Whether you lose your keys often or have difficulty putting names with faces, having trouble remembering things can be frustrating. With a bit of mental training, however, you can improve your ability to remember details and information. The following tips should help you regain mental flexibility and improve your memory.
When a person is sleep deprived, his brain struggles to be fully functioning. Simple things like problem-solving, creative thinking and remembering, suddenly become difficult. Getting a full night’s rest each and every night will maintain your brain’s ability to function at capacity. Enough sleep also increases your memory since the most important memory enhancing activities occur while you are in your deepest sleep.
Take advantage of social networking sites to remember birthdays. Take the time to invite all your friends to join you on your social networking site, and be sure to ask them when their birthdays are and enter this information in the birthday reminder program provided so that you will always be notified in advance.
In order to maintain a good memory, Omega-3’s are an essential part of your diet. There are several sources of Omega-3 including fish, walnuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and soybeans. If any of those foods don’t appeal to you, it’s also acceptable to take fish oil supplements in order to keep your memory fully functioning.
A great tip for improving your memory is to deliberately increase your intake of fish oil, which is known to boost concentration and recall. By seeking foods high in Omega-3 acids or taking fish oil supplements, it is possible to experience noticeable improvement in your ability to remember important things.
For memory improvement, rid yourself of unpleasant or negative thoughts. Studies have shown that people undergoing stress and having negative thoughts are likely to suffer from memory loss. Your doctor can be a great resource for methods of relieving stress.
Make sure that your diet has good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Most commonly found in fish, these fatty acids do a superb job of keeping your brain on its toes. Numerous studies have shown a positive benefit to the brain when the diet contains omega-3’s. Try adding pink salmon, walnuts and flax seed, so you can get this essential fat.
Avoid smoking cigarettes to keep your memory from being negatively affected. Studies have shown that the memory of smokers suffers more than compared to non-smokers. You probably didn’t need yet another reason to quit, but maybe this will be the one that lets you finally put down that pack.
Keep your social life active. It is proven that those with an active social life have a better memory. Talk to your friends and family, either in person or over the phone, because it will stimulate your brain. Having an active social life will slow your memory from fading.
Mnemonic devices can be a great way to help you memorize information. Mnemonics are simply a way to remember facts by associating them with some familiar image or word. For example, each element of a list could be associated with a flower that starts with the same letter, or you could turn the list into a memorable rhyme.
Take this time to link information that you want to remember to information that you have already stored in your brain. Tying this new information with something already learned forms a connection between the new and old ideas. This gives you a much better chance of recalling it later. These relational exercises should help you develop a better memorization process.
Avoid cramming. Work in regular study sessions that you have set out on a schedule. Having a set time to study will help your brain remember the facts you present to it. Cramming simply presents your brain with too much information to remember at any one time, and so you will forget much of it.
Here is a trick for memory! As trivial as it may seem, try to do handstands! By standing on your hands, you are allowing blood flow to your brain. Having sufficient blood flow to your brain helps it to absorb and remember new information. You could also try lying on your back on your bed with your head hanging off the end!
Keep lists and write things down but do it in the appropriate place. Keep your addresses and phone numbers written down in a contact book, but keep your shopping list on a specific notepad on the fridge. The act of writing the list will help you remember those items, while knowing where the list is will keep you from forgetting that too!
For important things you have to remember on a certain day, use a pen and write the information on your hands. This is a technique that has been used for generations and it works because you know the information is on you at all times. Just make sure you do not wash your hands!
If you have a bad memory and you are on certain medications, you may want to get a pill organizer. This way, you will remember to take your medicine at the time you need to. Also, if you have forgotten whether you have taken your medication or not, you can always look at your pill organizer.
You need to actively prepare your mind before you start to try to remember something. In the same way a runner needs to stretch first, you need to visualize yourself learning what you are trying to commit to memory. This can also help you to be more prepared and organized as well.
A key component to memory is to give yourself less to memorize. Instead of having to remember where you put your keys, always put your keys in the same place so that you only have to memorize where you always put your keys, instead of where you put them this one time. This same principle applies to memorizing many things.
As mentioned previously, you can train yourself to more effectively recall information like names, telephone numbers, and more. Forgetting something important can be frustrating and embarrassing, but the tips and advice outlined in this article can help you to give your mind a workout and boost your ability to remember essential information.
