If you have to study for a test or learn a new skill, or you just want to regain your former memory power, you probably will benefit from learning about some strategies to improve your memory. This article contains several helpful tips for boosting your ability to remember important information. Read on to learn how you can retain more of what you learn.
Exercise your brain. Using your memory and other thought provoking functions of your brain daily, will help keep your mind and your memory sharp. Do puzzles, drive a different way to work and memorize something every day. You will see an improvement quickly and less of a decline as time moves on.
If you find yourself having difficulty remembering some things, try to use acronyms or tricks called mnemonics to help you remember. An example of this is to use Roy G. Biv to remember the colors of the rainbow as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These types of tricks can really improve your memory.
Make sure your attention if focused on the material you want to remember. If you have other distractions going on around you – music playing, the TV on, kids talking, etc. – your mind won’t be able to focus on the material. This will result in it being hard to remember what you’ve studied.
Make sure that your diet has good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Most commonly found in fish, these fatty acids do a superb job of keeping your brain on its toes. Numerous studies have shown a positive benefit to the brain when the diet contains omega-3’s. Try adding pink salmon, walnuts and flax seed, so you can get this essential fat.
Believing you have a poor memory is a self-fulfilling prophecy! If you are constantly telling yourself and other people that you have a bad memory, then that is exactly what you will have! As with anything, keeping a positive attitude will improve the situation so stop reminding yourself that you are forgetful and as your outlook improves, so will your memory!
The best way to improve your memory is to have healthy habits, such as eating nutritious foods, sleeping plentifully and exercising. Just as athletes need these things, your brain also needs to be cared for in order to perform well. Physical exercise is effective because it increases the oxygen flow to your brain.
Avoid cramming. Work in regular study sessions that you have set out on a schedule. Having a set time to study will help your brain remember the facts you present to it. Cramming simply presents your brain with too much information to remember at any one time, and so you will forget much of it.
When trying to commit a long list of information to memory, it is usually better to arrange the information in chunks or smaller units and categories to help make the information easier to remember. As an example, it is easier to remember a telephone number as three units of three, three, and four numbers rather than a long string of ten numbers. The same tactics work when remembering social security numbers and computer passwords.
A good tip that can help you improve your memory is to participate in activities that can challenge you mentally. When it comes to memory, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Pick an activity you’re not familiar with so that it’s a good challenge for you.
Organize your life with memory aids, such as calendars, schedules and to-do lists. Purchase day planners and write things down. Have a disciplined schedule written down and refer to it often. It will be easier on your mind to have these things written to refer to later. It gives your mind less to remember, and it is a handy tool to use in case something else that is related to your schedule is forgotten.
Keep your self organized. It is important that you don’t waste your time trying to remember simple things, like where you put your car keys. Just make sure to keep them in the same spot every day until it becomes habbit. Being organized will actually work to enhance your memory.
If you have a bad memory, and you happen to remember something you need to do in the near future, do it now instead. You lessen the risk of forgetting to do it when it is required. For instance, let’s say you have a DVD due back to the movie rental store tomorrow. Bring it back today so you do not forget.
Sleep is vital to maintaining mental clarity and memory. By avoiding sleep, you make your senses and mind foggier, hurting your ability to focus and piece together information. In addition, during sleep, your brain forges pathways that lead to memory. Getting good sleep (and a good amount of it) will improve your memory.
A good way to remember names and improve memory is to use pictures to associate with the names. If the persons name is Bob Frost, try to remember them covered in frost. If the persons name is Gemma Hand, try to picture them standing and applauding giving someone standing ovation or giving them a hand moving.
Try not to rely on the internet. The internet is wonderful, and search engines are incredibly useful tools. However, if you are constantly looking things up on the web, your mind is far less likely to actually commit them to memory. Your brain gets out of the habit of remembering things.
Flashcards can be a great memory booster. Even if it’s possible to purchase pre-made cards for what you’re trying to memorize, it’s better to make them yourself. Writing the terms and definitions you’re trying to memorize will help you start learning them even before you start drilling with your flashcards. If possible, get a friend to help you to avoid the temptation to peek at the card or guess the answer.
The preceding strategies are well established and time tested techniques that help to enhance your memory. They provide several useful ideas for improving your recall and enhancing your retention. Start putting some of the pointers you have learned in this article into practice today. A little determination goes a long way.
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