The older I get, the more panicked I become when something slips my mind. Is forgetting my keys a sign of a more serious health condition, or did I simply rush out the door without grabbing them? 

My colleague Renée Onque interviewed neurologist Richard Restak about when memory lapses are cause for concern. Here are signs of normal memory lapses, ones that shouldn’t alarm you: 

• Remembering childhood moments differently than your siblings

• Taking the wrong exit on the way home

• Forgetting where you parked your car

Potential signs of serious memory concerns are: 

• Forgetting how to play games you’ve played often and are really good at, and not remembering what’s already happened in the game as you play

• Not being sure how you arrived at a place (by car or bus, driving yourself or being driven by someone else)

Luckily I don’t think I fall in the latter category. But how do I keep it that way? Restak offers some guidance on that too: “Avoid boredom, stay challenged.” 

He plays a memory game every morning in which he writes down 10 words before leaving the house to walk his dog and then recites them in order when he returns. 

By consistently doing small exercises like these, I can hopefully limit my memory lapses to occasionally forgetting my keys.

CNBC