What it means when you walk into a room and forget why – the ‘doorway effect' explained
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EXPERTS have broken down the "doorway effect" and why we find ourselves walking into rooms and completely forgetting why we entered in the first place.
We have all found ourselves confidently marching into a room only to get there and forget what the purpose was entirely, but why is this?
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Experts explain the "doorway effect"
Experts have broken down this puzzling phenomenon - and good news, you are not going insane, but rather, there is actually a perfectly good explanation for it.
The 'doorway effect' explained
Experts have found that simply passing through a doorway as you travel from one room to another can trigger a kind of mental reset.
In a nutshell, this is the brain's way of transitioning from one room into another, and processing the new information.
According to a group of psychologists from the University of Notre Dame, when you move into a new room your brain automatically updates the contexts and clears out any information that is no longer needed.
This means that the task you previously had in mind may be pushed to one side.
Experts have dubbed this the "event boundary" effect, and it has a big part to play in that ever-so-frustrating moment when we forget what we walked into a room for.
These event boundaries aren't just limited to doorways but can also occur when you are in the middle of a task that you have to stop answer the phone or the door for example.
Once the interaction ends, just like entering a new room, people often experience a complete mind blank.
While we often attribute this to brain fog and see our forgetfulness as negative, experts have made a case for this actually being an impressive feature of the brain.
Rather than considering it a flaw, it should be seen as an efficiency tactic, whereby your brain is trying to prioritise what is important in that specific moment, rather than what was important a few minutes ago.
Moment Brit comic Cerys Nelmes 'shoplifts' from Zara after 'forgetting clothes in bag' as she faces years in Turkey jail
Stress and fatigue are key factors
This forgetfulness is also typically triggered by stress, fatigue and anxiety.
Our brains are constantly being forced to juggle all of our tasks, to do lists and mental notes each day, which can often challenge its ability to focus on specific things.
When you are multitasking, overstimulated, or simply feeling more tired than usual, you are more likely to experience one of these slip ups.
How to reduce your risk of dimentia
Experts agree that what's good for your heart is also good for your brain. This means you can help reduce your risk of dementia by:
This means you can help reduce your risk of dementia by: Eating a balanced diet (which includes five portions of fruit and veg per day)
Maintaining a healthy weight (a BMI score of between 18.5 and 24.9)
Exercising regularly (at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week)
Keeping alcohol within recommended limits
Stopping smoking
Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level (between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg)
Source: NHS
How to combat forgetfuless
Luckily, there are some handy hacks to help you combat these faux pars.
One of the best methods to keep your brain on track is to say the task out loud as you walk into the room.
While this may feel silly and confuse those your living with, it is one of the best ways to keep your brain focused on the task at hand.
Other things you can do include carrying a physical object that reminds you of the task and pausing at the doorway to mentally "anchor" your goal, reports Times of India.
However, ultimately, these mental blanks are nothing to worry about and completely normal for most.
This is just a unviersal experience that we all have when our brain is overwhelmed, it isn't an indicator of early memory loss.
That being said, if you're consistently forgetting names, appointments, or other important tasks, there is no harm in checking in with a doctor.
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