have similar conversations with my DH - it’s only on the odd occasion we have a ‘witness’ that he’ll admit he’s incorrect (and then very grudgingly!)

Are you on any medication,certain things affect memory,especially sleeping pills———another thing is if you have had an anaesthetic.
They do say if you writing is getting much smaller you may have a problem———— but actually talking to friends we all seem to be forgetting stuff,got to remember our computers are getting full it takes longer to process things !

If you forget where you put your keys ,that is normal, but if you forget what your keys are for, that is ...something to worry about. A dr told me this . Hope this makes us all feel better!

If you can knit, I find complicated patterns help. It uses your maths too! I made this during the lockdown last year. Every row is different!

I hate to have to say this, but it could also be a sign of underlying problems - it’s probably not, and as others have said, it could be stress related, but I would see your GP just to get checked out.

I have lost count of the number of times I walk into a room and forget why I am there, or switched on the oven - walked into another room and then back into the kitchen because I couldn't remember if I had switched it on. I am sure it is a matter of not concentrating on what I am doing and trying to think of several things at once. Funnily enough, I can always remember what I had for dinner!

Same here Shinamae.
And it drives me crazy,but apparently it`s because we store too much information so were in overload,suits me.

I'm over 70 and started learning Spanish last July. I have done a little every day and have actually been able to watch my short term memory improving. My favourite conversational language app is Speakly and my favourite vocabulary app is Lingvist. I can say all sorts of things now, can read newspapers and have made new friends online (there are lots of us lockdown oldies out there). And I can remember things!

I don't think the lockdown helps as it robs us of so many of the little cues and reminders that keep us fully engaged in life. If you really are concerned, ask to be referred to a memory clinic X

Wonderfully reassuring thread!

Reading all the comments how reassuring to know I am not alone.

I'm getting forgetful as I get older but it doesn't bother me. Years ago, my lovely dad was very worried about it and went to the doctor who told him it was nothing to worry about, it happens to many people as they age and it's called Benign senile forgetfulness. I don't like the senile bit so I 'forget' to mention that part. ?

I think lockdown has a lot to answer for (although it has obviously done its job as far as COVID is concerned). Every morning on waking I used to think about my day ahead, my clubs etc for the day, but now there is no real structure to each day.
I’m hoping that when I can start back with my various activities, my brain will function as it used to

I didn't think my memory was too bad, although I sometimes forget what I've gone into another room for. But the other day I did get worried, when I had tidied one side of my bed and walked round the other side to finish off, then stopped half way because I couldn't remember why I was walking round the bed. Must admit, I did slightly panic. Should I be worried?

If you asked me what the registration number of my car is I couldn’t tell you- had it 3 years but I can remember the number of the first car my dad had when i was 6 ?! DH is the same he takes a photo on the phone when we stay away in a hotel (pre covid) as they always ask for the registration number, he’s 68!

25 years ago two very smart plain clothes police officers knocked at my door and asked if it was my car parked in my drive. When I said yes, they told me that they need to speak to me about something very serious (and they looked extremely grave). I invited them in and they proceeded to ask me questions as to my whereabouts on a certain day several weeks before. It was obviously regarding something important but I didn't have a clue as to where I was and they were becoming a little frustrated with me (and I was mentally panicking wondering if I had perhaps run someone over and not known...). Fortunately, my daughter who was at home, recovering from major surgery piped up with 'I know! We were at the surgery having my stitches removed!'.

Thank goodness for her input - my car's number plate had been cloned and used in an armed robbery! I was fortunate that I could prove my whereabouts (and I think it was realised by now that I was not an archetypical armed robber) but normally would have absolutely no idea as to what I did the previous day without much thought.

There is a blank dark hole when I am asked, for example, what I have been doing during the past week. Without recourse to my diary, I haven't a clue so am pleased to read that I am not alone and that many of us have the same problem.