Does stress affect your memory? - Elizabeth Cox

Explore the stages of how your memory stores information and how short-term stress impacts this process.

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You spend weeks studying for an important test. On the big day, you wait nervously as your teacher hands it out. You’re working your way through, when you’re asked to define "ataraxia." You know you’ve seen the word before, but your mind goes blank. What just happened? Elizabeth Cox details the complex relationship between stress and memory.

Lesson by Elizabeth Cox, directed by Artrake Studio.

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[rea]

In university, we had an oral exam and the girl beside me was very well prepared, but when the teacher asked the first question, she went numb. And same for the next two questions, she didn't even open her mouth even though she was repeating the same material just 10 minutes before. She failed and was crying like crazy afterward. That was the first time I saw someone completely freeze and it was sad and shocking at the same time.

[SharpDesign]

the irony of stress while trying to define ataraxia. (A state of serene calmness)

[unleashingpotential-psycho]

One thing I've noticed is that when I am stressed out with a lot of tasks to do, my memory is a lot worse since I'm always thinking about the task I need to get done. When I get rid of those tasks, my memory improves.

[pranavlimaye]

*TED-Ed*
_(n)_ : universally regarded as the best path to ataraxia.

[phoebegodiva-adeniyi]

Chronic stress needs to be conveyed in health classes from high school through college. I didn’t learn about chronic stress until I developed a heart condition from it. Great video.

[angelicamorales]

It's kind of helpful to know how stress impact the memory, being a person with anxiety it helps to realize that even though we're correct when we said that we can't learn things as faster as before and that often our memory fails, it's important to address these notions with information, and kindness, to remember to breathe more often. Thanks for providing these tools with accuracy and academic background.

[thehierophant]

For those interested or curious about what ataraxia is, it is the state of serenity and calmness in one's own psychological state, free of mortal restraints. Epicurus and many ancient philosophers believed it was the key to achieving eudaimonia (absolute goodness in your own life or happiness or something similar to that). The Stoics believed that, for this, apathia was necessary (being devoid of passionate emotions), and for the epicureans aponia was necessary (the absence of pain, the origins of utilitarianism according to JS mill).

[TommoCarroll]

Haha, Whilst having a friend scaring you when revising won't help...it would make the whole exam period a whole lot more exciting!

[aparnadasgupta]

The perfect video for me right now! Ted-ed always seems to guess my mood..

[ashelletuleja]

Most of the time when I'm stressed i can't even remember my best friends name, but I can remember random things that I haven't thought about in years that have nothing to do with my situation.

[PowahSlapEntertainmint]

There will be absolutely no hippos running in my campus.

[ThnAr]

Love the choice in word the girl is trying to remember! very clever. Also I really liked the art style in this one.

[MARILYNANDERSON]

This is a presentation by a well kept person in an academic environment, not advice from a person experiencing and surviving the stress of this brutal world of reality.

[dark.E-]

Wow the last part (definition of ataraxia) gave me chills

[kottonkandy]

Show this to schools everywhere. Many schools don't consider the mental health of their students carefully, and it can lead to failure of a course despite them being smart students, or being particularly exceptional students during classwork and homework, yet the excessive stress put on the brain causes them to freeze up and draw a blank whenever put on high stress situations. This is only one of the MANY, *MANY* flaws within the education system.

To put it simply,

Stress = Loss of Memory = Failure/partial failure.

School = Stress = Failure = Disappointment from your Family = You'll die alone as usual.

[AkshayKumar-sdmx]

Absolutely loved the way the word ATARAXIA was carried around in the video.

[er]

When I told the doctor about my loss of memory, he made me pay in advance.

[meribarseghyan]

While midterms are coming this was an interesting video to watch. I was always getting really stressed before my exams, now gradually I can stay more concentrated and calm. Being stressed really affects the way our brain works as it makes most of our brain be busy.

[IndrajaSalunkhe]

The illustration is beautiful. :) Thank you for sharing the information.

[ayannaez]

I really needed this I was going through this while taking a test and I was freaking out instead of crying and having a really bad anxiety attack I had to separate myself and leave and this made me understand more I just couldn’t remember and I made my anxiety worse which led to me not remembering I’m glad you understand this more thank you.