Many elderly people suffer from memory loss. It can be very difficult to deal with this problem, both for the elderly and their loved ones. The following advice will help you in your quest to find ways of improving memory and mental elasticity.
You can help improve your memory by consciously paying attention and not passively listening. While you might think you already are paying attention, your mind may not absorb the information enough due to wandering. Clear all other thoughts from your mind and give your full attention to what is being discussed and presented. Actively think about what you are learning to form connections in your brain.
To start improving your memory, avoid unpleasant and negative thoughts. It is scientifically proven that people who have negative thoughts or are suffering from extreme amounts of stress tend to have a compromised memory. Ask your doctor to recommend some exercises you can do to lower your stress level.
Your brain is similar to a muscle. It can become weak if you don’t exercise it often. Research has documented that puzzle playing wards off senility.
Physical exercise is recommended to help your memory as part of overall health. A good workout increases the flow of oxygen and blood to your brain, which helps maintain your brain’s health. Keeping your body healthy will help you keep a hold of your memory. One advantage exercise has in terms of memory is that it helps ward off diseases that often adversely affect cognitive function.
Make sure you allow time to get enough quality sleep each night. Sleep is essential for your short and long-term memory. A tired mind struggles to process and file away memories. Sleep longer at night or get some naps to improve your memory.
Increase your intake of fish oils! If you find that your memory is sorely lacking, this could be due to a shortage of Omega-3 consumption in your diet. Supplements of fish oil can be bought to bring Omega-3s into your diet.
Study in a new place, or redecorate your study area to help you remember what you’re studying. Your long-term memory can benefit from you studying in a completely new area. Your brain will start taking in all the new details of your environment, and as a result will also be more receptive to remembering what you are studying.
Stay socially active to keep your memory healthy. Social activity keeps your mind alert, and improves your outlook on life. If you’re depressed or lonely, your mind isn’t being stimulated and your brain cells aren’t getting a work out. You can keep your memory in better shape by having conversations with friends.
To help you memorize new material that you’re learning, a great technique to implement is the technique of visualization. If you are studying information from a textbook, photographs and charts can be great visual cue to help in committing the information to memory. You could draw your own graphs and charts to assist with your memory, too.
Information should never be crammed into your brain. If there is something you must remember, set up study sessions. Don’t try learning everything all at once. It will overwhelm your mind, and you will end up forgetting much of it very easily. You need to schedule multiple small study sessions to practice memory techniques.
Have faith in yourself and your abilities. Some people just assume that memory decline is an inevitable fact of aging. Actually, this is not always the case. Anticipating further memory loss can actually hurt your memory more. Don’t let others begin to question your memory, because it will only lead to you beginning to doubt yourself. If you believe your memory is good, it can help it.
Someone Else
A good way to remember things that you hear or that you’re told is to actually put the information into words of your own. Think of it as rewriting someone else’s work. This way you can recall info easier. Using someone else’s exact words can be a difficult way to remember something when you would use different words to describe the same thing.
Use calenders and planners to help yourself remember important events. A day planner is useful for recording things while you are out and about. Use your schedule not just to jot down upcoming commitments, but also to check daily to make sure you know what’s coming up. By writing information down, you can actually look at it with your eyes instead of just thinking it. Plus, if you can’t remember something one day, you’ll always have it written down. You won’t overwork your brain trying to recall lost information.
When considering aging friends or family members, memory loss is one of the first things that come to mind. It can be very tragic, but it’s also a natural part of getting older. There is hope, though, and memory loss does not have to be accepted as inevitable. The following article offers tips on how you can try to keep memory loss at a minimum.