If you take a brief moment to think about memories from your life, what stands out? We typically think of major life events; weddings, moves, births, deaths, goals achieved. We also tend to gravitate toward memories that contain important people, the people we love and care about most. There may also be memories that we try to avoid thinking about, traumatic ones. But remembering doesn’t have to focus only on major life moments. Did you know it can actually be beneficial to remember just for the sake of remembering? Research shows that those who engage in “remembering” or “memory talk” actually have better memory recollection overall. Memory is part of the brain’s activity, and we can use remembering to make our brain stronger, just like we would exercise a muscle to make it stronger.

Memories are the brains way of storing past experiences. Each memory you have can be filled with information, even beyond the “what happened” part of the memory. Memories can have physical sensations, thoughts, beliefs, and emotions attached to them as well. Sometimes we have clear memories that we can watch like a movie in our minds. Other times, the memories are faint, foggy, or missing pieces.

Remembering can also be an important part of building and maintaining relationships. Sharing memories with someone connects us to them. We become part of each other’s stories in this way. Have you ever been at a family reunion and spent time looking at pictures and telling stories of each other in years past? Its moments like this that connect us and can bring deeper meaning to relationships.

Strengthening your memory skills doesn’t have to be difficult. We can strengthen our ability to remember by recalling memories from the past, even if they just happened earlier that day. This can even be work you do as a family to help build not only your memory skills but also your relationships. Activities such as asking each family member for a high point and a low point of their day can build and strengthen their remembering abilities. Looking through photo albums and watching family home videos is another way of remembering, as well as building connection between you and your loved ones.

Recalling past events in life can be difficult sometimes. Therapy is a space where you can learn to recall while managing the emotional response that’s connected to the memory. Being able to recall and tell your story is a healing experience. If you think this is something you’re interested in, you can contact one of the local mental health providers below.

At Midwest Mindset Counseling the focus in on giving you a place to be seen, heard, and valued. You can reach out to Danica Zomer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Midwest Mindset Counseling in Corsica at (605) 416-9890, or any of your other local mental health professionals: Nicole Van Zuidam, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Junction Therapy in Platte at (605) 215-1102; Bethany Eggers, Licensed Professional Counselor at Open Door Counseling in Platte at (605) 202-2712; and Melanie VanderPol-Bailey, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Rural Roads Counseling and Consultation in Platte at (605) 550-2473.