Practically anyone can think of a time when their mind simply went blank, right in the middle of an intriguing thought or important sentence, often at the most inopportune time possible. With these tips and tricks to help improve your memory, you can get a head start on making sure that such an embarrassment never happens again.
If someone you know is suffering from Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, or another illness that effects their memory, try showing them pleasant pictures from the past. By looking at pleasant memories, the memory of these patients may improve. Be sure not to bring up unpleasant memories as this could cause them a setback.
Don't skip on the sleep if you want to improve your memory. It is when we sleep that our brains really go to work. During deep sleep our brains are incredibly active in processing information and trying to understand problems. Skimping on your sleep will start having an almost immediate effect on your memory.
A great way to improve memory and brain elasticity is to read a large variety of books. Read novels from all eras and places as well as histories, self help books, nonfiction books, and anything else you can find. The different types of information you take in give your brain a workout.
It is important that you keep a daily routine if you want to improve your memory. By doing things at different times of the day, you may forget certain obligations. Try to stick with one routine for the weekdays when you are at work and one routine for weekends when you are home.
If you have noticed that your memory isn't what it used to be, maybe you aren't getting enough sleep. You need to be sleeping seven to eight hours each night in order to improve your memory. During your sleep cycle, your brain processes all new information to create these memories for you so you have them to recall later.
You should keep a list of things that you need to get at a grocery store. By keeping a list you will know exactly what it is that you need to get. This will save a you lot of time from wandering aimlessly, as well as money, once you are at the store. Once home, it will also help keep you organized since you will not have too many multiples of things you thought you needed.
Use mnemonic devices to help you remember information. The best mnemonics use humor and positive imagery to help you recall facts, so come up with a song, joke, poem or rhyme to help you memorize important segments of information. The simpler the mnemonic, the easier it will be to remember.
A great tip to help improve your memory is to get more exercise. Aerobic exercises are great because they pump more blood throughout your body and this supplies your brain with more oxygen. Try and work out at least 3 times, preferably 5 times, a week to gain the most benefits.
Using acronyms is a great way to help you remember things. Acronyms are formed by using the first letter from a group of words to make a new word. This comes in handy when you are learning something ins a specific order. For example, if you are trying to remember the colors of the rainbow, you can remember ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet).
Some experts believe that, on average, your short-term memory can hold a maximum of seven items for approximately 30 seconds. However, there are ways to improve this capacity. One of them is by chunking. Chunking refers to the process of taking small or singular pieces of information and consolidating them into larger "chunks" that are easier to remember. For example, instead of storing all nine digits of a social-security number separately, it's easier to remember them as three units consisting of the first three numbers, the two middle numbers and the last four numbers, the way the number is written.
You should try to socialize and have fun. Although it sounds strange, socializing with friends is a great workout for your brain. Laughing is also vital for brain health, as it uses many parts of your brain. It can also help you to think in broader terms and keep it active.
Engage your mind regularly in activities like puzzles or brain teasers to improve your memory. Not only are these activities fun, but they also improve attention and concentration while keeping your memory skills sharp. Brain games train your mind to work more efficiently and help form different thought patterns, enabling better retention of memories.
When trying to remember something, incorporate as many of your senses as possible. The more sense you use when making a memory, the easier it will be to recall at a later date. You can see this process in action every time a familiar smell reminds you of something from your past.
Learning something as a song can help improve your memory. Even if you had a hard time studying for tests in school, you probably know all the words to your favorite songs. The combination of rhyme and music helps memory. Look for songs online or make up your own.
When meeting new people at a meeting, it is okay to cheat a little to spur your memory later. Take a little time after the meeting to take a few notes about the people on the back of the business card so you can prepare for meeting them again in the future. Notes can be about their hair color, where they went to school, kids, or any other conversation starters for the next time you meet.
Much like any new skill, improving your memory will take time and practice. Look for different ways to try out these suggestions and advice in your everyday life, whether you choose to practice them at work, home, or during a study session in school. An enhanced memory is a highly useful skill that you are sure to use over and over again.