As you age, your memory is likely to suffer. What can you do to stay mentally sharp as you get older? Enjoy the following article and the advice it contains to aid you in strengthening your memory.
Brain teasers and puzzles are entertaining and effective tools for sharpening your memory and challenging your brain. Consider your brain as a muscles that needs exercise to stay in shape. Giving your brain exercise really helps it become much stronger, improving memory retention, focus, and concentration. Try brain teasers, crosswords and word searches, for instance.
Write down things you want to remember in order to improve your memory. Your brain area that controls memory functions will receive blood flow, and memories will thus be exercised. By keeping a journal, writing detailed letters, etc., you can really improve your ability to memorize or remember things you need.
Taking as little as a 5 to 15 minute break when studying or working at your desk allows your mind to refresh itself and will benefit your memory. This break can help your brain absorb information more efficiently.
You can help improve your memory by consciously paying attention and not passively listening. If you are not focusing, the information will not be understood correctly and you will not be able to remember it. Clear all other thoughts from your mind and give your full attention to what is being discussed and presented. Keep your focus strong to retain the information in your memory.
To make your memory better, stop thinking about negative and unpleasant things. Research clearly shows that high stress levels are detrimental to memory retention. Negative thoughts have also been shown to interfere with the memory building processes of the brain. Ask your doctor about ways to get rid of stress.
Exercise will help you maintain your memory. When you workout, brain and oxygen flow to the brain in an improved manner, and that helps the brain stay healthy. Given that memory is essentially a function of the brain, ensuring that it remains healthy is a great way to preserve mental recall. Exercise will also help prevent diabetes, which can have a bad effect on your memory.
If you want to exercise your brain, try playing certain kinds of memory games. Once you look at what is available, you are sure to find something you really enjoy doing and strengthens your memory at the same time. Memory games have the added benefit of helping to steady your concentration, and lengthen your attention span. Search for some free memory games online.
In order to engage your memory and keep it working as well as it can, you need to stay socially active. Interacting with others not only keeps your spirits up, it also keeps you alert. When you are depressed or lonely, your brain is not being stimulated and your mind is not getting the exercise it needs to stay sharp. If you have regular conservations with people you know, your mind will be engaged and you will remember things better.
Remember, although gaps in memory and general forgetfulness can be extremely frustrating, you can work to overcome these annoyances. If you use these tips, you can find that remember things will be easier than ever. With some effort on your part, you can see significant improvement in your memory over time.