Where Did My Short-Term Memory Go?
I’ve reached a point where my Alzheimer’s has slowed down enough that I can start to see more clearly what it has left behind. One problem stands out above all the others: my short-term or working memory.
It shows up in the smallest, most frustrating ways.
Did I already brush my teeth?
Why am I opening this drawer?
Why did I walk into this room?
What did I just do?
A thought to do something just flitted by, where did it go?
I don’t remember that every happening.
These moments aren’t occasional they happen throughout my day. And they force me to confront an uncomfortable truth: something in my brain has changed permanently.
So instead of asking “Why is this happening?”, I’ve started asking a better question:
“What can I do about it?”
Understanding What’s Happening in My Brain
I’ve learned that short-term or working memory isn’t controlled by just one part of the brain. It’s a system:
The prefrontal cortex holds information in the moment
The parietal lobes keep my attention focused
The temporal lobes process words and sounds
The hippocampus decides what gets saved
With Alzheimer’s, damage can occur in any part of this system. Where the damage has occurred and how much damage is very individual. It cannot be pinpointed. The important information is that memory has not been lost, it was never fully formed in the first place.
Facing Reality and Opportunity
I’ve come to a point where I can no longer ignore what the research and my own experience are telling me. My short-term memory may never fully return to what it once was. That’s a difficult truth, but it’s also a clarifying one.
At the same time, I’ve realized something just as important: even if my memory can’t be fully restored, the way I function each day can improve. That realization shifts everything.
Instead of focusing on trying to fix what may not be fixable, I’m choosing a different path. I’m learning to work with my brain as it is now, not as it used to be. This means letting go of the idea that I need to repair my memory, and instead building strategies that help me move through my day more effectively.
It’s not about fixing memory anymore. It’s about learning how to work around it and still move forward.
My Action Plan
This is the system I am committing to is based on what actually works. It will take time, but I’ve already seen some improvement in specific areas like saying out loud why I am moving into another room.
1. I Will Use External Supports (My Backup Brain)
I will not rely on memory alone.
I will use reminders, alarms, and notes
I will follow one rule:
“Do it now, or record it now”
2. I Will Build Strong Routines
I will reduce decision-making and repetition will become my ally.
I will follow the same sequences every day
I will create structure in my environment
I will turn repeated actions into automatic habits
The goal: Do less remembering, do more automatic doing
Understanding how our implicit memory works, turning repeated thoughts into automatic responses is a scientific fact we should all understand and use in our daily lives.
3. I Will Train My Awareness (Metacognition)
I will actively monitor my own actions.
I will say actions out loud:
“I locked the door.”
“I took my medication.”I will pause and check myself before moving on
This keeps me present and helps my brain encode what I’ve done.
4. I Will Use the Pause–Confirm–Move Method
After important actions, I will:
Pause for 2–3 seconds
Confirm what I just did (out loud or mentally)
Then move on
This will become a daily habit.
5. I Will Focus on One Thing at a Time
Multitasking is no longer my friend.
No distractions during important actions
No thinking ahead while doing something
If my attention is divided, the memory never forms.
This is a big problem for me. I’m easily distracted or deciding I’m hungry especially when I have a hard challenge. My thoughts wander to a new idea that takes over my current action. Getting back to work after a text message or phone call is difficult.
6. I Will Design My Environment to Support Me
I will stop depending on memory and start depending on systems.
Keys go in one place always
Important items have fixed locations
I will use physical cues (like touching the stove knob)
My environment will work for me, not against me.
Been working on this. For me it included cleaning out cupboards and finding a place for everything. Putting car keys and purse in one spot is now a habit. Telling myself to return items IMMEDIATELY to where they belong helps too.
7. I Will Write It Down Immediately
If something matters:
I will write it
Or record it
Immediately
No delay. No exceptions. I’ve also found I needed one notebook to make notes in. I have a tendency to scribble notes on whatever is handy. Then they are hard to find.
What I Now Understand and My Commitment Moving Forward
The biggest change hasn’t been in my memory it’s been in the way I think about it. I used to believe that improvement meant fixing what was broken, somehow restoring my memory to what it once was. But I see things differently now.
Real progress isn’t coming from trying to repair my memory. It’s coming from learning how to live with it as it is. It’s about adjusting my habits, shaping my environment, and changing the way I move through each day so that I’m not constantly struggling against my limitations.
That shift in thinking has given me something I didn’t expect to get back: a sense of control. I may not be able to change what has happened to my memory, but I can change how I respond to it and that is where real improvement begins.
Because of this, I’m making a clear commitment to myself. I will stop fighting my brain, and instead start supporting it. I will build systems and routines that help me function more independently and confidently.
My memory may have changed, but my ability to adapt has not and that is what I will rely on moving forward. You can do this too.