Let's say you have a test comping up. You have been preparing for weeks now and have completely gotten ready. On the day of the test, you were given the question paper and suddenly....you're blank, you forgot the meaning of the word, ' Ataraxia '. You were stressed, you know you have read it somewhere, but you just can't remember.
- Whatever you see, read or hear gets stored in the Brain as memories.
- order to become permanent memories, information have to be consolidated by the hippocampus, controlled by the amygdala which emphasizes experiences related to strong emotions.
- hippocampus then codes memories into the Brain. Once encoded, the memories can be remembered, it is usually the prefrontal cortex that has most memories. But how does stress affect you memory ?
- Actually, moderate stress can help experiences enter your memory.
- Brain responds to stressful stimuli by releasing hormones like corticosteroids which activates a threat response in the amygdala and make memory making faster.
- when huge doses of corticosteroids are secreted, it hampers the process of making and remembering memories.
- threatened amygdala does not allow the prefrontal cortex to help revive information which leads to your mind going blank.
- can be averted by making yourself used to a stressful environment by solving timed tests or by sitting at a desk to resemble that of a classroom and to exercise. All this to ensure that you be ATARAXIC next time.
ATARAXIA : THE STATE OF CALMNESS, FREE FROM ANXIETY
SAY IT LOUD,
SAY IT PROUD,
I AM A BIO GEEK !!
