Everyone at one point or another complains about forgetting things. Our memories come into play every day of our lives. The better the memory you have, the more successful you can be in life. Below is a compilation of tips to help you develop and improve your memory.
To improve your memory, try to focus your attention on something by removing anything that can distract you from the task at hand. When you spend time to focus, the item of focus moves from short-term memory to long-term memory. Distraction adversely affects focus, and that results in poor memory.
If you want to have a better long-term memory, then you need to get in the practice of regular stretching and other exercise. These exercises keep the brain’s arteries open, and this is important because the brain is responsible for 15 percent of your body’s blood flow. Stretching also increases energy, flexibility and relaxation, which all help towards improved long-term memory as well.
A useful tip for anyone interested in improving their memory is to regularly work on solving word puzzles and similar types of games. Such puzzles utilize the same skills needed to recall facts, and therefore help keep the mind sharp. Not only will your memory likely improve, you will also have a great deal of fun.
To help improve your memory and overall brain function, try to eat a healthy diet. Studies have shown that eating certain foods can help improve a person’s memory. Spinach and many fruits, including blueberries, help memory function. Omega-3 fatty acids is also beneficial when trying to improve memory.
If you have a hard time remembering to do important things, you may want to leave yourself a voice message. Looking at your phone and seeing that you have a message will help to remind you that you have something important thing to do. Text messaging is another convenient reminder technique.
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.
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.
If you’d like to improve your ability to retain information, try visualizing the things that you’re hoping to memorize. If you are using a textbook to study, a good way to visualize information is to use photos and charts. Memorizing can also become easier by drawing your own graphs and other memory aids.
Putting information into categories will help you to remember it later! Everything has a category and compartmentalizing things in your memory by category can give you much greater recall. For example, chicken and hot dogs on your grocery list go into the category of meat and milk and water into beverages and so on.
Add a fish oil supplement to your diet to sharpen your memory and concentration. Omega-3, found in fish oil, is a necessary nutrient for memory, yet many of us do not get enough in our regular diet. Adding a supplement can improve overall health while also improving memory and concentration.
A well-nourished brain will definitely perform better in terms of memory. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Also, drink a lot of water. You should drink up to 8 glasses daily. Other ways to improve your diet is to limit the amount of saturated fat, but eat fish or supplements for omega-3 fatty acids (which improves brain function and fights against Alzheimer’s).
A good tip that can help you improve your memory is to participate in activities that can challenge you mentally. When it comes to memory, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Pick an activity you’re not familiar with so that it’s a good challenge for you.
A good way to remember names and improve memory is to use pictures to associate with the names. If the persons name is Bob Frost, try to remember them covered in frost. If the persons name is Gemma Hand, try to picture them standing and applauding giving someone standing ovation or giving them a hand moving.
Get sufficient sleep. Getting enough sleep is important to keeping your memory sharp. When you are asleep, your brain disposes of unnecessary memories and forms more storage for new information. If you fail to get enough sleep, your brain doesn’t have enough time to recharge. You will find you have trouble focusing.
Eat more foods with flavonoids. Foods with flavonoids will help to keep your memory from deteriorating. This includes foods like, grapes, berries, tea leaves, cocoa beans and hops. These flavonoids will encourage the growth of new neurons in the brain and increase blood flow. This will help you to better remember new things and retain that information.
If you have difficulty remembering information, try writing it down. The simple act of writing can help to anchor the information in your mind so that you can easily recall it when you need it. This trick will help even if you never refer to the text that you have written. The actual process of writing is what helps implant the information in your mind.
Learn to avoid feeling like an important piece of information is not easy to reach in your brain. Don’t worry! This is a common problem for everyone at some time. Sit back and think of other words you may associate with the subject of the word you are looking for. This trick usually helps the “missing” word come out of its hiding place in your memory.
Your brain is a muscle like any other and it requires exercise to keep it healthy and in optimum working order. Make sure that you incorporate the advice given here to start working out your brain and improving your memory abilities. Being “forgetful” isn’t a life sentence and you are able to make a change for the better.
