Can anxiety cause memory problems? You bet it can. Luckily, it’s not long-term memory loss, and it can be reversed.
Anxiety can cause a lot of mental fatigue, which can manifest as excessive worrying, fatigue and exhaustion, as well as overwhelm. Today, I’d like to talk to you about what happens when anxiety causes memory loss in your life.
Related: Space between your brain cells meditation
Watch the video or continue reading below…
I know that this can be quite a distressing symptom, it’s a symptom that often, my clients will come to me and they’ll say, “I don’t know if there’s something really seriously neurologically wrong with me but I can’t retain information, I can’t take on more information, I will walk into a room and forget what I went in to look for, I’m forgetting dates and times and places and people having conversations with me and I can recall none of it.”
And I just want to say to you that memory loss quite a common symptom of anxiety and depression as well. I get a lot of clients that come and ask me “can anxiety cause memory problems?”
Short answer is yes – and you can resolve the memory loss by following these 3 all-natural steps:
Step 1: Accepting that anxiety is the cause of your memory loss allows you to step back
So, the first thing that I really want you to do when you’re coming into getting past memory loss from anxiety is to really accept that the memory loss is caused by anxiety.
And by doing that, it really allows you to separate yourself from the bewilderment that comes with anxiety and it allows you to take that step back and that little bit of space that you really need when you’re healing anxiety in your life.
Now, I know that memory loss is annoying and it can make people angry, it can be very frustrating.
That’s why so many people get wrapped up in asking “can anxiety cause memory problems?”
It seems there needs to be a better answer.
It’s just not a nice thing – but if you can just accept that that’s how it is for now, that you have anxiety, you have other anxiety symptoms as well and that your memory loss is just caused by this overload that your mind and body is experiencing due to being in this constant fight or flight mode.
You want to accept and relinquish the need for control and surrender to the memory loss, as horrible as it is, because that will mean that you stopped trying to grip on to things like a vice which means paradoxically, you just become harder and more brittle and the memory loss will become worse.
By loosening your grip a little bit, you actually give yourself the space and the energy that’s need to begin to get your memory back again.
So, acceptance really is the first step and by acceptance, I mean just completely relax into it.
Laugh at it if you can.
Can anxiety cause memory problems – yes it can but it’s something that will come back, memory loss isn’t permanent when you have anxiety, it’s just a symptom and it’s annoying more than anything.
So if you can just become a little bit light hearted about it, coming to accept and surrender to it in the short term which brings us to step two which is focusing on the positives.
Step 2: Focus on the positives when you are asking “can anxiety cause memory problems” – flood your brain with natural feel-good chemicals to support your memory
I find that when I’ve been watching too much news or hearing too many depressing stories on Facebook or whatever, that my anxiety increases and my ability to take on and retain information really does get diminished.
So I’ll forget things like, “Did I pay for this excursion for my son,” or, “Did I send that email off,” or, “Did I remember to switch off my hair straightener at home?” it’s just because the brain becomes flooded with so much information and so much stuff that your mind is going to think, “I’ve got to retain all of this because this stuff, this information, that’s a threat.”
When you’re taking on stories, other people’s stories, other people’s information, your brain picks that up as something that it needs to protect you from so it goes into this ultra-protective mode when it’s on high alert, fight or flight and taking on extra stuff is just too much for your brain in that moment.
So if you can consciously start focusing on positives instead, so, if you can read good news stories, if you can watch uplifting videos, if you can give yourself some really positive affirmations in the mirror, if you can keep a gratitude journal and write down three good things that happened to you throughout the day.
The aim here is not to become a positivity zombie and completely deny that bad stuff happens.
The idea is that you just change your focus to the positives in your life which them relaxes everything in your brain and body.
This way, the world isn’t perceived as such a threat, which increases your ability to take on and retain new information.
This improves your memory and also improves your anxiety symptoms at the same time.
You’re not constantly feeling scared and worried so it just improves everything!
Step 3: Notice the steps forward and celebrate them
I really want you to notice when you’re taking steps forward – away from that question of can anxiety cause memory problems and toward improving your memory.
Notice when your memory seems to be improving.
Really take notice when good things happen and notice when you seem to be improving with your memory.
Celebrate those steps, note them down and be in them.
Your ability to take on and retain new information will increase as your anxiety symptoms decrease.
You do this by coming into acceptance, relaxing everything, focusing on the positives and not seeing the world as such a threat and really noticing those steps forward.
This is so important because it just reaffirms to you, “This is working, this is happening, my memory is coming back, I’m feeling more like myself again, this is working, this is okay, I’m taking steps forward. My memory is improving, the world isn’t such a threat anymore.”
I have a free meditation called Space Between Your Brain Cells and I advise that you listen to this when you are feeling like you’re just on the edge of going crazy because it’s a very quick meditation that brings space and light between the cells in your brain, gives you the brain space, gives you the thinking space, gives you the energetic space that you need, that you so need when you’re dealing with anxiety in your life.
Can anxiety cause memory problems? Yes it can. But is the memory-loss reversible? Yes, it certainly is.
Love + light
Eva xo