What is the impact of anxiety on your memory?

What is working memory?

Working memory helps us remember small details necessary for doing something for a short time. For example, it allows us to remember the phone number we want to dial. The better our working memory, the more complex tasks we can perform. Working memory helps us handle multiple pieces of information simultaneously, learn faster, and improve our focus, so we do not need to re-check details constantly. It also enhances our cognitive flexibility, which is the brain’s ability to switch between mental processes. This ability helps us look at problems from different perspectives simultaneously.

As you can see, working memory is a beneficial ability of our brain. Researchers published in “Frontiers in Psychology” used short quizzes to assess perceived stress and anxiety levels in healthy study volunteers and tested their working memory abilities. They found that higher anxiety levels are correlated with lower working memory. In other words, people who experience more anxiety tend to have lower working memory. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to manage your anxiety levels.

How to prevent anxiety?

There are many ways to lower and prevent anxiety, and you can choose what is best for you:

Organize your work: When overwhelmed by responsibilities, break your tasks into smaller pieces, so they don’t seem as daunting. Small steps make everything easier to achieve and can lower your stress levels.

Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is a great way to reduce anxiety. Exercise produces natural neurotransmitters that improve mood during and after the activity. Starting your day with a short run or any enjoyable activity is a great idea.

Develop effective relaxation techniques: Find what works best for you, whether it’s breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, mental imagery, aromatherapy, music, journaling, or spending time in nature.

How Psync App can help you to track and reduce your anxiety?

Keep track of it!

Inside our app, you can find short quizzes that help you assess your condition at any time and keep track of it over time on a dashboard.

Keep it under control!

With the Psync App, you can manage your anxiety using techniques such as:

• Organizing your work and other challenges
• Developing good habits, like regular exercise
• Doing breathing exercises
• Journaling
• Learning how to do visual imagery.

By adding these simple strategies to your routine, you can better manage your stress and anxiety, which will improve your working memory and offer various other benefits for your mental and physical health.

References:

• “The relationship of anxiety and stress with working memory performance in a large non-depressed sample” (Frontiers in Psychology).