Your memory is what you rely on to remember the good things from your past, those beautiful memories that you never want to forget. It’s also what you use to remember where you put the car keys, and what items you need to pick up at the store. If you need help improving your memory, this article should give you some tips on making that happen.
To boost your memory, make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can seriously impair memory, causing you to forget even the most basic things in your day to day life. If you regularly have trouble sleeping, you can try natural sleep aids such as melatonin or consider talking to your doctor about prescription sleep medication instead.
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.
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.
Believing you have a poor memory is a self-fulfilling prophecy! If you are constantly telling yourself and other people that you have a bad memory, then that is exactly what you will have! As with anything, keeping a positive attitude will improve the situation so stop reminding yourself that you are forgetful and as your outlook improves, so will your memory!
To help yourself remember something jot down some notes, say them aloud and keep your notes organized. When you involve different functions of your body such as writing and talking to remember something, those physical activities will help your brain recall more effectively. In addition, the notes serve as a visual memory aid.
One the best ways to keep your mind its sharpest is to get plenty of exercise. In other words, exercise is as good for your mind as it is for your body.
A good tip that can help you improve your memory is to make sure that you’re keeping your stress levels in check. Too much stress has been shown to severely impair memory functions. Take some time to relax and unwind if you are looking to improve your memory.
Carefully focus on what you are trying to memorize. This is especially important when you are studying. Never try to multitask. Turn off the television, turn off the radio. Just focus on what you need to memorize and the knowledge you need to retain. Many things can distract you without you even realizing it.
If you need help retaining a difficult concept or remembering the massive amount of information you studied the night before that big college exam, get up and get moving. The brain, like other parts of our body, requires energy to work, and it gets that energy from oxygen and other nutrients carried through the bloodstream. Spending long, unbroken hours in a chair, pouring over books or staring at a computer screen, causes the blood to congeal and deprives the brain of that needed energy. So get up and go for a brisk walk or a swim, anything to get the blood pumping and moving through your body. It’s a proven fact that the more physically active you are, the smarter you will be too.
Draw a picture! If you are having trouble remembering something – try doodling! Drawing relaxes your mind, opens it up. It doesn’t matter if you are a terrible artist. Just scribbling on a piece of scrap paper will do. Your thoughts will feel more organized and memories will come to you much easier.
If you suffer from loss of memory, be sure to see a psychiatrist or therapist. Memory loss can be a sign that you suffer from anxiety or depression, and you may not even know it. If you do have anxiety or depression, treating it could be the key to you getting your memory back.
When you are trying to learn something new and you want to remember it, associate with something you already know. For instance, let’s say you are learning a new phone number, remember it by thinking of a similar phone number. You have a better chance of keeping new information this way.
Try working on learning a new skill if your brain feels unfocused and your memory is lacking. New skills use new parts of the brain and force you to expand your ways of thinking. Learn to juggle, build something, try martial arts, or take a cooking class to broaden your brain’s abilities.
Paying attention to what you are doing will help your memory. When studying or memorizing something, avoid distractions. Find an environment you are comfortable in. Learn how to focus on something, and if you can, find material that interest you. Focusing on something that interest you should be relatively easy.
To help you remember what you have to do for the day, set reminders. For instance, if you have to pay bills set an object on top them that’s out of place. Seeing the out of place object will be the reminder you need to pay your bills.
To help you to remember something, take that abstract thought or article and place it in a memory palace. A memory palace is some place that is familiar to you. By picturing yourself walking through that space, and then seeing, feeling, or hearing the thing you want to remember, that thought will come easier to you. This is a technique used by professionals regularly.
As you can see from this article, there are a lot of things that you can be doing to keep your memory active and functioning well. It’s only natural to start getting a little bit forgetful as you get older, but that doesn’t mean that you have to deal with memory loss that prevents you from living your life to the fullest.
