Brain surgeons have discovered that we retain a memory of every sensory impression received in our lives. But as we age, we may have increasing difficulty in bringing these memories to the surface when we need them. We know the information is stored in our brain. Here are some tips to help tap into this reservoir.
Pay careful attention to what you want to remember to ensure the information is retained in your long-term memory. Distractions, such as music and television, prevent you from paying the required amount of attention to the material. Failure to concentrate will result in the information being lost and not committed to memory.
When trying to remember any type of information the key is repetition. The more something is repeated in your mind the more likely you are to keep it in your long term memory. For example, if you meet someone new, repeat their name in your head at least three times while looking at them.
To improve your memory you need to have fun and laugh a lot. Your memory needs healthy fun besides training. Struggling for 6 hours with the latest Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle might seem to enhance memory functions, but in most cases socializing with friends, going to the movies or enjoying a play at the local theatre helps much more.
Putting information into categories will help you to remember it later! Everything has a category and compartmentalizing things in your memory by category can give you much greater recall. For example, chicken and hot dogs on your grocery list go into the category of meat and milk and water into beverages and so on.
Use memorization techniques and drills to continually challenge your mind to retain more information. Using these techniques and drills, allows you to improve your memory, while also remembering vital information, like telephone numbers and definitions. The list of data you can use for these techniques is limitless and can also, help you in your daily activities.
Improving your memory may be something as simple as going out for a jog or a bike ride. Recent studies have shown that aerobic exercises can actually cause the development of new neurons in the hippocampus of the brain, which is considered to be the memory store center of the brain.
A great tip that can help you improve your memory is to seek help if you’re suffering from depression. Depression can do a number on your brain. It can make it hard for you to concentrate and remember things. Getting proper treatment can help you improve your memory.
Keep a positive attitude. If you don’t want to or think you can’t remember something, you probably won’t. Constantly thinking about how bad your memory is can actually make the situation worse. Instead, focus on the good parts of memory and learning, and you’ll quickly see an improvement in your skills.
If you suffer from loss of memory, be sure to see a psychiatrist or therapist. Memory loss can be a sign that you suffer from anxiety or depression, and you may not even know it. If you do have anxiety or depression, treating it could be the key to you getting your memory back.
Try to use all five of your sense when trying to remember things. By using as many of your senses that the situation calls for, you will have a better time remembering it. If it is a location you are trying to remember, picture the way it smelled and the sounds associated with the area.
If you have a bad memory and you are on certain medications, you may want to get a pill organizer. This way, you will remember to take your medicine at the time you need to. Also, if you have forgotten whether you have taken your medication or not, you can always look at your pill organizer.
One strategy for improving your memory for names is to quickly draw a mental association between your new acquaintance and someone you already know who has the same name. You can also make the mental association with someone famous. By connecting an unfamiliar face with a familiar name, you should easily recall the association when you run into the person again.
Visualizing information in your brain works well for many people. You only have to remember a small piece of information at a time, rather than a large amount at once. An example of this is a phone number. It is much easier to recall 888-990-8765 than it is to remember 8889908765.
We hope these tips will be helpful to you when you go fishing for information in that great reservoir of memory. These are tips others have been able to put to use effectively. You may come up with some of your own. Here’s to a long life and a vivid memory!
