Some people blame their memory problems on age; however, even young adults have problems remembering things. If you are concerned about your memory and wish to improve or maintain it, keep reading, and avoid those ‘senior moments’.
A key to keeping your memory sharp as a tack is to keep up your social relationships. By surrounding yourself with friends and family, especially those that you consider a great support system, you are helping your memory to stay alive. Research actually shows that those with the most active lifestyle showed the slowest rate of memory loss.
Stop telling yourself you have a weak memory. When you say these things you begin to plant the thought in your mind and it becomes a reality. Remind yourself constantly that you have a great memory and you can remember anything as long as you put your mind to the task. You will see an improvement in your recall ability.
Saying what you’re trying to remember outloud is a fast and easy way to boost your memory. Though it may feel silly at first, saying things outloud is a great tool for memorization. When you re-read something over and over again to try to memorize it, you may start skimming. Saying it outloud forces you to read and listen to the whole thing each time.
One way to improve your memory is by limiting distractions and focusing only on the information you want to remember. With today’s hectic lifestyle, most people spend a great deal of time multitasking. By clearing all distractions and focusing only on the information you are trying to remember, it allows you to build a strong, clear memory that will be easy to recall at a later time.
Writing by hand is a great way to help your memory. Writing with a pen or pencil engages your brain in a different way than typing on a computer. You can either copy out a speech your trying to memorize or keep track of your daily to do list by writing in a calendar. If you’ve written it out, you may be able to remember without even checking your list!
Try to visualize what you are trying to remember. When you see a mental picture of what you want to learn, you can recall it better. Visualize things like images, charts, or special aspects of the material that you are reading. When you remember those characteristics, you can recall the material more effectively.
To improve your memory you need to have fun and laugh a lot. Your memory needs healthy fun besides training. Struggling for 6 hours with the latest Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle might seem to enhance memory functions, but in most cases socializing with friends, going to the movies or enjoying a play at the local theatre helps much more.
In order to improve your memory, you may want to consider taking ginseng. Ginseng contains chemical compounds that are believed to be beneficial in aiding the absorption and retention of information. Plus, it’s been shown to be great for your health overall. You also want to consider adding green tea to your diet as well, as it is also proven to help you retain information.
If you feel that your memory is suffering, try to reduce stress, anger, and especially depression in your life. One of the primary symptoms of depression is actually an inability to concentrate, which makes it extremely difficult to acquire and retain memories. See a professional if you think this could apply to you.
If you have a list of words that you need to remember, try putting them in alphabetical order. Our society has already categorized many common items into alphabetical lists, so it is a pattern that your brain is familiar with. As a result, when you alphabetize a list of words, your brain recognizes the well-known familiar pattern and has an easier time recalling them at a later date.
If you are a student studying for a test, it is important not to over study. Of course it is natural to want to remember information on the test, but by studying too much you are actually overworking your brain cells, which in turn could cause you to not remember anything.
Before you make a commitment to improve your memory, be sure you are all ready to do so and keep an open mind. Some people’s memories will not improve because they are not willing to try certain techniques given to them. Tell yourself that with enough hard work, your memory will work fine in no time!
Did you know that, even late in life, you can grow new brain cells within the memory center of your brain? Recent research has revealed that high-level aerobic exercise, such as running and bicycling, actually stimulates the growth of new brain neurons within the brain’s hippocampus. If you want to have a better memory, adding more aerobic exercise to your daily activities will help.
If you have forgotten something important that you need to remember, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Try breathing exercises by holding your breath in for a few seconds and releasing it. After doing this a few times, go back to trying to remember what you have forgotten.
A great way to improve memory and brain elasticity is to read a large variety of books. Read novels from all eras and places as well as histories, self help books, nonfiction books, and anything else you can find. The different types of information you take in give your brain a workout.
Organize the information you are trying to memorize. If you structure your information efficiently, you should be able to recreate it later and easily remember the information. Organize your information into categories that make sense to you. Work on memorizing one category at a time.
Now that you have picked up a few useful bits of information on strengthening your memory, you should continue looking for opportunities to try these tricks out in your daily life. After all, practice makes perfect – and that’s an adage that even the most forgetful of us are likely to remember!
