Empowering Restaurants and Communities Affected by COVID-19: The Surprising Benefits of Forgetting

Empowering Restaurants and Communities Affected by COVID-19: The Surprising Benefits of Forgetting

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local restaurants have been hit hard, struggling to stay afloat amidst lockdowns and restrictions. However, amidst these challenges, there is an opportunity to empower both restaurants and the communities they serve. But how can we do this? And what does it have to do with the surprising benefits of forgetting?

When it comes to memory, we often think of it as a storage system, a way to retain information and recall it when needed. However, forgetting is just as important as remembering. In fact, forgetting allows us to generalize, abstract, and filter information, making it easier for us to make connections and be more creative. This is why most creative types seem to function best in the morning, when the effects of forgetting during sleep are still present.

Our brains have three main regions dedicated to memory: the save function in the hippocampus, the retrieve function in the prefrontal cortex, and the hard drive towards the back of the brain. When we remember something, the connections in our neurons strengthen, but when we forget, those connections weaken.

But why is forgetting so crucial for our cognitive abilities? It's because forgetting allows us to sort and generalize information. Imagine if everything was novel and nothing was familiar; even the smallest change would provoke anxiety. Forgetting helps us avoid this anxious state, allowing us to navigate through our daily lives more smoothly. Additionally, forgetting emotional memories is essential for our mental well-being. While we shouldn't forget the facts of a traumatic event, it is beneficial to let go of the emotional component.

One way to accelerate emotional forgetting after a trauma is through behavioral interventions, such as engaging in a socially active network. Socializing helps us turn down the emotional component of memories, allowing us to move forward. Exposure therapy is another example of how forgetting mechanisms can be harnessed to re-balance our memory associations. By associating a traumatic event with something benign, the emotional charge of the memory is diminished.

Sleep also plays a crucial role in forgetting. When we sleep, the mechanisms that result in memories wilt back down, allowing us to start each day with a fresh slate. This is why researchers have found that most creative individuals tend to function best in the morning. Forgetting is essential for the ability to create unexpected associations and have those "eureka" moments that define creativity.

Interestingly, individuals who are known to have a "bad memory" often make better decisions. This is because they don't heavily rely on their memory and instead double-check information before making decisions. In decision-making, the tortoise mind, which takes the time to consider all aspects, always beats the hare brain.

So, how can we apply these insights to empower restaurants and communities affected by COVID-19? Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Foster social connections: Encourage local restaurants to create socially active networks within their communities. By organizing events, promoting social interactions, and fostering a sense of belonging, restaurants can help their customers move forward and accelerate the process of emotional forgetting.

2. Embrace creativity and innovation: Encourage local restaurants to tap into their creative potential. By forgetting old ways of doing things and embracing new ideas, restaurants can adapt to the changing landscape and find innovative solutions to the challenges they face.

3. Promote informed decision-making: Encourage restaurants and their communities to prioritize informed decision-making. By not relying solely on memory, but instead double-checking information and considering all aspects, restaurants can make better decisions that will benefit both their business and the community.

In conclusion, the surprising benefits of forgetting can empower local restaurants and communities affected by COVID-19. By understanding the role of forgetting in our cognitive abilities, fostering social connections, embracing creativity and innovation, and promoting informed decision-making, we can navigate these challenging times and build a stronger future together. Remembering is important, but forgetting allows us to move forward and make meaningful connections that drive positive change.