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| Improve Memory Power |
Tips and Exercises to Sharpen Your Mind and Boost Brainpower
A trip
to the grocery store to pick up bread, milk, and eggs could turn into a
two-trip ordeal because you forgot to get one of three items listed. Left your
phone in the cab? Blanking on names? Or the movie you saw last weekend? Then
you're not alone. Everyone loses track occasionally. It kind of feels like as
we are aging, our minds and memories just don't work like they used to. But is
that really true, or are there ways to improve memory power? The fact of the
matter is that certain aspects of brain function and memory capability are not
necessarily linked to getting older. Lifestyle choices and whether or not we
implement memory-boosting techniques in our day-to-day lives contribute to the
overall health of our brains and our ability to remember both new and old
information. So we got to wondering: Is it possible to counteract the memory
decline that already seems to be taking place? How can we improve memory power?
Well, we discovered;
13 Tricks and Mind-sharpening Strategies to Boost your Memory.
1. Get a Good Night
Sleep –
A night of poor sleep takes a toll on everything, from your
job performance to your daily chores, and especially your memory. Sleep is a
key time for the brain to solidify the connections between neurons, thus
helping us remember more of our tasks. Rule of thumb: Get 7-8 hours of sleep every day. Even short naps
count for memory. Experts are of the opinion that if you do only one thing to
improve your memory, getting more sleep should be it. If you have trouble
sleeping get to know How to Get Good Sleep Naturally and Foods That Help You Sleep Better to get a sound sleep. Yes, this age-old
remedy actually works.
2. Jog Your Memory –
Literally. Exercise increases your heart rate which gets the blood flowing to your brain, thus keeping your memory sharp. In fact, brain-boosting physical activities that require hand-eye coordination or complex
motor skills are particularly beneficial for brain building. Running, swimming,
biking - any form of exercise - for at least 30 minutes helps enlarge the
hippocampus, which is regarded as the 'memory center of the brain'. If you
don't have time for a full workout, squeeze in a 10-minute walk around the
block in your schedule or a few jumping jacks. It's enough to reboot your
brain.
3. Stay Focused and Quit Multitasking –
Can't find your keys?
It's probably because you weren't paying attention when you put them down. When
you're juggling too many things, you're bound to forget. As it turns out, the
brain doesn't actually multitask. Instead, it switches focus from one thing to
the other, which is why it is difficult to read a book and hold a conversation
at the same time. Multitasking will slow you down, so make it a point to
concentrate on the task at hand. It's crucial. Studies suggest to say it out
loud: "I left my keys on the dresser", etc. so the brain can process
it. Your brain actually needs about eight seconds to commit a piece of
information to your memory, so if you're talking on the phone and carrying
groceries when you put down your car keys, you're unlikely to remember where
you left them.
4. Use Mnemonic
Devices –
Mnemonic devices are
tools that help you memorize in an easier format - words, lists, concepts, et
al.
·
Acronyms: They are basically
abbreviations used a word to help you jog your memory. For example, CART can be
carrots, apples, raspberries, and tomatoes, which can be used to remember your
grocery list.
·
Rhymes: If you need to
remember a name, get creative. "Mary loves cherry" or "Simon is
a fireman".
·
Acrostics: These are lifesavers during exams, especially. Whenever you need to mug up a sentence,
combine the initial letters, and use it as a memory cue. For example: How we all
remembered the 9 planets during childhood, "My Very Educated Mother Just
Showed Us Nine Planets".
·
Chunking: Chunking breaks a long list of numbers or other types of information into smaller, more
manageable chunks. For example: Remembering a 10-digit phone number by
breaking it down into three sets of
numbers: 555-867-5309 (as opposed to 5558675309).
5. Meditation is Key –
According to 2015 a study from the UCLA Brain Mapping Center, the brain starts to decline in your 20s and continues to decrease both in size and volume. Meditating and yoga regularly
delay cognitive decline and prevents neurodegenerative diseases like Dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. Meditation produces a positive charge in the
brain's gray matter over time, which is important for memory, learning, and
self-awareness. In addition, meditation has been shown to reduce stress, which
can do a number on memory.
6. Stay Mentally Active –
Give your brain a
workout. Note: Crossword puzzles and Sudoku are your new best friend. Challenge
your brain, take a different route to work, learn a new language, read a
section of the newspaper you usually skip, do things out of the ordinary. Stay
engaged, because mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape
- and might even keep memory loss at bay. People who are cognitively active
have better memory as they age, it's true. So quiz yourself, flex your brain, and improve your memory power.
7. Get Organized –
If your house is in a
mess, you're more likely to forget things. Jot down tasks, declutter your home, and note down appointments. Set aside a particular place at home to keep your
keys, and limit distractions. Live by to-do lists, keep them up to date and
check off the items you've completed. Physically writing down new information
actually helps reinforce it. A day planner or smartphone calendar can help you
keep track of appointments and activities and can also serve as a journal in
which you write anything that you would like to remember. Writing down and
organizing information reinforces learning.
- Try jotting down conversations, thoughts, experiences.
- Review
current and previous day’s entries at breakfast and dinner.
- If you use
a planner and not a smartphone, keep it in the same spot at home and take it with you whenever you leave.
8. Write It Down -
Jotting down information will help you
remember and visualize your agenda or tasks for the day. It is an easy way to
remind yourself of what you have to do or say later during the day. Always keep
a "random-thought pad" on hand while you're at the computer or folding
laundry can help improve your focus naturally
9. Visualize your memory –
Learning faces and names is a particularly hard task for most people. In addition to repeating a person’s
name, you can also associate the name with an image. Visualization strengthens
the association you are making between the face and the name. For example:
- Link the
name Sandy with the image of a beach, and imagine Sandy on the beach or as
suggested before "Mary
loves cherry" or "Simon is a fireman".
10. Find a Cue –
When you are having difficulty
recalling a particular word or fact, you can cue yourself by giving related
details or “talking around” the word, name, or fact. Other practical ways to
cue include:
- Using
alarms or a kitchen timer to remind you of tasks or appointments.
- Placing an object associated with the task you must do in a prominent place at home.
For example, if you want to order tickets to a play, leave a newspaper ad for the play near your telephone or computer.
11. Group them up –
When you’re trying to remember a long
list of items, it can help to group the items in sets of three to five, just as
you would remember a phone number. This strategy capitalizes on the organization
and building associations and helps to extend the capacity of our short-term
memory by chunking information together instead of trying to remember each
piece of information independently. For example:
- If you
have a list of 15 things on your grocery list, you can group the items by category, such as dairy, produce, canned goods, and frozen foods.
12. Balance Your Stress –
Chronic stress and depression, both contribute to
memory loss and the destruction of brain cells. One of the best things you can do
is laugh. Yes, it's that simple. Laughter engaged multiple regions of the
brain and simultaneously reduces stress. Social interaction also helps ward off depression and stress, so look for opportunities to get
together with family, loved ones, friends, and work colleagues. Know the strategies
for How to Manage Stress in Life.
13. Food for Thought –
Did you know that the
brain is an energy-hungry organ? Despite comprising only 2% of the body's
weight, the brain gobbles up more than 20% of daily energy intake. So a healthy
diet might be as good for your brain as it is for your overall health, and
eating right may in fact be more important than you think. After all, you are what you eat. The brain
demands a constant supply of glucose which is obtained from recently eaten
carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and greens. Because when the glucose
level drops, it results in confused thinking. No, this does not give you the
license to slurp on sugary drinks. Instead eat throughout the day to optimize
brainpower- not too much, not too little. Memory
boosting diet includes
antioxidant-rich, colorful fruits, green leafy vegetables, and whole grains
which protect your brain from harmful free radicals. Choose low-fat protein
sources such as fish and drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
since dehydration can lead to memory loss and confusion.
The following
nutritional tips will help boost your brainpower and reduce your risk of
dementia:
Get your omega-3s. Research shows
that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. Fish is
a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially cold water “fatty fish” such
as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.
If you’re not a fan
of seafood, consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such as seaweed, walnuts,
ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach,
broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.
Limit calories and
saturated fat. Research
shows that diets high in saturated fat (from sources such as red meat, whole
milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream) increase your risk of dementia and
impair concentration and memory.
Eat more fruit and
vegetables. Produce
is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect your brain cells from
damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant
"superfood" sources.
Drink green tea. Green tea
contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals
that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular consumption of
green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain aging.
Drink wine (or grape
juice) in moderation. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is key since alcohol kills brain cells. But in moderation (around 1 glass a day for
women; 2 for men), alcohol may actually improve memory and cognition. Red wine
appears to be the best option, as it is rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that
boosts blood flow in the brain and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Other resveratrol-packed options include grape juice, cranberry juice, fresh
grapes and berries, and peanuts.
IDENTIFY AND TREAT HEALTH PROBLEMS
Do you feel that your
memory has taken an unexplainable dip? If so, there may be a health or
lifestyle problem to blame.
It’s not just
dementia or Alzheimer’s disease that causes memory loss. There are many
diseases, mental health disorders, and medications that can interfere with
memory:
Studies show that
people with diabetes
experience far greater cognitive decline than those who don’t suffer from the
disease.
Hormone imbalance.
Women going through
menopause often experience memory problems when their estrogen dips. In men,
low testosterone can cause issues. Thyroid imbalances can also cause
forgetfulness, sluggish thinking, or confusion.
Medications.
Many prescription and
over-the-counter medications can get in the way of memory and clear thinking.
Common culprits include cold and allergy medications, sleep aids, and
antidepressants. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects.
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