Having a strong memory is a vital part of life. From remembering to pay your bills on time to recalling information for an important exam, having a good memory can help you in many aspects of life. But what if you feel like your memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be?
If so, you're not alone. Memory issues are fairly common and can affect many people throughout their life, but it doesn't mean you're stuck with this problem forever. Whether you’re a student preparing for exams or an adult trying to improve your mental agility, there are plenty of simple techniques you can employ to increase your brainpower and keep your memory functioning at its best. Here are 7 of them.
1. Train Your Brain
As the saying goes, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” And while we can’t all be chess grandmasters or master illusionists, there are plenty of ways to use our brains for fun and profit. Playing board games, solving riddles, learning a new language or instrument, and even just engaging in fanciful daydreaming are all ways of keeping your mind active and improving memory power.
2. Get Your Body Moving
Physical activity is a trigger for a number of processes in your brain, including the release of human growth hormone, which has been shown to improve memory recall and the ability to learn new tasks. If you’re struggling to find time to work out, start a walking routine – it only takes a half hour, three times per week to make a difference. To top it off, keeping fit will also keep you young by preventing health problems that can compromise cognitive function as we age.
3. Keep Tabs on Your Memory
Memory slips can have different causes, and not all slip-ups are the same. By keeping a weekly record of your memory experiences, you'll be better able to identify which situations or activities lead to memory problems. If you keep track of your daily diet and supplements as well, it will help you isolate causative agents that might be affecting your memory.
4. Eat Right
There’s no magic food that will supercharge your memory (although blueberries seem to help), but eating a healthy, balanced diet can make all the difference when it comes to retaining what you learn. If you feel your concentration slipping at work or school, try stocking up on complex carbohydrates like legumes for a few days before an exam; it may mean the difference between an A+ and a B-.
5. Take Breaks from Time-Consuming Activities
Getting "caught up" in a task can be the last thing you want to do, but it's crucial for memory. If you find yourself nodding off during a meeting, or forgetting where you left your car keys or wallet at home, try taking a break. It will allow your mind to recover and sharpen itself for later work.
6. Limit Your Sugar Intake
No doubt, the desire to eat sugary treats is perfectly natural. But if you really want to give your memory a boost, think twice before reaching for the biscuit tin. A high sugar intake can hurt your memory and inhibit learning, leading to a decline in IQ and overall brain health.
7. Sleep Well
A good night’s sleep might not be the only thing that counts for your brain, but it certainly helps with memory consolidation - the process of encoding short-term memories into long-term ones. Research has shown that sleep deprivation can impair memory consolidation, making it harder to recall information learned after a sleepless night than before. On the flip side, solid sleep encourages the use of existing information in context, priming you to take better advantage of the facts you learned the day before.
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