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.
When trying to commit a large amount of information to memory, having several shorter study sessions is significantly better than having one long study session. The reason for this is that it takes several separate instances of reviewing the material in order to commit the material to long term memory. Holding the information in long term memory will allow you to more readily recall the information than if it was stored in short term memory.
Take advantage of social networking sites to remember birthdays. Take the time to invite all your friends to join you on your social networking site, and be sure to ask them when their birthdays are and enter this information in the birthday reminder program provided so that you will always be notified in advance.
The health of your body has a direct impact on the health of your memory. The brain is an organ just like your heart or lungs. Activities that improve your physical well being will ensure that it functions at the highest level possible. Take care of yourself, rest, eat a healthy diet and exercise.
The best way to improve your memory if you’re studying, is to add structure to what you’re attempting to learn. Categorizing and taking things one step at a time, will allow you to learn and to retain the knowledge of a previous subject, before you move on to the next. This is undoubtedly the best way to study.
Use regular study sessions over a period of time rather than a single cramming session. Studies have shown that if you study material over a course of a few days, you have a better chance of remembering it than if you cram in a single night. So instead of cramming the night before a test, establish a regular study time each night or every other night.
The easiest way to improve your memory is to get a good night’s sleep! Sometimes our busy schedules make it seem like cutting out a few hours of sleep is the only way to be productive, but your brain needs rest to function at its best. Sleeping is also when your brain processes and stores your memories from that day.
If you notice that you are having trouble with your memory, you may want to try running or riding a bicycle on a regular basis. Medical research has shown that running and bicycle riding stimulates the growth of new brain cells, which in turn, helps to improve a person’s memory.
After you learn something new, teach it to another person. When you teach it, it forces your brain to manipulate the information in another way in order for you to articulate it. This manipulation of information strengthens that part of your memory, and it is an effective way in committing the new information into your brain.
When studying, be sure to alter your study environment from time-to-time. Your long-term memory can benefit from you studying in a completely new area. Your brain will start taking in all the new details of your environment, and as a result will also be more receptive to remembering what you are studying.
It is crucial that you eat breakfast if you are trying to improve your memory. Many doctors and health professionals have found that eating breakfast fuels the mind after not having eaten for many hours because of sleep. Even if it is a bowl of fruit, be sure to never skip breakfast.
When you have to remember something, try using silly phrases, images or songs to memorize it. Humorous phrases, songs, and the like have a way of staying in your mind even when you are trying to forget them! Take advantage of that fact.
When trying to commit information into your long-term memory, make sure you are in a location with zero distractions. It takes real attention to move information from short-term to long-term memory, and a distracting environment can make the task nearly impossible. Steer clear of areas where there are televisions, radios, crowds or lots of visual stimuli.
If you are having issues with remembering things, you may want to try relaxing techniques like yoga or meditation. When your body is relaxed, so is your mind which allows you to easily learn and remember things. Working your mind and body to hard will make memorizing things much worse.
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!
