Memory is a wonderful attribute of being human. It makes us who we are since we use it to retain knowledge about our past experiences. Without it we would not be capable of learning new skills and retaining information necessary to become a productive member of our world. To help deal with the frustrations that come with a declining memory, we have provided some practical and easy tips to follow.
Avoid cramming all your material into one short study session. Studies show that information is better retained, if you take some time to learn it. You can do this by scheduling short study sessions in the days and weeks, prior to an exam. Cramming everything into one sitting will only prove to be counter productive.
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.
The health of your body has a direct impact on the health of your memory. The brain is an organ just like your heart or lungs. Activities that improve your physical well being will ensure that it functions at the highest level possible. Take care of yourself, rest, eat a healthy diet and exercise.
According to studies, material is better memorized if you go over it a number of times during regular study sessions. This gives your brain adequate time to process the information. According to research, students that had established regular study sessions recalled material much better than those who crammed all the material into one marathon study session.
Help protect your memory for years to come by making sure you are getting plenty of vitamin B-12 in your diet. Studies have linked low levels of B-12 to dementia and poor cognitive function. Food sources rich in B-12 include liver, eggs, fish, poultry, meat and milk products. If you don’t eat a lot of meat, you may need to take a daily B-12 supplement to help prevent deficiency.
Keep a diary or calendar for appointments. This is extremely helpful in remembering important dates or events. Be consistent with it and keep it in the same place all the time. You should look at it every day to update it and to make sure there isn’t anything you are forgetting.
Although it is a fact that many people do not know, chewing gum can improve your memory. Medical professionals have found that the motion of chewing gum slightly increases your heart rate. Even the slightest increase in heart rate can help supply more oxygen to the brain, thus improving memory.
Carefully focus on what you are trying to memorize. This is especially important when you are studying. Never try to multitask. Turn off the television, turn off the radio. Just focus on what you need to memorize and the knowledge you need to retain. Many things can distract you without you even realizing it.
A great tip that can help you improve your memory is to review information shortly after you’ve learned it. Doing this periodically will help you recall important things. What you don’t want to do is cram. If you cram you won’t retain as much information as you want.
Reduce stress in your life to improve your memory. Unrelieved stress can cause your body to produce so much cortisol that it permanently damages your hippocampus, which is the memory center of the brain. Other stress chemicals can interfere with your ability to store information, concentrate, or recall memories from earlier.
If you have a list of words that you need to remember, try putting them in alphabetical order. Our society has already categorized many common items into alphabetical lists, so it is a pattern that your brain is familiar with. As a result, when you alphabetize a list of words, your brain recognizes the well-known familiar pattern and has an easier time recalling them at a later date.
One way to help improve your overall memory is to watch less television. TV really does rot your brain- studies show that people who watch more than an hour of television per day have more trouble focusing and remembering things in the short term. Instead, try playing brain games or having conversations.
Things are easier to remember if they have a special meaning to you. Think about why you need to memorize the information. For example, if you are going shopping, ask yourself why. It could be for your child’s birthday and thinking about that, will help you remember what you need to buy.
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.
To help you easily remember and recall information, it helps to organize information. Group the information by rational relationships. For example, if you are trying to remember if you want to learn all the American presidents, you can organize their names by political party, their platform or the state they are from. Doing it this way, can make it easier to recall them if you organize them in one of these ways.
We all want to have the most accurate memory possible, but as time goes by some of us are affected by memory loss. In addition, Alzheimers disease has become increasingly common, and there does not seem to be an effective treatment at this point. Research has made some advances, but the exact cause is still unknown. Whether you have lost some of your memory as a symptom to an illness or just due to the natural aging process, the above-mentioned tips will help improve or even sharpen it.
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