GOOD OR BAD MEMORY?

(Picture from thinking.umwblogs.org)

Are you able to retain things that you have read or heard easily?  Do you remember what you ate the day before yesterday?  Do you remember what you did every day during your last trip?  If you do…..there is good news: you have a good memory!

Let´s go further:  you do not know where you put your keys or glasses, do you?  How about names, dates, addresses, phone numbers or even anniversaries or birthdays? Do you remember them without problems?  Well, if you do not….that means that your memory is not so good!

Of course having a good memory helps to increase your creativity and ability to solve problems, improve your reading comprehension and self-esteem, reduce stress, etc.   It has many benefits for your health.

But don`t worry….it is not all bad news.  Sometimes a bad memory has some advantages too.  “One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory...” states a famous quote.  In some cases it can be a “gift” because you move on through the difficulties easily, you do not hold grudges and that can help to maintain relationships.

But let us come back to the point, there are many tips and exercises to sharpen your mind and boost brain power: give your brain a workout, get enough sleep, do physical exercise, make time for friends, have a laugh, eat a brain-boosting diet, do puzzles, follow a schedule, read more, etc.

If you cannot improve your memory, well, nobody is perfect….at least you can learn some expressions in English that can help you to show that if you forgot something it was not your intention and that you are doing your best!.  If you add “I am sorry”, that would be much better!! Here we go:

Be on the tip of your tongue: you think you know it and that you will be able to remember it very soon.     The answer is on the tip of my tongue.

Slip your mind: you forget it.   I am so sorry I forgot your birthday, it just slipped my mind.

Your mind goes blank: you cannot remember a particular thing, or you cannot remember anything.   I tried to remember his name, but my mind went completely blank.

Ring a bell: to sound familiar. The name rang a bell, but I could not remember where I had heard it before.

Rack your brain:  to think very hard.   I have been racking my brains all day, but I cannot remember her address

I had more but I forgot them….just kidding!  I think it is enough for today!

Let’s go!! Try to remember these expressions and exercise your brain!!  Good luck!

Thanks for reading it!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Janeth Duarte

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Comments

  • Hi Onee!  Thank you for your nice comment!  I guess that we have a good memory for some things and a bad one for others.  I agree with you, a good memory has advantages and disavantages...that depens on the issue.

    You have an incredible point there: "Throwing" things!! We can add to our list.  Really interesting!!

    I am pleased you liked the blog and the expressions!!

    Have a fantastic day!!!

  • Hi Janeth!

    I was this bad about memory. 

    I still remember what I ate the day before yesterday and my keys. But, names, dates, addresses.........and especially phone numbers? NO WAY! I just changed my phone number a few months ago, but I need days to remember it. lol.

    I agree that forgetting so many things can help us more relax...lol. And, it's absolutely true that it gives me strength to move on through difficulties calmly and easily. :) Surely, I don't like to keep grudges, that's not a healthy life.

    Once I ever do research on this matter. One thing that I would add how to sharpen our memory is 'THROWING SOMETHING'. LOL. I mean, such as throwing basketball into the ball ring, OR any sports that relates to throwing. Then, once I invited my students to make a ball from unused papers and throw it to a certain basket. LOL....

    It's already long comment, I'll stop. lol

    Thank you for your cool blog and expressions.

    Have a good day! :)

  • I agree with you  Mishaikh,   in those cases a bad memory is good.  That helps us to move forward and focus on new things intead of living in the past.

    Thanks for dropping by!! Have a wonderful week.

  • Hi Nida! I am glad the blog was helpful for you!  As I said before I am not a psychologist but I guess that we remember things that are interesting and important for us.  In your case you said that you got bored reading those books, that's why you didn't remember them. Maybe if you are reading your favourite novel you would remember many details.....so that does not mean you have a bad memory.  If you don't remember details even if you are reading your favourite stories that could mean that your memory is not so good.  That is my opinion, but I am not an expert on that topic.
    I am sure you will learn those expressions. Try to write some sentences or find those expressions in you own language. That will helps you to remember them!    

    Thank you so much for your comment!  I wish you a great week!

  • Hi Estanis!  Thank for you nice comment.

    • When I was reading about this topic, that point seemed very interesting to me too. I have known people who are not able to enjoy the present or think about their future because they are stuck on bad experiences that they lived maybe 10 or 15 years ago.  In those cases I think a "bad memory" is really healthy.

    Don't worry,  your secret about your baby carriage is safe!
    Fizzy pointed out that fact:  it is easier to remember bad things than the good ones.   The brain is a mistery!

    I am glad the expressiones were useful for you. We use the same in Spanish.  I liked "ring a bell" ("me suena" in Spanish).

    Have a great Sunday!!!

  • Hi SRN! I am glad that you liked the blog. I am sure you will retain them.  Write a sentence with each one of them. That will help you to remember them!

    Have a wonderful Sunday!

  • To forget bad memories is a blessings otherwise it was very hard to come out and enter to happiness.

    A good blog.

  • Something caught my attention when you said that forgetful people can be happier, actually there're  certain similarities between such people I know and their level of happiness at least apparently haha..

    In my case I'm forgetful for some issues like loosing keys, glasses, what I ate yesterday, once I even left my baby carriage in an aisle of the supermarket for a few minutes, shhh... that's secret! 

    By other hand I have memories stuck in my head that I wish they vanished more easily, hmm... difficult to manage our brains sometimes :/    Well hope I'll retain these useful expressions you shared at least. Cool blog!

  • Wow! What an excellent piece of writing, Janeth....

    I remember things that I read only if I find them interesting. What does that mean? Am I suffering from a bad memory? Since I was a child, I get bored while reading course books so I find it very difficult to retain things that are written in them. 

    Thanks a lot for teaching us such useful expressions, Janeth. I found them interesting so I hope my brain will find a way to retain at least few of them.

  • Hi Fizzy! You have a good point there. I am not a phycologist, but I read that negative emotions increases activity in a part of the brain liked to memories.  These charged memories are preserved in greater detail than happy memories. I suppose there are many theories related to that.         But it is a fact that we remember those things that have an impact in our lives.     Great comment Fizzy!      

    Have a good day you too!!

      

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