Last Updated on June 27, 2022 by prince lucky
Many of us wish we had better memories, whether that’s so, we could remember birthdays or important meetings or because we always seem to forget where we put our keys. Your ability to remember information has a lot to do with your brain’s health, including its concentration of chemicals called neurotransmitters and how well-connected your neurons are with one another. Still, there are several things you can do to make sure your memory doesn’t fail you. Here are 10 tips to improve your memory.
10 Tips that Improves Your Memory
1. Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is a natural way to increase memory, and sleep helps your brain consolidate information and produce new connections between neurons. If you’re interested in upping your game, ensure you get seven or eight hours of sleep every night. Getting more can help even more; studies have shown that subjects who slept for 10 hours could recall up to 50 per cent more information than those who got just six hours of shut-eye.
2. Eat better
A balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains is essential for optimum brain health. These foods contain antioxidants and other brain-boosting nutrients that help keep your memory sharp as you age.
Recommended Article: 10 Foods That Boosts Your Memory
3. Exercise
Exercise is important for maintaining a healthy memory. Not only does exercise make your body stronger, but it also increases blood flow and releases endorphins, which help promote brain health. So get moving! Go for a walk or jog around your neighbourhood and see how much better you feel once you get home. If working out isn’t your thing, try other forms of physical activity—gardening is an excellent example!
4. Meditate
Meditation has several benefits: it boosts your attention span, improves your memory, and helps you focus better on tasks. The best part? It takes only a few minutes each day. Take a moment to breathe deeply and relax after getting home from work or school.
Focus on being present in that moment—not thinking about tomorrow or yesterday—and commit yourself to not thinking about anything else for at least 5 minutes. The next time you feel overwhelmed at work, remember that deep breathing can help.
5. Speak slower
There is a lot of evidence that people who speak more slowly are perceived as smarter and therefore command greater respect. If you want to appear intelligent, slow down your speech. When you’re thinking about what you’ll say next, pause a little longer than usual between sentences, giving you time to figure out what comes next in your argument. Forcing yourself not only to speak more slowly but also more clearly will help greatly improve your memory recall.
6. Say positive affirmations
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to improve your memory, try saying positive affirmations. It sounds silly, but it works! Positive affirmations are simple statements that reflect beliefs about yourself (e.g., I am smart and capable of doing anything I set my mind to). Positive affirmations give you an instant confidence boost when you say them aloud, making it easier for you to remember things.
7. Take supplements
The world of brain supplements is an unregulated minefield. Do a quick Google search, and you’ll find products called Smart Drugs, Nootropics, and other ambiguous names that claim to offer cognitive benefits. Most of these supplements are not FDA-approved, so there are no guarantees that they work or are safe.
If you take a lot of medications, find out if they interact with any brain supplements. As your memory declines with age, you might also start taking multiple supplements to cover all your bases. This is fine as long as it’s under a doctor’s supervision and everything doesn’t interact negatively.
8. Write things down
Most of us already know this, but you may be surprised how many people don’t. Research shows that simply writing things down in a notebook helps your memory and makes it easier for you to retain information in long-term memory. Writing by hand also causes your brain to think differently than typing on a keyboard or screen, so take advantage of it! One tip: Not all notebooks are created equal.
9. Learn about brain fitness
When remembering things, your brain is like a muscle: The more you work it out, the better shape it’ll be in. Cognitive training exercises can not only improve short-term memory but long-term memory as well. And while they might seem difficult at first, once you get into a routine, they become easier and easier.
10. Stay mentally active
Learning new things can help you keep your mind young. When we’re younger, our brains are more malleable and more readily absorb information. That’s not to say you should stop learning at a certain age; rather, your brain needs a variety of stimuli, and learning something new is a great way to ensure it gets it.