Natural Ways to Boost Your Memory
Memory tends to get taken for granted until it slips. If you care about growing as a person, it quietly does a lot of the heavy lifting: it lets you learn, hold your attention on what matters, and see how far you've come. Plenty of people struggle with it, and short-term recall is usually the first thing to go. The good news is that you don't have to accept a foggy memory as permanent. A few habits, started today, can sharpen it, and once that happens the ordinary tasks of a day stop feeling like a slog.
Move your body. The people who seem to remember everything are often the same ones who stay physically active, and that isn't a coincidence. Exercise keeps the blood vessels feeding your brain open and healthy, so oxygen and nutrients actually reach the tissue that needs them. A well-supplied brain holds onto information more readily. On a day when nothing seems to stick, try stepping away for about 15 minutes of movement. It clears the mental clutter and gives your recall a noticeable lift.
Then there's stress, which works against memory like a barrier dropped between you and whatever you're trying to hold onto. Short-term recall suffers the most. The mechanism runs through cortisol: when you're under pressure, levels of that hormone climb in the brain, and the hippocampus, where short-term memories are filed, takes the hit. Elevated cortisol there means memories don't get stored properly. Winding stress down is rarely simple, but it's doable. Trim an overloaded schedule where you can, and lean on relaxation practices such as deep breathing, yoga, or meditation. The payoff shows up as a clearer head and easier recall.
Sleep belongs on the list too. Skimp on it and your memory pays. People who regularly get less than seven hours a night store short-term memories less effectively, because sleep is when the brain recharges and resets itself for the next day. Feeling dull and forgetful by mid-afternoon? A 30-minute nap can give the brain a quick top-up so the things that matter stay within reach.
Writing things down helps in two separate ways. For one, you get a visual cue sitting in front of you, a reminder of what still needs doing. The second benefit is less obvious: the act of writing puts the memory regions of your brain to work, drawing more oxygenated blood into those areas and giving them a workout.
Feed the thing. Your brain runs on a daily mix of nutrients, and some matter more than others for memory. Omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins protect brain health right down to the nerve cells. Build meals around fish and dark leafy greens to get them. If you suspect you're running low on something, a conversation with your doctor about a good supplement is worth having. The point is to make sure your brain is actually getting what it's asking for.
Start folding these habits in now. A reliable memory is what lets you recall a friend's birthday, keep events straight, and stay on top of what work or school expects of you, and a person who remembers gets more done without trying as hard. Begin working on it and the early results tend to arrive fast; keep at it and each bit of progress stacks on the last.
- Rosemary Kitchen
Reference: Wolchover, N. (2012). 6 Fun Ways to Sharpen Your Memory. Retrieved on March 11, 2015 from http://www.livescience.com/17756-6-fun-ways-sharpen-memory.html