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Check Your Brain: What’s Normal, What’s Not?

Diane DraganUpdated: Feb. 08, 2017

Here's how to tell if your healthy brain's forgetfulness is fine ... or kind of funny.

Just how normal is everyday brain fog? Very!

Often referred to as “senior moments,” it’s actually very common to have “everyday brain fog” starting with middle age. According to CBS News, by the time you hit 50, some 80% of Americans have memory issues. Add in any combination of a busy household, work stress, financial worries and lack of sleep, and you’ve got a recipe for a case of the “Where did I put my car keys?” Of course, serious memory lapses could be a sign of problems to talk to your doctor about, but the amusing scenarios that follow remind us that sometimes it’s okay to laugh at our little brain freezes. P.S. The car keys? Check the fridge.

Probably Normal:

You forget to go to your dentist appointment.

See a Doctor:

You forget to go to your daughter’s wedding!

Probably Normal:

You frequently lose your car keys.

See a Doctor:

You look at a key and can’t remember how to use it!

Probably Normal:

You forget the name of a person you were just introduced to.

See a Doctor:

You forget the names of your whole family!

Probably Normal:

You put the paper towels in the refrigerator and the milk in the cabinet and have a good laugh about it.

See a Doctor:

You have no idea where things are supposed to go!

Probably Normal:

You take a wrong turn on the way to your favorite grocery store, or get momentarily lost in familiar territory.

See a Doctor:

You leave home, and can’t find your way back!

Probably Normal:

You find it difficult to learn how to use new appliances or electronic devices.

See a Doctor:

You find it impossible to learn to use anything new!

Probably Normal:

You feel forgetful, but your family and friends don’t notice it.

See a Doctor:

Your forget when family and friends to tell you about your forgetfulness!

Originally Published: July 11, 2012

Originally Published in Reader's Digest