How To Improve Working Memory
Dr. Amanda Helman Cognitive Release Coaching and Consulting
I help executives and leaders release the busy brain and regain time, energy, and productivity. Trainer I Author I Coach | Consultant I Speaker|
Working Memory, what is it?
Working Memory, simply put, is how we receive, process, and then organize information in the brain. Think of Working Memory as the way that we can take information and store it as important or not as important.
There are several executive functioning brain skills, and one includes Working Memory.
The thing is, we don't talk about what impacts Working Memory. Any guesses?
Well, it often comes down to thinking. Overthinking, to make it specific.
When our brains, minds, and bodies are overstressed due to several linguistic, environmental, health and well-being factors, the brain can get overstimulated.
How does this impact Working Memory? Let me give you an example.
Let's say you want to put items into a storage box. The box keeps piling up and up and up with so many items. In fact, the box knows there are too many items but the items keep getting dumped into it.
After all of the overload, the things that were most important to keep and the things that were not as important to keep in the box are intermingled, are confused, and some items are removed or dropped out of the box.
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Think of this box example like the brain. The brain has short-term storage that needs attention, focus, and storage, yet, if there are other stimuli impacting the short-term memory process, the important thoughts, ideas, or concepts become confused and do not make it into long-term memory.
The perfect example of using up short-term memory, often that links a visual memory or auditory memory to an event, positive or negative, is a song. You know, the lyrics of songs that you do not want to store in your brain but it becomes stuck like unwanted gum on the sidewalk. That is the same for working memory.
Sometimes, the brain needs to know what to make room for and what to boot.
The best news is that there ARE ways to help cognitive overload, distraction, and overload to release so that Working Memory will improve. The fun thing is that part of the bonus of Cognitive Release CoachingTM (what I do to help others) includes brain skill improvement in areas of Working Memory!
Stay tuned to learn more as we go.
Let me know if you have more questions about Working Memory!
Take care,
Dr. Amanda