Want to improve your memory? I have an awful time remembering what I want from the fridge while I am on my way to the fridge. Maybe you could use a memory boost too. *Patricia
Although you might think that a fading memory begins at the onset of old age, there are several great techniques you can use to keep it in peak operating condition. An excellent memory can be an advantage in many personal, educational, social, business, and financial situations.
Consider the many benefits that a sharp memory can bring you and you’ll see it’s wise to seek out ways to strengthen it at any age.
Here are nine easy tips to boost your memory:
1. Be sure to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You might not relate your general health to memory; however, if you are able to stay healthy you’ll be helping it in the process.
• Eat nutritious foods. It will ensure that you’re getting plenty of vitamins that enable healthy brain function and reduce free radicals, which can impair memory.
• Exercise. It increases blood flow to the brain and keeps oxygen levels up. Higher oxygen levels keep you alert and provide you with more clarity in your thinking.
2. Pay closer attention. You can actually improve your memory by being more aware of what is going on around you. When someone is talking to you be sure to give them your full attention. You will have a better chance at absorbing their words to long-term memory.
3. Try to use mnemonic devices. Mnemonic devices can help you remember certain bits of information by relating the facts to an easy-to-remember image, word, tune, or phrase.
• This classic sentence, “Every Good Boy Does Fine,” has been used for ages to help people remember the lines of the treble clef (EGBDF) for sheet music.
• Relate the knowledge you want to remember to jokes or rhymes works well, too. It’s a fun way to remember facts.
4. Organize. Use a daily planner to organize your day. A planner reminds you of important events and keeps you from having to juggle too many things in your mind all at once. Too much juggling might result in “scatterbrained” thinking.
• Pay attention to the way you organize your life. You won’t have to remember where you left your keys if you always put them in the same spot. A good rule to follow is, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”
5. Decrease your stress level. Too much stress can make your thinking a bit erratic and cause challenges with your memory. Take steps to calm yourself and you’ll find that you’re thinking with a clearer head. Create.
• Meditating, deep breathing, physical workouts, relaxing music, and reading are great stress-busters. Do something that relaxes you each and every day.
6. Mind teasers and games are a help. These games keep your brain and your memory sharp and active. Puzzles help with attention and concentration. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku puzzles, trivia games, and video games all exercise your mind.
7. Get plenty of sleep. If you’re sleep-deprived, you’re more apt to suffer from poor memory. Go to bed and get up in the morning at the same time every day. It helps your body form a natural day-to-night rhythm. Relax right before bed to help you transition into a sound sleep.
8. Rehearse and study information. If there’s something in that you’re trying to study or remember, try rehearsal techniques. It’s a great way to ensure that information passes into your long-term memory. With rehearsal, you simply repeat and study information over and over until you remember it easily.
9. Visualize. Images can be very powerful. If you’re a visual person, you might find visualizing even more helpful than some of the other techniques. Visual people remember better if they are able to see what they need to remember. It will usually help you to see information in a picture, graph, photo or chart.
Be consistent and proactive with these memory techniques. You will be sharp for a long time to come. Exercise your memory every day and it will serve you well in all aspects of your life!