I feel a decline in my cognitive capacity, the complexity I could process when I was in University feels different. Now I struggle to catch more simple concepts or remember and stay on top of simpler problems. Do any of you relate? Have any of you found ways to feel back on top ?
I try to do things to keep my mind active, read, play instruments, learn new languages, brain games. But even with that, it seems I am just a partial reminiscence of what I used to be.
i could point the blame perhaps at years of drinking since high school, nothing crazy, but enough social events. I also tend to sleep around 6 hours mostly every night. So that is my current guess but I am not sure if there is something else.
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I feel a decline in my cognitive capacity, the complexity I could process when I was in University feels different. Now I struggle to catch more simple concepts or remember and stay on top of simpler problems. Do any of you relate? Have any of you found ways to feel back on top ?
I try to do things to keep my mind active, read, play instruments, learn new languages, brain games. But even with that, it seems I am just a partial reminiscence of what I used to be.
i could point the blame perhaps at years of drinking since high school, nothing crazy, but enough social events. I also tend to sleep around 6 hours mostly every night. So that is my current guess but I am not sure if there is something else.
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Other way around for me. I am better at understanding, interpreting, critical think and proble solving. My job also makes me focus and use those things all day. I think i matured late though and im 31 now and mentally better than ever. Physically is something else lol
Yeh I feel the same. I thought maybe it was medication I was on. Anti depressants. I also wonder if Covid has had an unknown impact on people.
There is definitely the whole “getting older” thing. Brain pruning stuff that doesn’t matter, more life stuff to think about and manage which takes mental resources away from cognitive flexibility and intelligence.
That said, surrounding environment is definitely a key factor. I’m currently in academia where in my late 30s I’m still mentally challenged by my work and colleagues, and we have conversations and throw around ideas and talk about theoretical abstract concepts. However if I had settled down, built a family and was working a more menial job I would definitely see an intelligence drop purely from the lack of mental stimulation, and I’d be thirsting to find people that I could have thoughtful nuanced conversations with.
I think it’s partly because you have more responsibilities when you’re older and have to juggle a variety of tasks just to survive. When you’re younger, all you really have to do is be smart and behave yourself.
I’m 41, my job has me constantly solving very complex problems. I’ve drank pretty steadily since I was a teen, but I’ve always gotten 8 hours of sleep at night, I need it. I don’t really notice a decline in ability since university, but maybe a decline in how many problems i’d be juggling at once, if that makes sense.
I think sleep is extremely important. I also take Lions Mane most days, and I notice a big difference in my ability to think quickly and tackle problems when I do.
Cognitive capacity works surprisingly similar to muscle tissue: it’s use it or lose it.
I’m still solving complex issues daily, and I’m still quite good at it. I certainly worry about mental decline but haven’t quite noticed it yet.
My muscles, on the other hand, have seen better days.
Other way round for me. I feel much more alert now than I used to. I am 50y old now and I have ideas or make connection to things, or come up with solutions that seem obvious but that 15y ago I wouldn’t think of. People say its experience but it feels like its just that I am more thorough when evaluating a problem, more focused on the solution rather than going in random directions.
The one thing I admit though, is that my short term memory can be bad. I can leave my room to get, say, my earphones from the living room, and by the time I get there I forgot what I was looking for.
I noticed the same about short term memory with my mom, who’s nearly 80. We can have long chat about politics, she follows the news. So she clearly seems to have a sharp mind. Or she’ll remember stuff from my childhood. But she will sometimes tell me about someone for a while, then 10 minutes later she will mention that person again and ask if I know that person.
I feel smarter than ever. However, my creativity has declined.
Long COVID kicked my brain’s ass, but luckily I’m more or less back to normal.
Covid has played a big part in this. I think we are going to see a lot of “brain fog” and cardiopulmonary issues over the next few years with people that have had Covid. There are already studies happening on the effects.
For those in doubt- No it has nothing to do with the vaccine.
For me it’s more my attention span rather than cognitive ability. I can still do complex work, but I lose attention much quicker, most because I’m addicted to my phone and end up grabbing it.
I think phones and social media have been a big cause of the issue.
I got such a low base line I prob won’t notice
I think for me it’s a case of use it or lose it. My work keeps me generally on my toes and use critical thinking, plus I deal with patients all day long.
This doesn’t always translate well socially though. I’m great at quick quips, horrible with stories. I have no internal monologue so it’s hard to keep the flow going.
We also have SO much more to keep track of vs our younger selves.
Think of the percentage of your brain processing power that is now simply dedicated to different areas of life. Your years at school were largely focused on academic studies, whereas as a true adult there are untold stressors now occupying brain space.
For myself, quite the opposite. I feel as though im much more capable of grasping new concepts and ideas as opposed to 10 years ago in my early 20’s. I think this comes from having a greater level of knowledge to pull from and relate things too. Ive also grown much better at time management with age.
Physically Im in relatively good shape. But im certainly not 21 anymore. Going to the bars on Friday night and waking up early to play basketball on Saturday morning is a thing of the past lol
You should go back to school, aka, take a class. You need to be pushed beyond just reading and have your thought process and skills challenged
Intelligence, I lost like 5% from head trauma. Setback considered, though, I’m on the up in that regard. In my free time I kinda just study study study constantly, and all sorts of things too.
I notice my reflexes getting slower, but my reflexive movements seem faster and more importantly more accurate. (If I spill stuff then I have to clean ) It’s just a touch of what would happen in a hacked MW2 lobby if you had lag. Could be running a bigger and better program, could be my brain is like a capacitor + diode, could just be my imagination or a sign that I’m starting to decompress again. IDK. It feels a bit more complex than a simple slow down.
Empathy is going up… Sympathy is going up… Problem-solving is improving… Mid-30s and I feel like my 50s will be my best years.
I would say the opposite for me. My career took a fairly large swing in my mid/late 30s though that challenged me in dramatically different ways from a mental POV.
Lack of sleep severely impairs cognitive function. I haven’t noticed a decline in my ability to understand things; if anything it’s much more than it was. I get 8 hours almost every night, and sometimes have a 30 min nap during the day.
I’m 60. And intelligence is somewhat replaced by experience if you’re smart enough to learn from your mistakes. Think of driving. I have been in a position to have to drive millions of miles over the course of my working life. I never actually drove for a living but I’d challenge to find anyone that had to drive more as PART of their living. Now say under age 35 year old me was technically a MUCH better driver than me now. I had quicker reflexes, better vision, longer concentration. Just better in every aspect of driving performance. However, I haven’t been a fender bender in 25 years. My pattern recognition through years of experience improved. I watch OTHER drivers more carefully. I don’t follow as closely. I notice if the guy behind me is fucking with his phone and give myself room to get out of his way should traffic slow unexpectedly. I’ve used caution to replace reflex.
Same thing is true with my work performance. At 35, I knew and could quote every data point of every performance metric related to my business. At 60, I could never retain all those details and frankly have no need to. Now I know WHICH detailed metrics actually matter and more importantly how to move those metrics where I need them to be. I don’t have to understand exactly where the ship is at to know how to navigate it to where it needs to be. If that makes sense. I’ve replaced reams of information with relatively small amounts of wisdom and am better at my profession than 40 year old me by a mile.
I can’t tell if it’s natural or if I did it to myself via phone addiction. I used to be the guy reading a book at the end of the bar, not because I was antisocial, but because I started the analysis of the beginning of the Korean war and I’m so interested in it, I had to finish it. Now I read five to six pages and I am getting distracted by something else. I can’t watch a movie longer than two hours, even in the theater I fall asleep, probably multiple times. I used to be glib and could run circles around any conversation, now I feel like whatever I have to contribute is forced and generally off topic. I’m still an information sponge, but I think my ability to analyze and find subtext and all of that jazz is fading. IDK. It might be the circles I find myself in these days, I operate retail outlets and the folks I have to deal with aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders, but I have always been around The People before… It’s probably psychological midlife crisis stuff.
I’m in my 50’s and 5 years ago I had to take a CCAT (cognitive aptitude test) for a job. I scored in the top 2%.
I might have slowed with respect to sheer horsepower, but I feel with experience that more of my power is translating to forward motion than it did in my 20’s.
Lion’s mane mushrooms & Cordiceps are good for stimulating memory & brain activity.
My thought is that people are less willing to expose themselves to ideas and opinions that might conflict with their own. They avoid difficult topics to maintain the peace and avoid confrontation or are unable to listen objectively and consider another point of view without having to agree with it. Without that mental exercise, the ability to think critically suffers and, I believe, we become more susceptible to being used by others who seek to increase their power and influence.
How many things are you juggling now vs. when you were in University?
In school, I was only worried about getting laid, getting my course work done and playing video games. Obviously a few smaller items but it was very minimal.
Now I am constantly pulled 17 different directions and never have enough time to do all of them. If you have kids, you might be managing 6 separate schedules, extended family and work included. Sometimes it’s not about mental power, it’s about removing all of the extra demands on your attention.
I’m in my early 50’s and I’d say I’m being challenged (and solving) harder problems at work than I’ve ever encountered,. so in that respect, I feel more sharp than ever.
I think 1 thing people have to keep in my ind is when you’re younger, there’s a lot more faux-confidence about “what you know”. And as you grow older in life, there’s a lot more realization of “how much you actually don’t know”. So it’s not so much that you’re “getting dumber”,. it’s just a deepening and widening realization that the world is much more complex and nuanced than you thought in your younger years.
I think also as you get older,.. we expect to much from ourselves (and society and careers definitely expect to much out of us). I have a wallpaper in rotation on my phone that says “SLOW DOWN. YOU’RE DOING FINE.” .. and it’s something I try to remember daily if possible. Slow down. Take breaks. Eat healthier. Take naps or get plenty of sleep. Go for walks. Play with your cat or dog. Just take time to be human and take things slower. You don’t have to be running at 100% all the time. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Race horses don’t race 24hours a day.
I know it’s an anecdotal individual story (and I realized covid19 hits everyone differently).. but as someone who nearly died from Covid19,. I find the stories of “brain fog” kind of amusing. In March-April 2020, I was in the Hospital for a total of 38 days (16 of those days in ICU on a Ventilator, where I had 16 straight days of “ICU Delirium nightmares”). Had to have my Heart stopped and restarted (while I was wide awake) and also had to relearn how to walk. Last full write up of my experience including Lung X-rays is [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/oi4b31/_/h4t9dek/?context=1) if anyone wants to read the full thing. I don’t really have any “brain fog” after effects at all. I pretty much feel as sharp (or sharper) than I’ve ever been.
For me,. the realization of “taking better care of myself” has been the biggest key to surviving the past 5 to 10 years. (doesn’t hurt that I have a work from home job although I do (voluntarily) walk into work 3 times a week) .. but I have plenty of flexibility to wear whatever comfortable clothes I want. Make myself tea whenever I want. Take a break and go to my own bathroom (or take a shower mid-day if I want), etc. I have a refrigerator full of healthy food options just a few steps away and also live in area where there’s no Fast Food anywhere near me.
The other thing I think is different now:.. .In my younger years I would just sort of “stubbornly bash my head against problems striving valiantly to overcome them with brute strength”. I don’t really do that any more. When I encounter a problem now (in any area of my life).. I approach it more slowly and thoughtfully. I assess and gather more information. I plan (sometimes multiple attack-plans) and test those plans. Then I gather more information. Then I test more. Then I gather more information. Then I test more. I basically take that strategy of “measure twice, cut once” to an extreme. If I’m going to walk up to a problem, I want to know 1000% that I already confidently know the fix (because I’ve already tested it 100x.) I don’t just “cavalier cowboy” my way into things any more. I try to take a more tested, methodical and informed approach. This “slower” approach gives me a lot more time to play and test and learn and be more confident that “I know it” before “fight day” even arrives where I’m expected to step into the ring and actually land the blows.
I’m 45, and I get what you are talking about.
I started TRT a few years ago, and honestly having my hormones dialed in (both testosterone and estrogen) I do feel a higher level of mental clarity.
That said, when I was a much younger man, I was fairly sharp. But I eventually became an alcoholic and then recovered. Part of that recovery process was realizing I had done some damage to my brain along the way.
It’s hard to explain, but I am not the same guy I used to be mentally.
Long story short, I believe your overall physical health does play a role in how well your brain works as you get older.
Do cardio, I had the same issue for a year or 2 and started to run and after just 2 months the fog lifted. Check your diet too a lot of modern food really messes with your cognition.
You might need more sleep. exercise? nutrition?
Yes…. brain function can decline with age, but the way to combat that is to better optimize how you support yourself so that your brain can function better.
I think more slowly than I did in college, but my mental discipline and attention to detail is off-the-charts better.
I never noticed anything until the last couple of years. At around 54 I started noticing that there were occasional words that I just couldn’t remember. I could see the word in my head but just couldn’t remember it if that makes sense. Also, I’ve always been a math guy, doing most of it in my head and very quickly, enough so that my friends would defer to me. That mental calculation ability has slowed. My 19 yo son is as quick as I am now. It sucks.
These were enough to see a neurologist and get a scan but he didn’t find anything. Just getting older.
My father is 83 this month. He taught aerospace at a university until he was 77. The last 5 or 6 years he has been less social, done less reading, and just has done less mentally stimulating things and I have seen him losing his ability to understand things he used to understand easily. I have definitely noticed my own cognitive decline as well. I went back to school in my late 40s to get my masters degree and while I am fully able to understand everything, my ability to write papers is nowhere near where it was in my 20s when I was well practiced.
I find getting less sleep hits me harder. I used to be able to get 6 hours a night and still be able to function at my peak. Now getting 6 hours for three days in a row will make me a zombie.
If you look at neurobiology research, younger brains are more plastic – they form connections more easily, it is easier to learn new things, also easier to form addictions. The benefit of age is your brain prunes the things that are less important and you become better at the things you’re good at and put time into.
I was really good at calculus 30 years ago. Now? It’s a struggle to help my daughter with her homework.
You get dumber or smarter depending on what you do. If you code a lot but stop reading books you’ll get smart with code but dumb with reading comprehension. If you play a lot of chess you’ll get smart at chess but not necessarily sudoku or any other game. Etc. you wouldn’t have a weightlifter only do bench press and expect them to have hardy legs.
So if you think you are getting dumber do things you want to be smart at. Edit: you mentioned you are doing that. You are probably “plateaued” to continue with the weightlifting analogy. It could also be diet or lack of exercise. Are you exercising? It is very important for health & capacity or the mind
Yes I feel like there’s a lot more dumbasses around.