Combat memory clutter as you age: Simple techniques for a sharper mind and improved focus
As we age, the continuous memory clutter wreaks more havoc…
One morning, Dubai-based Lakshmi Ramanathan, a retired psychologist, was rather irritated. A vague song had been swirling in her head, and she couldn’t identify exactly which one it was. It was frustrating. No lyrics — just a series of differently pitched "hmms”. While washing dishes, feeding cats and a dog, she and her husband tried to figure this elusive tune.
What a bee in the bonnet.
However, the song was abandoned as they ended up discussing irrelevant topics, like an actor’s first divorce, only to realise they had forgotten something far more pressing: Their cat’s vaccination appointment.
The weight of memory clutter
It’s a classic example of memory clutter, as Ramanathan summarises. Just as a messy desk makes it hard to find an important document, our minds can become cluttered with distractions, making it difficult to access essential memories. It’s an exhaustive mental load that looms over our lives, and also generates complications for our brain health. “Sometimes, you just remember irrelevant details and the actual important things slip through the cracks,” explains Ramanathan.
To understand this phenomenon better, Waleed Alomar, a psychiatrist at Sharjah - Medcare Hospital elaborates further: Memory clutter refers to the accumulation of unnecessary, irrelevant, or disorganised memories and information in the brain. This would include, facts, experiences or details that are no longer useful or important, but still occupy mental space. For example, at the grocery store, instead of focusing on your list, your mind starts drifting to random facts you learned years ago — like the capital of a country you’ve never visited or suddenly wondering why you named your dog after a cartoon character. This irrelevant information takes the stage, and you slowly forget that you needed milk and eggs. You leave the store with a random selection of snacks instead.
Memory clutter refers to the accumulation of unnecessary, irrelevant, or disorganised memories and information in the brain. This would include, facts, experiences or details that are no longer useful or important, but still occupy mental space, or overlapping memories...
Aside from irrelevant details, overlapping memories can cause confusion as you try to recall specific information. Emotionally charged memories can also compel you to forget other important details and further impairing cognitive function. There's slower information retrieval, your attention reduces and you feel a sense of mental fatigue.
Sometimes, memories are tinged with bittersweet emotion too. Perhaps, that’s why people hold on to them, even if they can’t remember other things. For instance, Ramanathan muses, her father might have forgotten most things, people and places by the time that he was in his eighties, but somehow, the lyrics from the classic Hollywood musical, My Fair Lady stayed with him. “He would just keep humming, ‘Just you wait Henry Higgins’,” she recalls fondly.
The neurological landscape as we age
As Alomar, and Shreejitha Ram, a Dubai-based neurologist explain, memory clutter arises when key brain regions — especially the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and associated neural pathways — become overwhelmed, impaired, or disorganised. Chronic stress, cognitive overload, and aging can reduce the efficiency of these brain areas, making it harder to recall useful information.
And as we age, the continuous memory build-up wreaks more havoc. Our neurological landscape undergoes several changes, including a decline in processing speed and efficiency. As a result, we find it gradually more difficult to filter out unimportant information, exacerbating the effects of memory clutter.
How memory changes with age
Recently, a new study conducted at Boston University, USA, explored how mental clutter affects our memory as we grow older. The study identified a brain pattern called beta frequency variability, which refers to the way brain activity fluctuates. It can indicate how well someone is able to remember things. Younger adults, compared to older adults, are more proficient at retaining important details, which sheds light on how memory evolves and how we can maintain cognitive health.
The role of working memory
The researchers identified two key processes in the working memory: Maintenance, which involves keeping relevant information and deletion, clearing out outdated data. We need to keep ‘deleting’ irrelevant details, else we fall prey to cognitive overload and an inflexible mental workspace. These processes are intricately linked to our brain activity, which is vital for understanding how we manage information.
Brain waves and memory
The study also examined beta-band neural oscillations, rhythmic brain activity that helps regulate working memory. These patterns influence how we maintain or discard information. A surprising discovery was the difference in working memory between younger and older adults. Younger people succeed in memory tasks by keeping information in mind, while older adults do better when they can discard irrelevant details. This shift shows that as we age, struggling to filter out unimportant information can contribute to cognitive decline, supporting the idea of inhibition deficit theory.
By dissecting working memory into its core functions — maintenance and deletion — the study clarifies why older adults face unique memory challenges. When we struggle to delete irrelevant information, it creates a bottleneck, making it harder to focus and absorb new data.
Recognising these differences leads us to understand the underlying mechanisms connecting memory clutter with accelerated aging.
The mechanisms of accelerated aging
So, what mechanisms drive the connection between memory clutter and accelerated aging? Alomar outlines several factors.
• Cognitive load: Imagine your brain like a crowded train — when it’s packed with too many passengers or rather memories, it becomes difficult to move freely and reach your destination. Everyone’s moving and is saying something; you just feel like screaming, “Shh, quiet, sit down!” Well, this is what cognitive overload feels like. When our cognitive load becomes too high, the brain struggles to process and retrieve information efficiently. This overload can lead to a decline in cognitive functions, particularly in memory and attention. As a result, we experience neural fatigue.
• Interference and confusion: When we keep accumulating more memories, the potential for interference increases. The lines between different memories become blurred, and overlap, making it harder to retrieve specific information. We feel frustrated, tired, with ourselves. A sense of cognitive decline seeps in, further accelerating the ageing process.
• Stress and anxiety: Have you noticed that you find it difficult to remember important bits of information when overwhelmed and anxious? This experience is similar to being put on the spot at work, where anxiety overwhelms you to the point where you just answer every other question, but the one you’re actually asked. The truth is, chronic stress disrupts the brain's ability to process, organise, and store information effectively, resulting in a cluttered mental landscape that impairs cognitive performance. As Noor Amawi, a clinical psychologist based at the German Neuroscience Center explains, stress often results in anxiety-related symptoms such as overthinkingand rumination, which only intensify the mental clutter. These factors make it harder to maintain cognitive clarity, focus and optimise the capacity of working memory.
Over time, these factors can lead to deterioration of the brain regions responsible for memory and learning.
The burden of too much information and far reaching consequences
In today’s digital age, we’re inundated with information — from endless social media scrolling to constant notifications. Our brains are overwhelmed by this influx, struggling to process and filter out what’s essential. This cognitive overload can result in dysfunction, making it difficult to distinguish between what is important and what is not, explains Ram.
The ripple effects are far-reaching: Our attention becomes fragmented, and the brain cannot deeply engage with or process any single piece of information. This clutter disrupts functions like attention, focus, learning, and recall, increasing the long-term risks of cognitive decline and conditions like dementia. Chronic stress and memory clutter can even lead to hippocampal atrophy, heightening the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
Worse, the long-term consequences of such clutter spell disaster for your cognitive function, mental health and overall well-being. There is also the added risk of dementia, as he explains. “Chronic stress and memory clutter can cause hippocampal atrophy, which is the shrinkage of the hippocampus, increasing the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.”
Are there specific strategies for decluttering one's memory?
While the connection between memory clutter and accelerated brain aging may seem daunting, there are actionable strategies to help manage cognitive overload. These strategies target mental organisation, stress reduction, and improving memory processing.
As Alomar and Amawi explain, decluttering your memory involves a combination of mental organisation, reduction of multitasking, offloading unnecessary information, and managing stress. A healthy lifestyle, including balanced diet and regular excercise is key. By adopting these strategies, you can reduce cognitive overload, improve focus, and enhance your brain’s ability to store and retrieve important information while discarding irrelevant or unnecessary details.
Here are a few ideas:
Organisational tools: Utilising calendars, task lists, and digital reminders can help individuals offload cognitive burdens. By externalising tasks, the brain can focus on higher-level thinking and problem-solving.
Mental exercises: Regularly challenging the brain through puzzles, reading, or learning new skills can bolster cognitive resilience. Engaging in these activities promotes neuroplasticity, helping to counteract the effects of memory clutter.
Limit Information intake: In a digital age characterised by information overload, it’s essential to set boundaries. Reducing screen time, curating news sources, and designating specific times for social media can minimise unnecessary cognitive clutter.
Social engagement: Maintaining social connections and participating in community activities can provide mental stimulation and support. Conversations and shared experiences can also help keep memory pathways active and engaged.
Single-tasking: Focus on one task at a time rather than juggling multiple information streams. This enhances concentration and reduces mental clutter.
Clear transitions: After completing a task, take a moment to reflect and mentally transition before moving to the next task. This helps clear your mind of distractions.
Balancing the need for information with the desire for mental clarity requires intentional strategies, including setting clear goals, practising selective consumption, utilising technology wisely, and establishing healthy boundaries. By adopting these practices, you can effectively manage the flow of information while maintaining cognitive clarity and overall well-being.