Memory loss is common in the elderly. This can be a major life upheaval for both the person suffering and family and friends. Below are a few tips that will help you cope with either your own or a loved one’s memory loss problems.
Brain teasers and puzzles are entertaining and effective tools for sharpening your memory and challenging your brain. This is analogous to the exercise you do to strengthen your muscles. With constant exercise, your brain stays flexible and limber, able to take on the challenges of each day. Games improve your memory and your mind. Some of the best games for boosting memory include crossword puzzles, word searches and brain teasers.
Take at least a five minute break for each hour you work or study so that your mind can rejuvenate itself. This makes it easier for you to retain important matters more effectively.
Sticky Notes
If you are experiencing serious difficulties keeping up with information, you should use whatever means are necessary to remedy the situation, even if that means using sticky notes! Place them in areas you freqently look at, like near a cell phone or computer. Sticky notes are great tools to help you remember things.
Take this time to link information that you want to remember to information that you have already stored in your brain. This establishes a tie between something you already know to something that is new, and this increases the likelihood that it will be committed to long-term memory. These exercises also make it faster and easier to create new memories.
Ginseng supplements are touted as having memory improving qualities. The ingredients in ginseng have shown to help your brain retain information better. There are also health benefits to consuming ginseng. Another natural ingredient which has been scientifically proven to improve memory loss is green tea.
If you want to keep your memory sharp, exercise for at least 20 minutes per day. Just a small amount of physical activity can make a big difference.
One of the quickest ways to make your memory better is by teaching others. Telling the story of when you showed your grandchild how to swim to others, will help you remember the event more clearly. Teaching reinforces the material in your brain, and it makes it much more difficult to lose or forget the information.
You can boost your capacity for forming and recalling memories by practicing different ways of stating or communicating an idea. If you associate something you already know with something new you are trying to learn, you’re more likely to recall things quickly and store them in your long-term memory.
Feed your brain with the food it needs to stay focused so that you see improvements in your memory. Brain health needs healthy fats. Avoid unhealthy trans fats, and include some delicious walnuts, fresh fish, and olives to your meals.
Classical music may improve your memory. Soothing music can help relax your body and mind, and it can also improve your memory. The best time for playing this kind of music is when you’re in a relaxing, warm bath, maybe with some candles burning.
Forming gratifying, deep emotional bonds with your friends and family can actually help to preserve your memories. Studies have proven that time with loved ones helps keep your memories in tact.
Try to associate the people you meet with people you know with that name. This will help you remember names. In addition, you could associate the name with a famous person. By connecting the new face with a familiar name, you should be able to recall the new individual’s name.
When you are studying, you should completely focus on what you are studying. Information that is learned must be transferred to long-term memory if it is to be recalled for more than a few seconds. Outside distractions can make it very difficult to store information in your long term memory.
To help with studying, make and use an outline which can aid you in retaining the materials you need to study. This allows you to organize your information and divide it into clusters that are more easily remembered. The outline does not need to be especially long or short, but just enough for you to grasp and recall easily.
Memory loss is something that we assume is a common occurrence among our aging relatives or friends. It can be very tragic, but it’s also a natural part of getting older. Occasionally, it is possible to slow or stop this cognitive decline. This article is intended to offer a variety of useful advice for understanding and living with memory loss.