Читать книгу Brain Fitness for Women - Sondra Kornblatt - Страница 37

If you've been pregnant, you may remember that you couldn't remember anything.

Women in their third trimester experience forgetfulness approximately 15% more than the average person, found Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.⁹⁷ Studies have yet to determine the reasons, but some hypotheses are:

 High estrogen levels—more than 1,000 times greater than the levels at ovulation.

 High level of oxytocin. The love hormone has an amnesic effect, which is great for childbirth, but makes it hard to be dazzlingly brilliant at work.

 High levels of stress hormones—three times their normal amount. High levels of cortisol specifically may adversely affect the hippocampus, which plays a critical role in learning and memory.

 Decreased brain-cell volume. Though your brain cell totals decrease in the third trimester, your brain will plump back up a few months after delivery.

Brain fog may encourage you to let go of the stressful world and get ready to nest. But the stressful world doesn't always want to let go. What helps?

 Write down what you need to remember, using white boards, sticky notes, and notebooks.

 Create an information station, one spot for all your time-organizing and communication materials.

 Get appointment confirmations by email or text, and mark down your appointments in your calendar or notebook.

 Be a monotasker. Do one thing, then the next thing.

 Ask for help.Your partner, older kids, and friends can help you remember what errands you need to do when.

 Use your GPS to get where you're going.

 Rest yourself and your brain.

 Eat well to keep your brain primed.

 Exercise.

 Keep a sense of humor.