Memory is one of the most important skills to learn. Observing and learning new things is useless if you can’t hold onto the information for long. This holds true especially for the elderly, when dementia leaves their loved ones frustrated and heartbroken. With the advice from this article, you will learn some handy tips to exercise your memory.
To improve your memory, make sure to stay focused on what you’re studying. Distractions such as television or loud music can make it difficult to remember the subject at hand. Actively attending to the information will make you more likely to remember it, and retain it for a longer period of time.
If you are looking to improve your memory a little bit, then use the knowledge that you have by teaching others. Doing this makes your brain fire in a different way, and it helps in increasing memory. The trick is to teach something that you are genuinely interested in sharing.
Keep a running list of the things you want to accomplish each day. As you finish one item, cross it off and move on to the next. Simultaneously, keep adding items at the bottom of the list as they arise. In this way you will never forget what you need to do next.
If you need to remember a complicated piece of information, use the mnemonics technique. This is a way of associating the information with something that is common and familiar. When you make that association, you can think of the common item, and it will trigger your memory of the more complicated piece of information.
Sleep is an essential component of maintaining good memory and memorization skills. The reason for this is while you are sleeping, something known as memory consolidation occurs. Memory consolidation is the process by which acquired information is imprinted into the brain through the creation of neural links. This process affects not only the information that you have recently learned but also helps to maintain information that you acquired a long time ago.
If you have a large amount of information to commit to memory, a good strategy is to break the information down into many separate pieces. It is much easier to remember things in parts, than to remember them as a whole. As a simple example, when trying to memorize a standard United States phone number, you can memorize it as three separate parts consisting of area code, first three digits, and last four digits, as opposed to all ten digits together.
Make your memorization easier by using mnemonic devices. The easiest one is to associate a visual image with the word or name you need to remember. Life like, vivid images linked to hard to memorize or understand concepts can help to speed up the learning process significantly. Think of images from your everyday life to make the process easier and faster.
Use mnemonic devices to improve your memory. A mnemonic device is any rhyme, joke, song, or phrase that triggers memory of another fact, such as the abbreviation Roy G Biv, which tells you the colors of the spectrum. The best mnemonic devices are those which use humor or positive imagery, as you will have an easier time remembering them.
A memory technique that works for many people is the listen, write and read method. Basically what this entails is really listening to what is being said. While listening, make notes about the material that is being shared. At a later time, read the notes again. With this technique, you are actually reviewing the information three times which aids in cementing the information in your memory.
A great tip that can help you improve your memory is to seek help if you’re suffering from depression. Depression can do a number on your brain. It can make it hard for you to concentrate and remember things. Getting proper treatment can help you improve your memory.
When learning an abundance of new information all at once, it is important to take breaks, even if it is just for five minutes at a time. Letting your mind relax for a few minutes will keep it fresh so that you are able to absorb all of the information.
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.
Utilize all of your senses. You may have already heard that smell is a powerful sense in relation to your memory. This is true. When trying to recall something, don’t just look for a picture of it in your mind. Try to remember how it smelled or felt or even tasted.
If someone you know is suffering from Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, or another illness that effects their memory, try showing them pleasant pictures from the past. By looking at pleasant memories, the memory of these patients may improve. Be sure not to bring up unpleasant memories as this could cause them a setback.
Add aromatherapy to your life if you want to improve your memory. This works because these aromas help to relax you, which in turn, helps your memory improve. Also, if you are not sensitive to the smells, you may want to try adding candles throughout your home as they will relax you too.
In case you don’t remember, the start of this article stated some advantages to improving your memory. Very few people naturally have stellar capacities for memorization, so it’s unfathomable why you wouldn’t want to develop your memory as much as possible. Now that you’ve read some tips about how to improve your memory, you’ll impress everyone with your cerebral feats.
