Medically reviewed by Geralyn Dexter, PhD, LMHC
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- Chronic stress triggers elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, which can impair memory.
- In midlife, hormonal shifts may compound stress-related cognitive changes, making forgetfulness worse.
- Regular physical activity, high-quality sleep, and mindfulness practices can help lower cortisol and support memory.
Forgetting things every now and then is part of the human experience—maybe you left your house without your car keys or returned home from the grocery store without a crucial ingredient of your dinner recipe.
But if you’re feeling stressed—especially during midlife—these moments of forgetfulness may feel more common or intense. And there’s a biological reason why.
Chronic stress increases cortisol and other hormones, which can interfere with how your brain stores and retrieves memories. Plus, when you’re in your 40s and 50s, changes in hormones like estrogen and testosterone could intensify the effect.
What Stress Does to Your Brain
Your body releases a hormone called cortisol into your bloodstream when you’re under stress. Cortisol is useful in small doses, but when you feel chronically stressed, levels of this hormone remain elevated for longer than they’re supposed to. That’s when stress can start interfering with your memory.
Persistently high cortisol levels can alter structures within the brain, including the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, which are responsible for memory, personality, and emotions. Chronic stress also impacts the hippocampus, or the “flash drive” of the brain that’s necessary for memory processing. Because of this, people under stress for long periods of time may have a harder time forming new memories and accessing old ones.
Chronic stress also affects prospective memory—that’s your ability to remember planned actions, like taking medication or making a call. Stress does this by damaging connections between the hippocampus and the rest of the brain, research shows.
Why Forgetfulness May Get Worse in Midlife
Stress levels usually start to decline when people are in their 50s; however, midlife can be an incredibly stressful period—you could be caring for children or aging parents, managing career pressures, and handling financial issues. That kind of sustained pressure may keep your cortisol levels elevated, affecting your memory.
This stress-related forgetfulness can become part of a negative cycle—people’s forgetfulness in midlife may make them increasingly stressed, in turn worsening memory.
Beyond stress itself, hormonal changes in your 40s and 50s can also heighten memory issues. These hormonal changes depend on your sex:
- For women: During perimenopause (the transitional period before menopause), your estrogen levels begin to decline. Estrogen helps support brain function and memory, so you could be more vulnerable to forgetfulness issues during this phase of life.
- For men: Testosterone declines gradually from age 35 onward. More research needs to be done, but lower levels of testosterone have links to higher rates of cognitive decline, characterized by gradual changes in memory and thinking.
When Should You Worry About Forgetfulness?
Small moments of stress-related forgetfulness—like blanking on a word or forgetting why you walked into a room—are common and often temporary. But some signs suggest it may be worth talking to a doctor, such as:
- Asking the same questions repeatedly
- Getting lost in familiar places
- Having trouble following directions or instructions
- Misplacing things often and being unable to find them
- Struggling with everyday tasks, such as paying bills on time
Habits That May Help With Stress-Related Forgetfulness
People who report feeling more stressed in midlife tend to have greater cognitive decline over 30 years, research suggests. Because of this, it’s crucial that people with chronic stress find ways to relax and help reduce their cortisol levels. Several evidence-backed strategies can help, including:
- Moving regularly: Cardio exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and support brain health. It does this partly by promoting neuroplasticity, which is your brain’s ability to form new connections and adapt over time.
- Protecting your sleep: Stress and sleep are closely linked—while poor sleep may make people more susceptible to stress, deep sleep helps suppress the body’s alarm system responsible for producing cortisol. Better sleep is also good for memory; in one small study of adults in midlife, researchers found sleep efficiency was tied to memory performance.
- Trying mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment rather than dwelling on past or future worries. It takes some practice to build this skill over time, but some research suggests just 10 minutes of mindfulness can lead to benefits. Mindfulness may be able to regulate cortisol levels and strengthen areas of the brain involved in memory, though more research is needed.
- Incorporating other stress management practices: Other ways to reduce stress include practicing deep breathing, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation (tensing then relaxing muscle groups, such as hands, arms, or thighs). Support from your social network, talk therapy, and cognitive behavioral stress management—a form of therapy done with a mental health provider—may also help.
If forgetfulness is affecting your daily life—regardless of whether you think it’s linked to your stress levels—it’s important to talk to your doctor. They can check you for other conditions that may be causing memory issues, such as thyroid dysfunction, nutrient deficiencies, or sleep disorders. If necessary, they can refer you to a neurologist or neuropsychologist—these are doctors that specialize in brain health and memory concerns.
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