Memory Strategies for Mental Health and Executive Dysfunction

General Memory Chat
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Hey folks,

I lurk this forum sometimes and a lot more lately. I’m struggling my life. I live with Bipolar, ADHD and Autism and I’m having a rough time of trying to improve my ability to learn from mistakes, remembering important details in the moment. I’m very new to memory techniques. Often I’ll try to write things down but I don’t end up revisiting them. Or I try to keep things in my head but they don’t stick or convert into improved outcomes. I’ve basically looked at a majority of memory techniques and at this point I’m trying to create some strategies to help my struggle in creative ways.

A few things I’m looking to solve and ideas that might work for them that I’d like feedback on:

  • All my important dates, dynamically changing and moving around. Or a todo list that’s activelly changing like a database. Not sure about implemenation because from what I can see most memory techniques are more static.
  • Memorizing past lessons learned and being able to get them to trigger in the moment when making a decision or action
  • Being able to trigger a memory system that makes me think of evaluating my current situation in terms of urgency and importance so I can properly prioritize my time
  • Triggering a memory to not get defensive when I’m wrong and provide a system of information to use to naviage a conflict and resolve it
  • Using the body method to map emotions and trivialize and neutralize them with silly images when needed
  • Important facts about important people in my life and having them trigger when I need them to
  • Reminders without a phone, paper notes or technology
  • Quickly encoding information and storing it in high pressure zero time situation or even long enough like extended conversations where I can’t record things in my phone
  • Emotional regulation with things like memory palaces full of gratitude moments or information about subtle mood shifting
  • Staying mindful
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One nice thing a member here posted once was that he created a memory palace of happy thoughts. Moments of personal accomplishment, happiness, and people in his life who made him happy.

He would walk through this palace whenever he felt sad.

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I think I’ll make this my memory journal so others can see my progress. Here’s some things I’m working on:

Memory Palace: List of Triggers

In this MP I’m keeping a list of all my distraction triggers. It was also include triggers that impact my mood energy. So far it’s been helping me regcognize triggers quickly. I’m getting to the point where I go straight to the loci that’s related to the distraction present and I see my image for it. So things like:

  • Perfectionism, overstimulation, conversation in earshot, etc.

Memory Palace: List of Things I’m Grateful For

  • Self explanatory. I keep a gratitude journal and now I’m converting it into a memory palace.
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It will also* mood and energy* Sorry for the typos haha

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Have you read Atomic Habits? If not, you might find it interesting, especially the part about habit chaining.

Related:

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Thanks! I’ve heard of the book, but haven’t read it yet. I’ll add it to my list :slight_smile: Thanks for the related links as well.
-Trever

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