At Work: Understanding forgetfulness can help you handle it

Is forgetting what you're talking about midsentence a sign of stress or something else? What's going on when you send an email to someone saying, "Want to go to Australia?" then have no idea what you meant when you sent it?

These are just two of many examples of forgetfulness I observed this week in dozens of conversations and communications that got me thinking: Why are so many people so forgetful nowadays?

It would be easy — actually, really nice — if we could blame it all on information overload and technology. But it seems like more. As counseling psychologist Dr. Rob Pennington told me when I asked him why so many people seem confused, forgetful and distracted, there are many potential variables which influence any individual behavior and a range of things that affect memory.

The good news is there are things you can do to potentially improve your memory.

First, a look at what can affect it. According to Pennington, these are: disease of the nervous system — such as Alzheimer's, personality defense mechanisms, age-related memory impairment, massive amounts of information, distractions, poor nutrition, substance abuse, depression and anxiety, thyroid imbalances, blood clots in the brain, lack of sufficient sleep and ongoing and situational stress.