If you’ve ever walked into the kitchen, looked around, and thought, “Now why did I come in here?” you’re in good company.

According to researchers, it isn’t necessarily a sign you’re getting older.

In fact, it happens to people of all ages.

Scientists say the phenomenon is known as the “doorway effect.” The idea is surprisingly simple: when you walk through a doorway into a new room, your brain subconsciously treats the new location as the beginning of a new event. As it shifts its attention to the new surroundings, the thought you were holding onto can temporarily slip into the background.

In other words, your brain essentially says, “Okay, we’re somewhere new now. What’s important here?”

Unfortunately, what was important five seconds ago may suddenly disappear.

Researchers have found that crossing physical boundaries—such as doorways—can interrupt short-term memory more than simply walking the same distance in an open room. The brain appears to organize memories into separate “chapters,” and a doorway acts almost like the page break between them.

The good news is that this doesn’t automatically mean your memory is failing.

Even young adults experience the same thing, especially when they’re distracted or trying to juggle several thoughts at once.

Experts say one simple trick often works surprisingly well.

If you suddenly can’t remember why you entered the room, simply walk back through the doorway to where you were a few moments earlier.

Returning to the original environment can often trigger the forgotten thought because your brain reconnects with the context in which the memory was formed.

It doesn’t work every time.

But many people swear by it.

Of course, there are those who insist they have their own methods.

Some stand perfectly still until the memory comes back.

Others retrace every step they took.

And a few simply shrug, open the refrigerator anyway, and figure they probably wanted a snack.

Scientists may have an impressive explanation for the doorway effect.

That still doesn’t explain why so many of us open the refrigerator, stare into it for thirty seconds, close the door, and then immediately open it again—hoping something better has appeared.

How about you?

Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you were there? Do you have a trick for remembering? Or is it just part of getting older?