If you want to find ways to improve your memory or the memory of a loved one then you’re on the right track. Memory isn’t something that can be fixed or strengthened over night, building someone’s memory takes patience and knowledge. Inform yourself on how to go about gaining a strong memory and you should get just that, this article provides some strategies you can use for 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.
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.
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.
Associating newly-learned information with mnemonics helps improve retention of that information. Mnemonic devices are a great way to recall something. This method is association based and relies on memory triggers.
We are more likely to remember something that happens to us when we are around other people than when we are alone. People are drawn to others, as a result we remember our time with them, rather than when we are alone. That’s why study groups work so well.
Support your memory by eating more fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is full of antioxidants, substances that have been shown to help prevent damage to your brain cells. Try eating richly colored fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, apricots, bell peppers and blueberries since they tend to have the highest concentrations of antioxidants.
To improve absorbing and remembering things, try using Mnemonics tricks. These are mind games that are often used by children in school when trying to learn things. For example, people use “I before E, except after C” to remember that in the English language, the letter “I” always goes before “E” in words, except after the letter “C”.
If you are trying to remember some body of information, one of the best techniques for doing so is to try to teach it to someone else. Teaching concepts to another person actually improves understanding and recall for both the student and the teacher. Even something as simple as reading out loud to someone else can help too.
If you have something you need to remember, try associating it with a humorous phrase, song or mental image. If you associate the information with something that makes you laugh, it will be far easier to retrieve it when necessary.
Your library should have a good selection of books on memory improvement that you can borrow. There are a number of memory studies done by imminent doctors and brain specialists. The library offers a wide selection of these books. Just search the medical section of the library to see the latest thoughts about the mind.
Engage your mind regularly in activities like puzzles or brain teasers to improve your memory. Not only are these activities fun, but they also improve attention and concentration while keeping your memory skills sharp. Brain games train your mind to work more efficiently and help form different thought patterns, enabling better retention of memories.
Here’s a surprising fact about the relationship between memory and alcohol- moderate drinking can actually improve memory and prevent Alzheimer’s! Studies have shown that moderate drinking (defined as drinking two glasses of wine or less per day) can improve cognitive function overall and helps the drinkers score better on memory tests.
Use calenders and planners to help yourself remember important events. Purchase a planner and keep your appointments and to-do lists jotted down in it. Draw up a schedule and check it at regular intervals to see how you’re doing. When you keep a schedule like this and pay attention to it, it will aid your mind overall. There is less information you have to remember and it is convenient to have if you should forget something.
If you find that you are losing things as soon as you set them down, try dedicating a spot to them. Make sure that you are putting your keys in the same spot every day. Make a spot for your glasses or the book you are reading. If you make a habit of putting everything in its place, forgetting where they are won’t be a problem.
Keep a positive attitude. If you don’t want to or think you can’t remember something, you probably won’t. Constantly thinking about how bad your memory is can actually make the situation worse. Instead, focus on the good parts of memory and learning, and you’ll quickly see an improvement in your skills.
Reduce distractions in your environment while you’re trying to learn. Your brain can really only focus on one matter at a time. The more individual things competing for a piece of your attention, the less you can focus on what you’re trying to learn. Being able to focus is central in transferring information to memory.
If you are having problems concentrating or memorizing things, try getting more sleep. Your brain needs at least six to eight hours of sleep a night to function properly. If you have a sleep deficit, it can show in your cognitive abilities. If you’re having problems getting enough sleep, don’t ignore this; consult your physician. Very few people can manage to stay healthy in the longterm with only a few hours sleep per night, so don’t be fooled by the claims of those who insist that they can get by on 5 hours per night.
Now that you have an idea of what needs to be done to have a strong memory you want to start applying what you learned. This article alone doesn’t cover everything there is to know about having a strong memory, remember there is much more information out there so always be on the lookout for new tips.
