You may discover that you are losing your memory as you age. How can you counteract this? There are many strategies that you can utilize to improve or maintain your memory so that your ability to remember things is just as potent as it once was. This article offers several of the most effective strategies.
Writing things down is the best way to remember important information. This exercise causes blood to flow to the area of the brain which is responsible for memory. Improve your memory by writing out lists or keeping a journal. When the time comes for you to recall things, you will find it easier to remember thing that you have written down.
If this is your situation, you should use about 5 to 15 minutes of your time when studying to let your mind rest. You will then be able to remember the information.
Pay close attention to help sharpen your memory. You may be allowing distractions and racing thoughts to get the best of your memory and consume your attention. Clear all other thoughts from your mind and give your full attention to what is being discussed and presented. Think hard about your subject and burn the information into your memory.
Negative Thoughts
Getting rid of unpleasant and negative thoughts can help you improve your memory. People who entertain negative thoughts or undergo lots of stress will have a greater inability to remember things than people who are positive or are less stressed. Discuss stress-relieving methods with your physician.
Challenging your mind with memory games keeps you sharp. Not only will memory games help to improve your memory, they can also be a ton of fun. These games are also great if you suffer from problems with concentration or attention. Some of the memory games are available to play for free online.
If you’re trying to remember something, associate it with a funny image, song or phrase. Humorous phrases, songs, and the like have a way of staying in your mind even when you are trying to forget them! Take advantage of that fact.
Retelling stories to someone else can be a great way to increase your own memory skills. If you have a memory that you find you are forgetting, like when your grandson was playing at the park, discuss it with others, remembering as many details as you can. This will help create more pathways in your brain, and help you remember the event in the future.
Do not doubt yourself. A lot of people assume that with age, your memory goes as well. That isn’t necessarily true. Even the anticipation that your memory is going to fade works to harm the memory itself. If you are being questioned about your memory you may be tempted to let doubt creep in and sabotage you. When you think positive and think you have a good memory then you can help yourself stay positive and sharp.
To remember something, say it aloud. When you learn an important piece of new information like a name, say it aloud right away. Repeating it out loud and hearing it will help cement that information in your mind, making it easier to recall later. If at all possible, say the name out loud more than once.
Get plenty of well-deserved rest. Studies have proven that getting the right amount of sleep is crucial to memory function. If you can’t concentrate due to poor sleep, committing learned facts to long-term memory will be difficult.
Short Term
One way to more effectively retain information you need to remember is to consciously link the new information to something you know well already. If you associate a short term memory with something you thoroughly know, you will better remember things and even accelerate the process of turning short term to long term memory.
Meditation is a terrific means for improving overall memory function, and it can also improve general health by relieving stress. To meditate, find a calm, comfortable spot, and try to focus all of your thoughts on your breath going in and out. Set aside an hour or so per day to promote sharpness.
When you know you will need to recall information, try putting on some classical music. This kind of music has a relaxing effect that promotes recall of information. An enjoyable time to listen to music is during a relaxing bath, and to increase the effect you could light some candles as well.
Maintain healthy relationships to help prevent memory loss. The section of the brain that deals with memories can be strengthened by spending a few hours every week with friends and family.
A good way to remember what you’re studying is to format the material in a fashion that makes it easy to remember. If you keep the information organized into related parts, you will find it easier to remember. You do not necessarily need to make an extensive outline; any sort of organized grouping of the material will help.
You can visualize this memory process as if you were creating a tree. If you have a lot of information to memorize, start at the core. Let the critical details of a subject branch off like limbs. Lastly, let the little tiny details, the leaves, form off of those branches. An exercise like this can prove to be incredibly helpful for your overall memory function.
Failure of your memory can be irritating and depressing, but look for ways to combat the loss. Use the tips and tricks provided here and should see noticeable memory improvements in no time. With just a little effort, you may find that your memory is better than it ever was before.