Strengthen your cognitive skills and learn valuable tips for increasing your memory capacity. While it may seem that there is nothing you can do to strengthen your memory as you age, there are actually a number of strategies you can adopt. This will ensure that your mind stays sharp, no matter what situation faces you and no matter how long you have lived.
Mnemonic Devices
Coming up with mnemonic devices to help improve memory helps to absorb information for greater periods of time. Try using mnemonic devices similar to how writers use shorthand. This method is association based and relies on memory triggers.
If you are trying to learn a great deal of information, studying in many different spots will help your brain hold into your memory. You will become more familiar with the information as you dissociate it from a specific location where you usually study. This is how the brain stores memories. By learning in different areas, the information more easily slips into the long-term memory.
Your brain is similar to a muscle. It can become weak if you don’t exercise it often. People who do puzzles and play card games often have less problems with memory loss and senility.
Fatty Acids
Your memory will benefit from the addition of fish oil to the foods you eat. If you are very forgetful, you may be forgetting to eat the necessary omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are available in prescription form or over-the-counter. Most are in capsule form.
A good way to help you study is to change up your study habits and study in a brand new environment. Changing your environment refreshes your mind, and it also makes long-term memory a lot more effective. Changing your routine stimulates your brain so that it is more alert and ready to absorb information. Your brain works more effectively after this kind of stimulation.
Staying socially active can help keep your memory stay sharp. Remaining socially active will keep your spirits up, and help you stay alert. If you are depressed or lonely, your brain does not get stimulated and exercised. Engage in interesting conversations with those around you to keep your mind stimulated.
If there is something you must recall at a later time, attempt to associate the thought with a funny phrase, melody or visual imagery. Using a funny mnemonic device creates a humorous, entertaining association with the piece of information, and you will be able to recall it more easily in the future.
Try visualizing the ideas you need to remember. For example, if you’re learning from a book, seek out photographs and charts that you can associate with the things you’re reading. You can also try to remember graphs and charts through memory and draw them out.
Retelling stories to someone else can be a great way to increase your own memory skills. Telling the story of when you showed your grandchild how to swim to others, will help you remember the event more clearly. It reinforces it in your mind, and makes it harder to forget.
Cramming to remember information is rarely effective. If you have to commit something to memory, break the information into short, manageable sections, and schedule brief study periods for yourself each day. Don’t try and learn all there is to learn in one sitting. When you do this, you overwhelm your brain, and don’t recall all that you studied. Study in short sessions, and your brain can remember better.
Don’t put yourself at a disadvantage by doubting yourself. Many people think memory diminishes as they age. Actually, this is not always the case. Thinking that your memory is declining can actually make your memory start to decline! The stress of having people around you assume you’ll start forgetting naturally worsens your concentration, and you may wind up doubting your own abilities. Simply believing that you have a good memory can help it stay that way.
Religiously use a calendar or personal planner. Jot everything you need to remember on your planner or calendar. Keep a schedule and be sure to glance at it occasionally. Writing these things down and looking at them will help your mind. 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.
Always get a good night’s rest. There is a direct correlation between lack of sleep and memory retention. When you lack concentration, it can be difficult to retain your memories over the long term.
Term Memory
In order to help your memory, try rehearsing things you know and relating them to what you are studying. By associating your new information in short term memory to already acquired information in long term memory, you give it an anchor and help it to become embedded in your brain.
If you are studying and need to remember the information, place your entire focus on the topic at hand. You can’t remember anything for a long period of time if you don’t store it in your long-term memory. However, if you’re distracted, it’s unlikely that the information you’re trying to commit to memory will move to that part of your mind.
When studying, create an outline to help you remember the material you are studying. This allows you to organize your information and divide it into clusters that are more easily remembered. The form and length of the outline is up to you, as long as you include the key information that you want to remember.
By incorporating the tactics delineated above into your life, you can keep your mind nimble and ready for any challenge. A stronger memory gives you the opportunity to connect better with people and hold onto those precious memories you make with them. You will quickly notice yourself becoming more involved in social settings and more effective at communicating with people.