The human memory is a powerful and mysterious force. Scents and sounds can evoke visions of the past or allow us to recall a loved one. Losing your memory — struggling to recall names or stumbling over well-known telephone numbers — can be distressing. Here are a number of tips to keep your memory healthy and in top shape.
It’s a well known fact that stress is hard on a person’s body, but it is also very hard on a person’s memory. Chronic stress is detrimental to brain cells as it destroys them as well as the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that retrieves old memories as well as makes new ones. Practicing stress reducing techniques are vital in maintaining a good memory.
Visualizing yourself recalling information is actually a great way in which you can work to recall information. You are basically training your brain to be able to memorize items when you foresee yourself dipping into that memory bank to pull them out at a later date. Think of it like visualizing your hand turning a doorknob before you actually turn it.
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.
When trying to remember something, having patience with yourself will help you greatly! The harder you try to think of something, the more stressed you become, and of course, the more stressed you become the more difficult it is to remember anything! Take a deep breath, relax, and try to clear your mind and before you know it what ever you were trying so hard to recall will pop right up in your mind!
To help improve how quickly something is stored in your memory, take the time to bucket the information first. Act like an information architect and organize the information you are try to commit to memory based off of similarities. Once they are bucketed, attack them as a group. You will then find they are easier to memorize!
Jigsaw puzzles are good to improve your memory. Choose the harder ones (500-600 piece puzzles) for greater benefits. This game requires visual judgment, critical thinking and shifting focus from the small pieces to the big picture several times. Mastering your jigsaw puzzles skills will help you when you need to use your memory in your everyday life.
If you are having issues with remembering things, you may want to try relaxing techniques like yoga or meditation. When your body is relaxed, so is your mind which allows you to easily learn and remember things. Working your mind and body to hard will make memorizing things much worse.
Here is a trick for memory! As trivial as it may seem, try to do handstands! By standing on your hands, you are allowing blood flow to your brain. Having sufficient blood flow to your brain helps it to absorb and remember new information. You could also try lying on your back on your bed with your head hanging off the end!
If you suffer from loss of memory, be sure to see a psychiatrist or therapist. Memory loss can be a sign that you suffer from anxiety or depression, and you may not even know it. If you do have anxiety or depression, treating it could be the key to you getting your memory back.
In order to increase memory and concentration, consider taking a Fish Oil, or Omega-3, vitamin supplement. Unfortunately, our everyday diets simply do not provide enough Omega-3. However, eating more fish or taking an Omega-3 supplement can help with that deficiency. Studies have shown that school children, experiencing difficulty in concentrating, were given an Omega-3 supplement, which resulted in a significantly increased ability to concentrate.
Establish relationships with old and new information. To keep your memory in top form, keep information relevant in your mind. Your brain will automatically discard most facts it deems useless. It is often necessary to “update” memories. Think on them regularly and determine how they relate or hold up to new information.
To help you remember what you have to do for the day, set reminders. For instance, if you have to pay bills set an object on top them that’s out of place. Seeing the out of place object will be the reminder you need to pay your bills.
Studies have shown that memory retention is much better if regular studying sessions are planned rather than one-off marathon sessions. This gives the brain time to process the information properly. If time is not taken to focus on the materials in a relaxed environment, then it is possible to overlook important items in haste.
If you have trouble remembering things, don’t be afraid to take notes, make lists or use a day planner to keep track of your schedule. These helpful tools can take some of the stress out of trying to remember everything on your own. Once you have lowered your stress levels by writing everything down, you may even find that your memory improves, since too much stress can inhibit memory.
The human brain has the natural ability to remember words put together with rhyme. This is why you are able to remember rhyming poetry and song lyrics. When you need to retain information, make rhymes with it. This will help you to remember it and the process of remembering it will benefit your mind’s fitness.
As you’ve read in this article, keeping your memory healthy and strong is easy and can be fun! Use these tips to keep your mind sharp and enjoy the benefits of always having the name you need on the tip of your tongue, being able to find your keys, and remembering the milk!
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