Did I Already Do That?
Why memory lapses happen in everyday life, what working memory is really doing, and how routine actions can bypass conscious tracking.
Dr. Donalee Markus’s Psychology Today writing on brain plasticity, communication, problem solving, memory, concussion, and how people learn to think more effectively.
These articles were a major part of the old site’s “Latest Blog Posts” section and helped introduce visitors to the underlying thinking behind Designs for Strong Minds®. They remain hosted on Psychology Today, but this page restores the full editorial trail inside the site.
This article series has also influenced clinicians, families, business leaders, and people navigating recovery after concussion and brain injury. It is one of the clearest public windows into Dr. Markus’s approach.
Why memory lapses happen in everyday life, what working memory is really doing, and how routine actions can bypass conscious tracking.
Categorization is one of the mind’s core survival tools. This post explores how we organize complexity and why that matters for thinking clearly.
Physical stance, movement, and posture reveal more about cognitive state and adaptation than many people realize.
A practical piece on metacognition, pattern recognition, and the difference between having information and knowing how to use it.
Language shapes thinking, emotion, and problem solving. The words we choose can either open up cognition or narrow it dramatically.
Communication breakdown is often less about unwillingness and more about how different people process information, context, and goals.
A look at why instructions fail, why people miss what seems obvious, and how better framing improves outcomes at home and at work.
Information overload taxes judgment, attention, and emotional bandwidth. This piece looks at what happens when the brain cannot organize the flow.
Good decisions depend on defining the problem correctly, filtering the right information, and recognizing which type of thinking the moment requires.
A direct look at brain injury recovery, cognitive restructuring, and what it means to rebuild skills that feel lost after concussion or trauma.
Intelligence alone does not protect people from bad decisions. The deeper issue is often rigidity, emotional investment, or flawed goal maintenance.
A follow-up on how personality structure, pride, and fixed response styles can distort reasoning even in highly capable people.
A simple drawing exercise reveals how brain injury affects organization, spatial reasoning, and recovery potential in ways people often miss.
Problem solving improves when people learn to frame the question correctly instead of rushing toward the first answer that feels familiar.
A continuation that uses multiple valid solutions to show how different answers expose different thinking styles and hidden assumptions.