Insights : HOW TO REMEDY FORGETFULNESS

One is getting ready in the morning and 5 minutes are left to go to the office. Suddenly one realizes that he has forgotten the house keys and does not remember where he has put them. He becomes tense throws things around and finally finds it lying in a corner right in front of the eyes. But because of a tense mental state he did not see it earlier. The person then leaves the home in a rush to reach work in time, comes back tired in the evening and becomes upset to see the scattered cluttered room. Next day is repeated in the same fashion, with something else missing if not the keys. All this trouble and confusion occurred because of forgetfulness. It happens with majority of mortal human beings, barring few very organized people. Every time something is lost and things go awry, one makes a resolution to become organized and keep things tidy in an organized way. But this resolution ends very soon. Within 2 or 3 days one reverts to forgetting things again. Sometimes, I think that if I count the amount of time I have spent in life in loosing and searching small things and papers, I could have done 2 or 3 P.H.D, in that time. Yes it is loss of valuable time and delay in working which results from such forgetfulness. There are few persons who may be forgetting because of some sickness in the brain which needs to be treated. In very old people forgetfulness starts because of degenerative changes in the brain. But for others, they have to get rid of this bad habit by effort. First step needed is to become organized in work. All things needed on a daily basis should be kept in a fixed place, preferably with a label or catalogue. If possible, one should keep ready all things needed for next day’s work, in evening before. This will help in keeping the mind stress free. A record should be kept stating where important papers and objects have been put in the house or work place. Similarly, a diary should be maintained for all important work done or to be done. This will keep you trouble free, when you forget some important paper or event. One should try doing one thing at a time with full concentration. Many people try to do 2 things at a time. For example, one may arrange clothes with one hand and simultaneously chat with a friend on the phone. If the mind is distracted, it finds it difficult to focus on one thing and memory can become blank for the work done. Some persons have advised me from experience that when you put some object in a place, touch it with another hand very well before leaving so that both your hands know where it is kept. This trick according to them makes one recall very easily where some object has been placed. Forgetting names of people you have met or know is very embarrassing. It is useful to take the name of a person in writing on the pretext of taking a phone number or address when you meet him. Thus when written by you the name will be etched more strongly in memory. Measures to improve the memory help in removing absentmindedness. It is said that mentally counting backward from 100 to 1 everyday, helps in improving memory. Meditation and prayer is a very useful measure for improving memory and removing forgetfulness. In fact, moving the beads of a rosary for a fixed number everyday is a very good exercise for improving mental concentration and relaxing the mind. Apart from the spiritual gains, there are many worldly gains with it. Before sleeping, one should try to recall in the mind all the events of the day in a chronological order. Thus the events get recorded very well in the mind and there are less chances of forgetting them. Some great men of the world including scientists and philosophers have been very forgetful. Difference between them and ordinary mortals lies in that they were absent minded because their mind was focused on a much greater cause. But when an average person is forgetful, he looses much time and mental peace. Therefore if possible, one should try to rectify this irritating habit. rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk

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Insights : HOW TO REMEDY FORGETFULNESS