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The Psychology Behind Why You Forget Things After Walking Through A Door

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We watched our parents, grandparents and even teachers do it – and now it’s our turn… Walking with purpose through a door, so sure about what we’re heading into another room to do and then, out of nowhere, we’ve forgotten.

It’s so annoying. “It can’t have been that important,” a loved one reassures you.

You know deep down though, it was important. It wasn’t forgettable but you’ve somehow managed to forget in the split second it took for you to walk into the next room. It’s gone. It’s done. You’ll have to remember again later.

Now, repeat for the rest of your life.

Why do we forget what we’re doing when we walk through a door?

You will be relieved to hear that this is a real thing and it is actually very aptly named ‘The Doorway Effect’. The phenomenon comes down to how our minds are organised, not how forgetful we are.

For almost 20 years, psychologists at the University of Notre Dame Indiana have been investigating this issue. In one study, the team used a virtual reality setup to show that their volunteers’ memory of items in a room was diminished once they walked through a doorway into another room.

Their explanation for this is that our memories are divided into episodes.

This means that we find it trickier to recall information from earlier episodes and, critically, when we walk through a doorway, it creates a new episode or ‘event boundary’.

This new event boundary makes it more difficult to recall our purpose, which was stored in the previous memory episode.

Basically, our brain does a little refresh as we walk through a door.

Or, as Psychology professor Gabriel Radvansky said: “Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away.

“Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalised.”

How to remember what you were going to do

Health experts at Brainline recommend the following steps:

  • Avoid trying to do too many things at once.
  • Repeat the name of the object of your search over and over until you find it
  • Write down what you’re looking for. Even just one word may be enough to trigger your recall.
  • Take something with you to remind you what you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for your purse, take the bill you intend to pay.
  • Retrace your steps. For some, going back to the “scene of the crime” helps them recall what they’re looking for.
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Reform UK Splits Erupt As MP Takes Swipe At ‘Messiah’ Nigel Farage

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A Reform UK MP has accused Nigel Farage of acting like the “messiah” as splits within the party burst into the open.

Rupert Lowe said Farage must “learn to delegate” and that Reform needed to “start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting”.

His comments, made in an interview with the Daily Mail, mark the first time a Reform UK MP has openly criticised the party’s leader.

Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, said: “We have to change from being a protest party led by the Messiah into being a properly structured party with a front bench, which we don’t have.

“We have to start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting.

“Nigel is a messianic figure who is at the core of everything but he has to learn to delegate, as not everything can go through one person.”

Lowe went on: “We have to start developing policy which is going to change the way we govern.

“I’m not going to be by Nigel’s side at the next election unless we have a proper plan to change the way we govern from top to bottom.”

But speaking to the Telegraph, Farage hit back at Lowe’s criticism of his leadership style.

He said: “It’s difficult to have a front bench with only five MPs, isn’t it? And he’s one of them.”

Asked about Lowe’s specific criticism of his delegation skills, Farage said: “Delegate? I’ve delegated everything.”

He added: “If we had 30 MPs, we’d have a front bench, but with five, we can’t.”

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “This internecine warfare at the top of Reform just goes to show that their MPs are more concerned with their own egos, and advancing their personal ambitions, rather than standing up for the British people.

“With one of Farage’s most senior MPs doubting his leadership abilities and admitting that Reform is a protest party with no plan, it is clear that Reform are not serious, and will always put self-interest above our national interest.”

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Richard Tice Humiliated As He’s Unable To Answer Most Basic Question About Reform’s New Defectors

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Richard Tice was humiliated today when he was unable to give the full names of the latest two councillors to defect to Reform UK.

Tice called journalists from across Scotland to announce the Tory defections in a press conference outside a Glasgow chip shop.

But, as he was making the declaration, Tice seemed to forget it was Renfrewshire councillor John Gray and South Lanarkshire councillor Ross Lambie who he was welcoming to his party.

According to The National, the MP for Boston and Skegness initially refused to say even their names and ducked inside the chip shop.

When he did eventually come outside to speak to the press, Tice said: “I’ve got John and Ross, and they’re from…”

The Scottish Daily Mail’s deputy political editor, Tom Gordon, cut in and said: “What are their surnames, John and Ross?”

Tice replied: “Are you going to challenge me on everything or are you going to ask a policy question?”

Gordon said: “I’ll challenge you on that.”

Reform UK’s deputy leader deflected and said: “I’m answering policy questions about how we make people better off.”

But Gordon persisted: “My question, my choice of question, to you, is what are their full names, and what council are they from?”

“John and Ross,” the MP replied.

“What councils are they from?” The journalist asked.

Tice turned away from Gordon and asked the crowd: “Next question. Who’s next?”

Gordon asked: “You cannot tell me who your council defectors are, why not?

“Do you know anything about Scottish politics? You can’t even name your own members up here?”

The Reform UK deputy said his party has 10,000 Scottish members, and he does not know them all, adding: “What we have got is policies that will make people better off in Scotland.”

He then posed for photos with the defectors whose names he did not know.

Reform UK has been celebrating the number of politicians leaving the Tories and Labour to join their party, and has even set up a dedicated “defections unit”.

It has also promised to form the next government after a surge in the opinion polls.

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Maura Higgins And Danny Jones’ Alleged Kiss Has Split Fans. But What Officially Counts As Cheating?

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The Sun recently shared footage of former Love Islander Maura Higgins and ex-McFly member Danny Jones, which they claimed showed a “drunken kiss” between the pair at this year’s Brit Awards.

The clip outraged some fans, with one asking “How could he do this?”.

But some people don’t think the very blurry, pixelated clip gives a solid enough base for allegations of cheating.

Others think the fact that Maura, Danny, and Danny’s wife Georgia Horsely still follow one another on Instagram is proof the “peck” was “innocent”.

We might never know what actually went on (none of the three have spoken about the alleged incident since).

But it does raise a question we thought we’d bring to relationship expert and sexologist Sofie Roos and matchmaker Susan Trombetti ― what actually counts as cheating?

There’s more than one type of cheating

Trombetti told HuffPost UK: “There’s emotional cheating, physical cheating, and micro cheating.”

These are set by the boundaries that exist between the couple, which change from relationship to relationship.

“Micro-cheating” can involve something as small as liking a model’s Instagram pictures, Roos says.

These “grey areas” are the ones you should be more vocal about ― “while most people agree that sleeping with someone else is considered cheating, it’s often the small things you think differently about, so those are most important to talk through.”

If you’re not sure whether something like a peck crosses an unspoken line, Trombetti says: “Anytime lying and secrets are involved, that’s a good indicator there is cheating.”

“The act of intimacy counts as cheating whether it’s physical or emotional with the exception of open relationships,” she adds.

“Intimacy can be emotional or physical and that’s why emotional affairs can be devastating. It doesn’t matter if you are physical or not.”

So… was the ‘kiss’ cheating?

The intent behind the action is what matters most, both experts agree.

“Cheating is cheating as established by the boundaries you both have stated… It’s called trust,” Trombetti told us.

If your partner knows they wouldn’t like you to do what they’re doing, that’s a sign their intent isn’t to benefit the relationship.

As the matchmaker said, though, we don’t know what the rules or intent between Danny Jones and wife Georgia were, or even what really happened between the I’m A Celeb contestants.

So unless we hear otherwise from the people involved, we can’t call it cheating, even if it’s something we wouldn’t be happy with.

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This Is Officially The Worst Position To Sleep In, Expert Says

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Side sleepers, take note: GI surgeon Dr Karan Rajan says that kipping on your left-hand side is way better for battling indigestion than your right.

The position “makes it harder for the contents [of your stomach] to leak into your oesophagus, meaning you’ll have a lower chance of acid reflux,” he explained.

If I was capable of actually falling asleep on my side, I’d consider taking that advice.

But I’m doomed to lie face-down, like a sloth ineffectively clinging to a too-big mattress trunk, if I plan on dozing at all.

The bad news continues: sleep coach James Wilson, also known as The Sleep Geek, says that’s the worst possible position to fall asleep in.

What’s wrong with sleeping on your front?

In an Instagram Reel, James said: “It is bad for your spine, your neck, your hips your knees, your whole body really.

Sleep on your side, preferably, or your back, (not great for snoring) to wake up less, and to spend less at the physio.”

He also recently told The Telegraph that the position is most likely to cause injury and added in his Instagram Reel that it will disrupt “both the quality and the quantity” of your sleep.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust agrees, writing that the posse generally isn’t advised because “you are more likely to move out of the midline position and strain your neck.”

If it’s truly the only way you can settle down, they advise putting a pillow under your stomach to prevent back pain.

So… how should I sleep?

If you can at all, “Start sleeping on your side, put a pillow between your legs, and give the pillow a hug,” James advised.

Cardiologist and director of Mayo Clinic’s sleep facility Dr Virend Somers agrees that sleeping on your side is probably best, saying you should elevate your head a little if you can too.

Sigh… I suppose I need to make some life changes.

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Jennifer Coolidge Has 4 Words For Anyone Hoping To See Her Return To The White Lotus

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Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the first two seasons of The White Lotus.

Jennifer Coolidge has made it clear we shouldn’t get our hopes up about seeing her back on The White Lotus in the future.

The Legally Blonde star has been enjoying a huge career renaissance since she started playing Tanya in the hit US anthology series, as evidenced by her wins at the Emmys, Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards and SAG Awards in the past few years.

Given that Tanya was killed off in the season two finale, it’s perhaps no surprise that the third iteration of The White Lotus has been the first not to feature Jen – although that hasn’t stopped fans from coming up with ways she could be shoehorned into a future season.

One popular suggestion has seen some White Lotus viewers claiming that Jennifer could play Tanya’s twin sister in a future season of The White Lotus, though she downplayed this idea during a recent interview with Forbes.

“Look, it’s not like I haven’t wished or whatever, but it isn’t happening,” she insisted. “It doesn’t matter.”

Jennifer then added: “They don’t need me.”

She also heaped praise on The White Lotus creator Mike White, who is also her personal friend, claiming he can “tell a story better than anybody”.

Although Jennifer’s character does not appear in the current series of The White Lotus, her presence is still very much felt thanks to the return of Jon Gries, who played Tanya’s love interest in the first two seasons.

Jennifer Coolidge and Jon Gries in one of The White Lotus' most iconic ever scenes
Jennifer Coolidge and Jon Gries in one of The White Lotus’ most iconic ever scenes

Fabio Lovino/HBO

“I hope he gets it!” Jennifer added during her Forbes interview. “I hope they do something terrible to him.”

Jon isn’t the only returning star in the new batch of episodes, though, with Natasha Rothwell reprising the role of Belinda, who had her own run-ins with Tanya during the show’s inaugural run.

The White Lotus continues on Monday on Sky and Now in the UK.

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Meghan Made A Kids’ Fruit Platter In Her New Netflix Show – And Parents Can’t Relate

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After much anticipation, the Duchess of Sussex’s new lifestyle show With Love, Meghan has officially dropped on Netflix.

In a teaser shared on the streaming service’s Instagram page a day before the release, the actor-turned-royal-turned-lifestyle-guru could be seen carefully cutting and arranging fruit in the shape of a rainbow for her children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.

“You don’t have to do a big platter of this,” Meghan said in the clip while arranging the fruit – an array of chopped blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, grapes and strawberries – by colour. “You could do this with one small row for your kids for breakfast, genuinely, and it makes the morning a lot more fun.”

The clip, which was shared yesterday, has prompted a mixed response on social media, with some questioning its relatability and who would have time to pull together £40-worth of fruit for their kids.

“Seriously, what busy mum has got time to fiddle about with a plate of fruit?” one Instagram user said on social media.

“I must be an awful Mother as I didn’t make rainbow fruit plates for my children!” added another.

Even Lorraine Kelly had something to say about the platter.

“Doesn’t that all look so clean and gorgeous and lovely and unrealistic though, for the rest of us!” said the show host on ITV’s Lorraine.

She later added: “Are you seriously, though, trying to say to me that you don’t, in the morning, when you’re getting the kids out to school and stuff, that you don’t cut up fruit in a beautiful way and put it in the shape of a rainbow? Are you telling me that?!”

It’s worth noting that the duchess did reflect in the clip that the platter isn’t an everyday occurrence in her trailer for the show.

While prepping the fruit, she said: “It’s a real delight in being able to be a present parent. And it’s a luxury sometimes because we all have to work. We all have a lot of stuff to do, but when you can take a minute to just…”

A member of the film crew quickly interjected with “Saturday morning” and the mum-of-two nodded. “Yeah,” she whispered.

In the eight-part series – which sees Meghan joined by guests including Roy Choi, Mindy Kaling and Alice Waters – the host also revealed her surname is now Sussex, to match her children.

Responding to Mindy Kaling, who said: “People wouldn’t believe that Meghan Markle ate at Jack In The Box [a fast food restaurant]”, Meghan replied: “You know I’m Sussex now.”

She added: “You have kids and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children.’ I didn’t know how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much to go, this is our family name, our little family name.”

It seems the show itself is very much like Marmite – with some loving it, and others, well, not so much. The Independent described it as “queasy and exhausting”.

“Cant wait to watch,” said one commenter in response to Netflix’s fruit platter-filled trailer.

Meanwhile in Google’s reviews for the series, a viewer said: “Really enjoying the show so far. Some great tips and ideas for different foods. I would also like to mention how sweet and lovely lady Meghan is.

“You can clearly see she is passionate, kind and an amazing mum to her lovely kids. Loved the kids tea party idea and very affordable for any household.”

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You Ask, Experts Answer: ‘My Husband Lent £7,500 To His Mother Without Telling Me’

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In a recent Reddit post shared by Twigs-Rain, the Redditor explained that their “husband lent all of our money to his mother” without telling them recently.

They explained that they’d recently totalled their main car, and while their family had a backup vehicle, it wasn’t big enough for their kids and was often used by their husband for work.

So, they saved up enough for a new vehicle, but their bank didn’t let them withdraw as much as they needed in one day.

To solve the problem, the poster’s husband “transferred the money to his mother’s bank so she could get the money or a cashier’s check out for us.”

Unbeknownst to the poster, though, their mother-in-law needed that £7,500-odd to pay her employees (she’s a business owner).

Without the poster’s knowledge, their husband turned what was meant to be a transfer into a loan ― and started turning down every car the poster showed her, leaving her confused and without transport.

“The fact that they made the plan together, didn’t consult me, and then hid it from me for a week really pisses me off,” the author wrote.

“It’s now been 15 days, and she still hasn’t paid us back. He says she’s waiting for a bank loan to come through. I feel like at this point she’s more of his wife than I am.”

We spoke to relationship expert Sofie Roos and Leah Levi, a psychologist and relationships expert at the safety-first dating app Flure, about what to do if your spouse lends money without your permission or even knowledge.

This is called “financial infidelity”

Just as affairs can be emotional as well as physical, Levi told HuffPost UK that your partner can “betray” you with money too.

“This kind of secrecy about money is called financial infidelity,” she explained.

“Like emotional or sexual infidelity, financial infidelity can create distance between partners and weaken their connection. It can also cause one partner to feel left out and lead to doubts about honesty in other areas of the relationship.”

Roos says that “money is one of the most sensitive topics in a relationship”, adding that a financial misalignment “can really cause relationship problems.”

Money can be tied with respect, loyalty, priority, safety, and equity in your relationship.

So, Levi says, “If your partner is lending money to friends or family without telling you, it can feel like a betrayal and damage trust in your relationship.”

What can I do if the betrayal has already happened?

Both experts agree with Levi’s advice, to “talk about your financial expectations as a couple and set clear boundaries.”

This is a clear case of the husband overstepping what should have been an obvious “boundary”, however.

If this is the case, you need to let your partner know that what they did hurt you, Roos said.

“Then ask them what their thoughts are about this, let them explain why they did what they did and how they view it now when they know how it made you feel.”

“From there, you can come up with a plan for how to deal with money overall, but also on how to deal with situations like the one you just were in, something that can re-build your thrust and minimise the risk of something like this happening again.”

As with any other boundary, if your clearly-stated financial needs are being ignored over and over again, it might be time to reconsider the relationship.

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Oscars Host Claims Disney Gave ‘Hard Pass’ To 1 Goodie Bag Inclusion

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Did you know the Oscars uses seat fillers to make the crowd seem full and busy on-air?

They’re not paid for the gig, have historically worn a badge that says they’re not a star, and usually have to be pretty well-connected to get the job.

But this year, host Conan O’Brien at least gave the event’s unrecognised cast members a snack box and a touching note, just as he did with the celebs.

In an X post, the editor-in-chief of Variety Ramin Setoodeh said: There’s a note from Conan under every #Oscars seat with a snack box of water and a pretzel.”

Conan O'Brien at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Conan O’Brien at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party

via Associated Press

In the note, the host claimed that he’d planned to include another item in the box ― but that it had been given a “hard pass” from Disney, who has the rights to air the show.

“Dear Star/Seat Filler, I hope you enjoy these complimentary snacks,” the note reads.

“I tried my best to include a gummy but Disney said that was a ‘hard pass’,” it continues.

That was presumably a cannabinoids-infused gummy ― they’re legal for over-21s in California, where the Oscars are held.

“Have a great night, Conan,” the note ended, along with a doodle of the host himself (the comedian is known by fans for his drawings).

Of course, it’s nowhere near as costly as this year’s Oscars goodie bag which went to all 25 top acting and directing nominees and included a five-night stay at a luxury resort and up to $1 million worth of emergency services to people affected by this year’s LA wildfires.

Still, people on X seemed touched by the gesture.

“This is so thoughtful,” one X user wrote. Others called Conan the “host of the decade.”

A commenter wanted to know what we were all wondering, too: “are [the notes] all the same copied and printed or did he handwrite them individually because he is both funny and genuine enough to do that?”

We reckon the reply to their question rings true though ― “I don’t think he’d have the time to handwrite hundreds of notes.”

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I’m A Travel Expert – Hearing This Code On A Plane Can Mean A Tragedy Has Occurred

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Did you know that airline staff aren’t just being friendly when they greet you onto the plane?

Yup ― according to flight attendant Kat Kamalani, “when you’re walking on the aeroplane and you see our happy smiley face[s], we’re actually looking you up and down, and we are trying to find our ABPs”.

ABPs stands for “able-bodied passengers” – or people who can help in an emergency.

And now, travel experts from Wander have told us: “While most flights go smoothly, flight crews use a secret language to discreetly communicate situations ranging from lighthearted quirks to serious, even life-or-death emergencies – often without passengers ever noticing.”

Code 300 or ‘Angel’ spells tragedy, according to experts

“If you hear ‘Code 300’ or ‘Angel’ on a flight, it could mean someone has died onboard,” the experts at Wander said.

“These discreet codes allow the crew to handle the situation without alarming other passengers or drawing attention to the tragic event,” they claimed.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has a set of rules airlines are encouraged to follow when a passenger dies.

Staff are advised to move the deceased to a seat, ideally one with few passengers near it. Some companies place them in a zipped body bag.

They have to notify the destination airport ASAP so the appropriate services are present when they land.

“Take extra care when moving the person and be aware of the difficulty of the situation for companions and onlookers,” the IATA continues.

Other passengers are let off the plane first, while the dead passenger and any family accompanying them stay on board “until the proper local authority has arrived to take care of the body”.

Are there any other codes?

According to Wander, yes.

They say that a “code yellow” refers to “a minor medical situation” such as a passenger feeling lightheaded or nauseous.

“While not an emergency, this term lets crew members discreetly monitor the situation and prepare any necessary assistance,” they explained.

And airline staff referring to a person as a “mermaid” is a
“playful yet passive-aggressive nickname for a passenger who deliberately sprawls out across empty seats to deter others from sitting in their row,” they added.

The more you know…

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