Title: 5 Surprising Ways That Stress Affects Your Brain
Headings: 5 Surprising Ways That Stress Affects Your Brain
5 Surprising Ways That Stress Affects Your Brain
Chronic Stress Increases Mental Illness
Stress Changes the Brain's Structure
Stress Kills Brain Cells
Stress Shrinks the Brain
Stress Hurts Your Memory
A Word From Verywell

Content: 5
Stress Hurts Your Memory
Debbi Smirnoff / E+ / Getty Images
If you've ever tried to remember the details of a stressful event, you are probably aware that sometimes stress can make events can be difficult to remember. Even relatively minor stress can have an immediate impact on your memory, such as struggling to remember where your car keys are or where you left your briefcase when you are late for work. One study found that chronic stress has a negative impact on what is known as spatial memory, or the ability to recall information the location of objects in the environment as well as spatial orientation. 11 A 2014 study revealed that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol were connected to short-term memory declines in older rats. 12
The overall impact of stress on memory hinges on a number of variables, one of which is timing. Research suggests that when stress occurs immediately before learning, memory can actually be enhanced by aiding in memory consolidation. 13
On the other hand, stress has been shown to impede memory retrieval. For example, studies have shown that exposure to stress impairs memory retrieval in children. 14
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While stress is certainly a part of life that cannot be avoided in many cases, researchers do believe that by understanding exactly how and why stress impacts the brain, they can gain insight into preventing or even undoing so