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Have you ever imagined how life would be without
long-term memory? Not remembering your phone number, your friend's name,
where you live, or what to say in speech class can be quite
embarrassing, not to mention a little bit scary.
The truth, however, is that memory loss can happen to anyone and at any
point in life. There was a time when memory loss was often linked to
aging but things have changed. Nowadays, due to the combination of busy
schedules, workplace stress, unhealthy diets, and large consumption of
alcohol, memory loss is now a common problem.
Could your mental capacity be improved? According to scientific studies,
it is possible to increase your brain capacity. Several medical research
studies have concluded that different types of techniques like exercise,
hypnosis, cognitive therapy, special diet, stress management, memory
improvement games, and certain natural medications can help increase
mental capacity.
Memory loss should not be taken lightly. If you are experiencing any
kind of memory loss, it may be time to start focusing on your memory
issues. There are several simple and advanced techniques available to
improve short-term and long-term memory. The following five simple
memory improvement tips are some of them.
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Grouping and relating words
Whenever you want to remember new information, try relating the new
information to old knowledge that you know. This technique works well
for learning new names. The next time you meet new people, when they
tell you their names, connect their names to people you know and it will
increase your chance of remembering their names.
Another simple way to help you remember things is to split them into
groups. This works well for remembering certain words or numbers. A good
example of this is to split a phone number into smaller groups. Instead
of trying to remember this long number 8004567890, you can split it up
into smaller groups similar to these three groups of numbers 800, 456,
7890.
Physical exercise and healthy foods
Exercise is as essential to the body as it is to the brain. Studies have
shown that physical activities can significantly improve brain health.
Proper physical exercise (i.e., aerobics, walking, jogging, martial
arts, yoga) is great for increasing oxygen to the brain and thus
improving your brain's ability to store information. In addition, it can
reduce the risk of certain brain disorders that can lead to memory loss.
Avoid over exercising because it can disrupt the chemical balance in
your body, causing it to release too many free radicals.
Studies have suggested that participation in any type of physical
activity can delay the onset of and reduce the risk for Alzheimer's
disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Intervention
studies have demonstrated that people suffering from Alzheimer's who
exercise daily have shown improvement in memory function.
Aerobic exercises and cardiovascular training along with simple weight
training or targeted movement therapy are recommended memory improvement
exercises. If you do not feel like being active, playing memory
improvement games indoor is a great way to increase your brain's ability
to store data.
What you eat can also affect how your brain will function. The best
foods to eat for brain health are organic and whole foods that are rich
in antioxidants, proteins, and essential fatty acids. Fruits and
vegetables that are rich in antioxidants are acai, blueberries,
cranberries, and red beans. As for proteins and essential fatty acids,
nuts and seeds are some of the best sources.
The main reason why you want to eat organic foods high in antioxidants
is because antioxidants are essential for preventing free radicals from
destroying your brain cells and harming your DNA.
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Sleep
Sleep is imperative for mental and emotional health. If you are sleep
deprived, your brain will not be able to function at its full capacity.
Sleep deprivation can compromise some of your basic skills, such as
problem solving and creative and critical thinking skills. These skills
are essential for helping you to make better decisions.
According to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, losing three
or four hours of sleep for just one night can negatively affect brain
memory. Some researchers believe that sleeping for eight hours straight
allows the brain to shift temporary memories to an area of the brain
that is responsible for long-term memory.
Meditate
Meditation is one of the most effective techniques for improving memory.
Researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara did an
experiment on 48 undergraduate students to see if meditation improves
brain function. They divided the students into two groups. One group was
initiated into a nutrition class and the other into mindfulness
meditation class. After the experiment, they recorded that the students
who used meditation scored significantly better in memory tests.
The nice thing about meditation is that you can practice it any time of
the day and for any duration of time. Plus, it is simple and does not
cost you any money to use this simple technique to improve your memory.
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Reduce stress
Stress plays a key role in memory loss because it can interfere with
your capacity to encode memory. Depending on the type of stress, it can
cause acute as well as chronic changes in specific areas of your brain.
This can affect short-term memory, long-term memory, explicit memory and
implicit memory.
The simplest way to reduce stress is by clearing your mind using
relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises. These
techniques are very effective for reducing stress, because they improve
blood flow to the brain, relax muscles and put you in a peaceful state
of mind. Another great way to relieve stress is to do things that you
enjoy doing. Once you learn to control your stress better, you will
notice an improvement in your memory and brain power. |