Our memory greatly effects the relationships that we have throughout our lives. Not everyone has a physical memory loss problem to blame. Use the following memory tips to improve your brain’s overall ability to easily retrieve information from its recesses.
In order to maintain a good memory, Omega-3’s are an essential part of your diet. There are several sources of Omega-3 including fish, walnuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and soybeans. If any of those foods don’t appeal to you, it’s also acceptable to take fish oil supplements in order to keep your memory fully functioning.
A great way for you to improve your overall memory is to make sure that you’re always focusing your attentions on whatever you’re studying at the time. The goal here is knowledge retention. A failure to focus fully on the subject at hand means the information may not be retained properly.
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.
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.
Exercise your brain frequently. Consider activities where you need to improve. Repeating what you already know will lead nowhere and will not create new connections among your brain cells. Break your routines frequently and find new ways of doing your everyday chores. Choose activities which are new, fun and challenging.
When trying to commit information into your long-term memory, make sure you are in a location with zero distractions. It takes real attention to move information from short-term to long-term memory, and a distracting environment can make the task nearly impossible. Steer clear of areas where there are televisions, radios, crowds or lots of visual stimuli.
As if you needed another excuse to exercise, physical activity enhances the effects of helpful chemicals within the brain and actually protects brain cells! Exercise is one potent weapon in improving your memory or maintaining more of it, as you get older. So keep active, keep moving and keep more in memory!
Here’s a surprising fact about the relationship between memory and alcohol- moderate drinking can actually improve memory and prevent Alzheimer’s! Studies have shown that moderate drinking (defined as drinking two glasses of wine or less per day) can improve cognitive function overall and helps the drinkers score better on memory tests.
If you need help retaining a difficult concept or remembering the massive amount of information you studied the night before that big college exam, get up and get moving. The brain, like other parts of our body, requires energy to work, and it gets that energy from oxygen and other nutrients carried through the bloodstream. Spending long, unbroken hours in a chair, pouring over books or staring at a computer screen, causes the blood to congeal and deprives the brain of that needed energy. So get up and go for a brisk walk or a swim, anything to get the blood pumping and moving through your body. It’s a proven fact that the more physically active you are, the smarter you will be too.
Say things out loud. As soon as you learn something like a name, repeat it out loud. When you say things out loud, you are helping ensure that the information sticks with you. Then, it is easier to remember at a later time. You can even repeat it to yourself over and over again.
When trying to remember something, it is important to relax. Memorization of information is better when one takes the needed time to store and recall concepts. As you age, you will find that it will take a bit more time to both cement information in your memory and to recall those memories. If you cannot recall something immediately, do not panic since that will make it even harder to recall. Memory always works better when one is relaxed and well-rested.
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 your self why. It could be for your child’s birthday, and thinking about that will help you remember what you need to buy.
Forgetting key dates like birthdays or anniversaries can be very upsetting. Your memory loss could be just the beginning of a more serious problem. Utilize the advice you’ve just read, and work hard to retain those beautiful memories for the rest of your life.