Many people fear memory loss, but it need not be as serious as it seems. There are a lot of things you can try to slow down this process. You must be willing to go the extra mile to try new things, make necessary changes, and invite opportunities for learning.
Psychologists have found that one way for people to keep mentally sharp is to play games that are challenging on a mental level. It’s similar to how you keep muscles in shape by exercising. Regular mental exercise can result in improved memory and the increased ability to concentrate and focus. Examples of good games that boost your memory are crosswords puzzles, brain teasers and word searches.
If you need to commit a set of facts to memory, try studying that information in many different environments. This way, the information is not associated with a particular place. Instead, it becomes a part of you. You basically want to encourage your brain to be able to learn information anywhere possible so that the more you practice learning, the easier it becomes to do anywhere you are.
Don’t be embarrassed by the need to leave notes around the house to help you remember things. Post your notes in all the places that you use frequently, such as by the phone or to the side of your computer screen. You’ll find that these notes will keep you on track and help you remember tasks and appointments.
Make sure you are getting an adequate amount of sleep. Sleep plays a powerful role in terms of short-term and long-term memory. When your brain is suffering from fatigue, your memory will suffer. Getting enough sleep every night will keep you remembering everything you need to.
When you have to remember something, try using silly phrases, images or songs to memorize it. 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.
Use visualization to jog your memory and help with remembering the ideas and thoughts that are important to you. If you’re studying information from textbooks, charts and photographs can act as a good visual cue to aid you in storing the information into your memory. In addition to what the textbook or other source provides to aid information, don’t hesitate to make your own graphic material to serve this purpose.
Invest a few moments to relating new information you’re hoping to retain to knowledge that is already well-placed inside your memory. Synthesizing these related thoughts together will greatly increase your ability to file new bits of information into your memory. Also, the related exercise will help speed up the process of memorization.
Do not try to cram when you study. A better way to remember things is to use study sessions, as opposed to cramming. It is stressful and ineffective to try and learn a new subject, all in one sitting. It can overwhelm your mind, and you can forget nearly all of it. Develop routine study sessions so your brain gets in the habit of learning and remembering.
It is part of the natural progression of life. Instead of worrying, read up on memory and take advantage of the suggestions you see. If you make use of the advice in this article, you’ll see your memory become much sharper.