Is the ability to forget a strength or a weakness? Forgetting certain things, such as every single face you pass by in a crowded public space is practical, according to a post on Psychology Today. Of course, forgetting the times when someone may have said something inadvertently that insulted you is also beneficial. But what about day-to-day forgetfulness, the kind that slows us down and makes us feel stressed? While that type of memory declines more with age, the good news is that it can be improved. Here are the top things that people forget and how to fix it:

Keys/Phone/Wallet

We’ve all had that feeling – out the door, coffee in hand, hit the road – only to realize that something is missing. Whether it’s your keys, your phone or your wallet – or any other object that you typically carry with you every day – you still manage to forget it. And now that you’re without it, you realize you don’t remember where you left it. Why wasn’t it on the counter where it normally is? This aspect of your memory is called “spatial memory.”

Names

While there are definitely some people that have a knack for names (these people at parties sometimes show off how they can name every player on a sports team), for most of us remembering names of colleagues, neighbors, friends of friends, or even distant relatives can be tricky. It can be common to feel embarrassed when making an introduction only to have that name sitting on the tip of your tongue but just blanking. This aspect of your memory is called “word recall.”

Valuable Memories from Childhood

The first day of high school, your first kiss, the family vacation to a foreign country. These are all memorable milestones, yet the details of these events may get hazy over time. You might remember that you did those things, and the feelings associated with them, but may forget the year, where exactly you were, and who was with you. This aspect of your memory is called “long-term memory.”

Tapping Into Your Brain’s Hidden Potential

There are certain techniques that can be helpful for remembering in the moment. Some experts suggest the use of mnemonics or visual cues, such as writing a note to yourself. Another way that memory decline can be improved is through taking care of your overall health. Researchers have found a super-high concentration of cocoa flavanols  has been proven to improve these three different aspects of memory: spatial memory, word recall, and long-term memory. The reason why these plant-based cocoa flavanols work is because they increase blood flow throughout the body, including parts of the brain that are sensitive to aging and memory loss, delivering the high levels of oxygen and nutrients that your brain needs to maintain optimal performance.

The overall health benefits of the 750 mg found in the cocoa flavanols daily supplement CocoaVia™ Memory+ have been studied for decades (including 10 years of memory research), with double-blind, randomized clinical studies (the gold standard) and hundreds of published research papers. Studies have shown memory improvements in just eight weeks.

Even though we are all getting older, we can still bring a high level of performance to everything we do, at work and at home. CocoaVia™ Memory+ is a science-backed way to keep your memory sharp, at every age.

(SP)