What are the best exercises for memory? Speech pathologist just says…

Hi Chris,

Here is some advice from the community which you may find helpful:

Bryan Brown

I am 5 yes post stroke and have lost all feelimg in my face fingers and hands.Through my Rehab team o I'd a picture book with instructions anQuestionAnd exercises to make the memory work better

I had pretty bad Brain fog for about 3 1/2 years all up so keep working hard with every thing.It takes an action to be repeated about 400 times to become a habit so that is learning time. Every day still gives me a challenge of some sort but I am still here.

Tracey Lang

One day at a time Chris and get yourself a good note book and write things down. Your still healing so don't get disheartened. I had my stroke 14 yrs ago and some days my memory is really crappie and I get really tired here and there but I just go with now and I stopped being angry about it.

We are here we are safe don't rush things becuase you'll get there

Katrina Jasper

Hi Chris, my husband’s neuropsych suggested cooking from recipes as a really good cognitive rehab activity for my husband.

Jazmin Elyse

Hi Chris, have you seen an OT specialising in cognition and memory? It might be a good place to start.

Helen Young

It's all very normal. One simple thing that helped me was simple knitting. It's a regular pattern and keeps the brain working in a regular rhythm.

Floss Blanch

I'm 2.5years out from a stroke. Thank goodness for alarms on phones and just starting to learn samsung notes on my phone for shopping lists. I was forever loosing them when I went to town. Use list making when doing things. Sometimes we need to embrace our new normal. Hopefully it will become better.

Suzie Henry

Hey Chris unfortunately nothing is our normal after stroke .. it’s all new and scary ..and frustrating .. not sure where you located but once it touch with the rights teams they can make things a little easier and help understand what’s happening. The stroke foundation helped linked me with hunter brain injury and they where amazing

KMichelle Bay

Give yourself time Chris. Everything will feel better in time. Try downloading free Lumosity on your phone to see if you like it.

Yana Jade

I couldn’t write, so a notebook was useless. I make lots of lists on my phone in notes, put everything in my calendar with reminders, many alarms on my phone and I tell lots of people to remind me, just repeating it to someone else helps me. I’m 2 years on, whilst my memory has improved a lot I still use all these things to be able to function day to day. It helps take away the mental exhaustion from trying to remember everything else. Your brain is still recovering, don’t overload it and don’t be too tough on yourself!

Jasmine Anne

I haven't been affected by memory loss, but 3months on yes feeling lost definitely normal. Write journals, lists, follow a scheduled routine set reminders every 10mins if you need to. Your emptiness feeling won't last forever.

Emma White

Speech path here. I just wanted to let you know that I feel really uncomfortable about a speech path, or any allied health professional, telling you ‘look online’. My advice to you, and any stroke survivor, is that it’s ok to shop around to find professionals who ‘get you’. You deserve to feel supported, and it doesn’t sound like you do right now. Lots of great recommendations here. Good luck on your journey, you’ve got this.

JLadybug Washington

After 9 years my biggest piece of advice is to get a notebook / planner / journal... and keep notes on paper...stop try to remember stuff....write stuff down til you need to recover from "memory"...once I learned I can't remember everything... I stopped being frustrated.....I looked online and found word games (Quordle. And others..... And anything that made me think.or made me concentrate or focus)........rest and renew with plenty naps...

Suzanne Hateley

Chris everything you are experiencing is normal. I kept a journal and even though early on my writing and memory was not great I could feel and see how I was progressing with each day which was encouraging in itself. I did word find puzzles, and because I loved cooking I read and followed recipes so I was physically and mentally working out. Fatigue is very real and when I felt that I would cat nap to replenish myself even setting alarms to help me out. Let yourself feel all the overwhelming emotions and don’t hide them from others who don’t fully understand it’s not good to bottle them up or to try and tough it out you just end up more exhausted. You’ve got this and plenty of us here to support you. One day at a time, one step at a time, one thought at a time.

Catherine Pender

Rehab HQ on you tube is great. Physical exercises snd ingo on neuro plasticity etc. Hang in there, it gets better

Caitlin Tozer

So normal, but different for everyone. Lists, calendars and remembering to use the calendars (written or digital) was the biggest help for me. I am now 7 years out running a business from home with a turdler as I will never be able to work a “normal”’job again with the fatigue and I gotta tell you there are days, weeks or months I fall apart and still forget to write/use my lists. The more tired or over busy I am the worse. At the the start learn to slow down. It gets easier I promise to regroup. I am not a reader but reading and relearning things basic like paying bills etc helped me immensely. And practice everything. Even crossing the road. Good luck.

Peg Fisher

My husband had his stroke 6 years ago and yes gets frustrated by not being able to remember things to , he is now 81 and fixes toys from our daughters kindergarten and child care centres keeps him active and he works out ways to fix things , he has had many TIAs but we just get on with life and enjoy our lives

Adrian Tornquist

It’s been 10 mths since my stroke and memory loss is a pain at times, but it is not real big deal for me, it’s just certain things in life are missing but it’s mainly things from many years ago, forgetting we’re I put my keys going to shop and coming home with everything but the milk that you went to get, I just put down to old age , but I do get frustrated with speech and I have to stop deep breath, and slow down and then it comes naturally , it’s just exercise , 1 1 is fine but in a group of friends family and you are all talking and laughing that gets difficult, but my family and friends no this and all stop and say that’s ok deep breath and it’s ok, so my advice is just don’t worry about the little things that you forget, and if you feel you can’t get the words just deep breath slow down, true friends and family understand , enjoy

Janet Dare

My memory and being able to organise a house and a husband who has Alzheimers is driving me crazy 18 months later and no one has offered any help,advice or therapy.

I do word puzzles but this is all and as a retired RN, I feel totally lost.

Joel Daniels

Hi Chris! Brain fog and memory loss is normal.. even for people who haven’t stroked.

I’ve been in taxis and the driver didn’t even know left from right… so don’t stress

I don’t even remember what I did this morning along with thousands of other people.

2 x brain exercise apps I played whilst in early days recovery where ‘impulse’ and ‘Woodoku’ these will make you think

Try eat plenty of red and green fruit/veg and take vitamin B tablet plus fish oil capsule’s everyday. Don’t drink alcohol it’s poison to your brain especially in first 12 month recovery. Instead try drink 2 litre of water!

All the best and grateful you’re still here with us. What a blessing

Duncan Mitchell

Sorry to read about your stroke, it can happen to anyone at any age. Things do improve with effort. There are a few 'brain training ' apps which can help improve short term memory. Also to help compensate I use my phone constantly for reminders, maybe I rely on that too much but I feel it's necessary for me. Also you could try things like puzzle books, that type of thing can help as well. The emotional impact will knock you sideways and cones in waves when you least expect it but as a friend of mine said, 'just try and ride those waves' you'll come out the other side. I find reading helps as well but it tires me out. Keep fighting and researching, groups like this help enormously. All the best survivor.

Nicole Harper

The early months are the hardest absolutely. Amongst everything the Neuro fatigue is crippling. Finding your new normal is overwhelming. Give yourself time, self care and rest! Allow extra time to do things or schedule only 1 activity a day or long breaks. Get yourself somewhere quiet and dark to desensitise from external sounds/ sights if you can.

A neuropsychologist can help provide some memory techniques to use. I tend to use my phone for notes for every little thing, taking photos of items are useful and I use alarms (like for cooking prompts like “.preheat oven” “take out of oven” etc

Going to something like a Doctors appointment I use my iPhone notes for this too. This is useful also as you can search for any general key word you can retrieve all notes associated yo easier find memory prompts.

If I have a meeting at work I ask for topics that will be discussed so I can prepare my responses in advance so I don’t forget something important or get flustered.

Being organised helps too. Every night I lay out exactly what I need for the next day so I don’t forget things. I’ll also leave a large sheet of paper on top of my keys for a memory prompt. Allow plenty of time to do things as if you rush your brain will get more confused

A great tip I learnt from a neuropsychologist was that the brain likes novelty. For example if you are trying to remember a name or place assign a silly word association to it like if you meet a lady named Sarah who smiles a lot “smiley Sarah”

Importantly too brain likes repetition. I tend to have a very regular routine I follow each day

As mentioned I recommend you see a Neuropsychologist if you can as they can do a full cognitive assessment (which also gives techniques to help you work around yhings) It’s been invaluable for me and also my work who have adjusted things to help like starting and finishing work earlier as the brain is fresh earlier in the day