How To Overcome Memory Block？ – 10 Methods

What does “mental block” mean? How can you avoid them in the future? Why do they occur? As the majority of the global workforce shifts to full- or part-time remote work, these questions are being raised more frequently.

Before the pandemic, it was simple to drop by the offices of your coworkers to get clarification or discuss problems with ideas. Getting the solutions and support they require when encountering workplace obstacles, however, is now a challenge for many remote workers.

This article explores how to get past mental obstacles whether you’re working from home or in an office. But first, let’s go over what mental blocks are, how to spot them, and what the most typical reasons are.

Table of Contents

What is a Mental Block?

A mental block is a psychological barrier or constrictive mindset that keeps you from completing significant tasks and succeeding. Unseen obstacles that prevent you from being productive are mental blocks.

You might find it difficult to follow a train of thought or see a project through if you’re experiencing mental blocks at work. If you can’t concentrate for a sustained period of time, you might keep thinking about the same issues.

When our thought processes become imprisoning, mental blocks frequently result. We might be unable to complete a project because we’re too stressed or overwhelmed by the results.

Your disposition at work is frequently a good indicator of a mental block. Do you often struggle to focus, feel agitated, or have trouble getting enough food or rest? Mental blocks can have long-term effects, including burnout and possibly affecting your future physical stamina, if they are not addressed.

The 5 Reasons Main Mental Block Causes

If Tobore is right (and I believe he is), then the conventional theories for why we encounter mental blocks are untrue.

Typically, we’re told that we experience them when we’re:

Overwhelmed
Tired
Stressed
Unrested

Although these conditions—particularly stress—can undoubtedly affect one’s ability to focus and access memory, they do not constitute convincing justifications.

We know this because many people compete on Jeopardy, perform on stage, or deliver speeches while dealing with all of these challenges and still perform admirably. It just doesn’t make sense that these frequently cited factors are to blame because athletes also have to access procedural memory under difficult circumstances.

1. Lack Of Preparation

Most people run into obstacles because they didn’t adequately prepare themselves.

Instead of thoroughly reading the books, they might have skimmed or scanned them. This prevents the brain from creating sufficient connections to paint a full enough picture. You end up with sand that quickly blows away in the wind rather than a solid study foundation.

I was a novice when I experienced my panic attack in front of the lecture hall. I didn’t give the lecture’s conclusion much thought, which was a major contributor to my issue. I was fine up until the close and believed I could wing it. But I was mistaken, and that caused me to have a severe mental block.

2. Lack Of Practice

I’ve graded many exams and essays in my capacity as a professor.

The work of diligent students can easily be distinguished from that of lazy ones.

I studied for each and every one of my field exams and the dissertation defense I had to pass to earn my Ph.D. Simply asking friends to test me and adhering to the dedicated practice rules was all that was required.

I wasn’t feeling well enough to perform well when I gave my TEDx Talk. But it didn’t matter because I had repeatedly practiced giving the talk. To make sure I knew it completely, I even memorized it and wrote it out three times by hand.

So, regardless of how worn out, overburdened, or stressed I felt, I knew I could rely solely on memory consolidation for both the procedural memory of giving the talk and the semantic memory of the words and phrases.

3. Communication Challenges

Congenital problems or brain disorders affect some people. For instance, those who have aphasia may need to be taught to rely on formulaic speech patterns. However, because normal speech does not always flow in a clean manner, people with these problems can easily become stuck.

Although you could interpret such situations as “overwhelm,” it is a very specific kind of overwhelm based on the fact that parts of the brain have been impaired.

When I think back to the panic attack I experienced in the lecture hall, I realize that it took place at a time when I was drinking heavily. Because I prioritized alcohol over nourishing food as a result, my brain became dehydrated. It is therefore not surprising that I was unable to come up with an original ending for my talk that day.

4. Focusing On The Block

When a mental block appears, it’s simple to feel as though you’re caught in a headlight. You end up intensifying the symptoms rather than trying to ease your way out of them. This occurs as a result of your brain’s preoccupation with the issue rather than the potential solutions.

Options include:

Taking a few deep breaths
Getting a drink of water and/or a snack
Taking a walk or stretching

If you’re taking an exam, you might be pleasantly surprised by your examiner’s generosity if you need a break. But if you concentrate too hard on the issue, you might not even consider asking.

5. Negative Patterns

It’s simple to repeat unfavorable thoughts that exacerbate the issue, which is connected to concentrating on the mental block itself.

For example, students often tell themselves during exams, “I don’t know this!” Instead of asking the next question and going back to where they are stuck, they keep repeating the statement like a mantra.

How To Overcome Any Memory Block In 9 Steps？

1. Plan Ahead And Finish Early

I experienced anxiety throughout my life, not just in my early years as a university professor.

Finding out what would be expected of me as far in advance as possible was one of my go-to strategies as an undergrad for ensuring that I received top grades.

I would ask for the course syllabi via email from my professor as soon as I knew which courses I would be taking in order to accomplish this. They weren’t always eager to give them before the first day of class, but frequently enough, they would.

2. Customize The Questions

I had to finish a fourth-year-level course in Romantic literature during my final year of undergrad.

3. Expand Your Context

We frequently experience memory blocks that are difficult to break out of because our frames of reference are too narrow.

However, we can reduce our chances of getting stuck by extending our knowledge through efficient reading techniques. Almost substitutes or related subjects will come to mind as conversation starters.

All people experience mental blocks occasionally, but if you listen to or watch enough intelligent people speak, you’ll see that they are skilled at coming up with alternate solutions when the ideal response doesn’t pop into their heads right away.

4. Learn And Practice Depth Relaxation

Since high school, I’ve been interested in meditation. I didn’t begin practicing it seriously, though, until I was in my Ph.D. years. I also took a course to become a certified hypnotherapist as part of my research into friendship, primarily to examine the function of persuasion in friendship.

5. Place The Focus Elsewhere

Even though I have an excellent memory, there are times when I have trouble finding a word or reference. When this happens, I simply call a spade a spade and say, “I’m going to get it back.”

The original thought I was looking for will frequently come to me on its own if I’m just willing to acknowledge what’s going on in my head and temporarily concentrate on something else.

6. Consult The Alphabet

I occasionally opt for a straightforward approach rather than becoming frustrated when I can’t find the names of the people I’m looking for.

For instance, it occurred to me today. For some reason, even though I was thinking of Dan Harlan, I couldn’t recall his last name.

7. Use Memory Techniques

Nevertheless, you will experience these mental blocks much less frequently if you employ the Memory Palace technique effectively.

Making proper use of the technique is the trick. It’s a real skill that, like all skills, can only be useful to you to the extent that you can master it. If you need help learning to use it。

8. Use Other Accelerated Learning Techniques

You have access to a vast array of strategies in addition to memory techniques. To name a couple of examples, you can learn to read more quickly and mind map.

Be careful not to experiment, though. If you don’t give these strategies the respect they deserve, they won’t be of much use. The following point is crucial for this reason.

9. Practice Thoroughly

I’ve spent a lot of time studying for exams and presentations, as I mentioned above.

When it comes to practice, the amount of time you practice usually isn’t as important as what you practice during the time you have.

Additionally, you must reflect carefully on the precise area in which you need practice. The way you prepare for exams differs from how you prepare to deliver a speech or perform a magic trick.