How to Improve Your Memory
1.
Convince
yourself that you have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get
stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just
not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason.
Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the
task and bask in your achievements -- it's hard to keep motivated if you beat
yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.
2.
Keep
your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly
“exercising" the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the
development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By
developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new
language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your
brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its
physiological functioning.
3.
Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise
improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the
brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise
also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory
uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures."
4.
Reduce
stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain,
can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it
more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to
relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor
if you have severe chronic stress.
5.
Eat
well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market
that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in
clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for
ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to
a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries,
spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote
healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine,
Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals
throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental
functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may
negatively affect the brain.
6.
Take better
pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather
because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs
(and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t
really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on
remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember
such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more
observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then
turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can
about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your
mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular
practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter
glimpses of the photos.
7.
Give
yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term,
and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone
number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be
able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about
other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions
and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
8.
Create
vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can
visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to
visualize the child reading the book – that's too simple and forgettable.
Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the
book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind – make the
images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.
9.
Repeat
things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about
something, the more surely you’ll remember it, right? It’s a no-brainer. When
you want to remember something, be it your new coworker’s name or your best
friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down;
think about it.
10.
Group things
you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can
be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the
individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things,
you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to
remember all four.
11.
Organize
your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and
eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily
planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks.
Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your
computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of
concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being
organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same
benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).
12.
Try meditation.
Research now suggests that people who regularly practice
"mindfulness" meditation are able to focus better and may have better
memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the
type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at
Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the
cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some
researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
13.
Sleep well.
The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently
learned information. Getting a good night's sleep – a minimum of seven hours a
night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory,
according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.
14.
Build your
memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These
techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly
improve your memory.
15.
Venture out
and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first
one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one
thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your
grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually
master the art of memorization.
Source: My articles
Credit to: wikihow.com
posted by How-to Engineering @ August 01, 2019
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