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| Photo courtesy of Microsoft |
Have
you ever struggled with a problem or couldn’t think of the perfect response to
a question or comment, only to go away and have that answer suddenly pop into
your mind when you stop thinking about it? Do you sometimes forget where you
set down your keys (I was just holding them!) or can’t recall the
name of your absolute favorite movie
when you are describing the plot to a new acquaintance? How about suddenly
remembering that you needed to buy milk just as you are driving out of the
grocery-store parking lot with your shopping? Have you ever had the answer to a
test question (metaphorically) on the tip of your tongue but suddenly can’t
access this information to write it down on the exam paper or quiz?
Almost
everyone experiences these kinds of situations from time to time. Such instances
of forgetting important information are usually not indicators of illness, but
they are definitely annoying and inconvenient. Once a medical doctor has ruled
out a medical/organic/chemical issue as the cause or contributor to frequent
memory loss, temporarily “blanking-out” information can usually be attributed
to the fact that the conscious mind is overloaded with sensory/cognitive
stimuli.* Once we leave the stressful situation or remove the external stressor(s)
from our environment, the answer or solution to the problem seems to
miraculously surface in our conscious mind. Here are some suggestions to help
you access and recall information when you need it:
·
Pay attention to your body. It is easy to forget
to do something when our conscious mind is so busy dealing with whatever is
going on around us. However, our SCM has likely processed and stored this
information, which it tries to communicate via subtle, physical sensations. If
you start to notice that sense of unease or discomfort when you have the
niggling thought, “I think/I know I am forgetting something!” pay attention to
that inner voice.
·
Take a deep breath (or several). Deep breathing helps
to relax your mind and body by sending more oxygenated blood to your organs. It
also provides a momentary respite from the stress and frustration of trying to
access the blocked information that you are trying to recall.
·
Play word/letter association games. It doesn’t
matter whether or not you even know the first letter of the word you are trying
to recall. Just start going through the alphabet slowly to trigger this association. You may have to repeat this
process several times to get the answer you are looking for. That’s okay: the more
you distract your mind from the emotional or cognitive stress of consciously
looking for the information, the more likely you are to free your SCM to find
and retrieve it for you.
·
Eat nutritious meals that contain
protein—especially before a test or doing a presentation at work. According to
Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., eating food that
contains protein prevents a sudden drop in blood-sugar level that can
contribute to memory problems, increased anxiety and physical symptoms
associated with this state. The less anxious you feel during a stressful
situation, the easier it will be to retrieve information you need from your SCM
to do well on your examination or answer questions about the material you
discussed during a presentation.
·
Avoid
saying/thinking, “Don’t forget…” The subconscious mind doesn’t know the
difference between reality and fantasy; it also doesn’t recognize negative
words. When you say or think that you should “not” do something, the SCM will
process the message that it should do
whatever you want to avoid. Instead, give yourself an instruction to remember to do the desired behavior.
·
Hypnosis can help you improve your memory/ability
to recall information and relieve test anxiety. During your hypnotherapy
session, I will teach you simple breathing and relaxation exercises to help you
reduce stress as you prepare for and take your test. I will create a hypnotic
script to specifically address your recall and memory issues. I will also give
you a recording of your hypnosis to keep and listen to, to reinforce the
relaxation and positive recall techniques that we worked on during your
hypnotherapy session.
*California law allows access by California
residents to complementary and alternative health care practitioners who are
not providing services that require medical training and credentials. The
purpose of a program of hypnotherapy is for vocational and avocational
self-improvement (Business and Professions Code 2908) and as an alternative or
complementary treatment to healing arts services licensed by the state. A
hypnotherapist is not a licensed physician or psychologist, and hypnotherapy
services are not licensed by the state of California. Services are
non-diagnostic and do not include the practice of medicine, neither should they
be considered a substitute for licensed medical or psychological services or
procedures.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a
certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with
honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
