Losing your memory is not a sign of the natural aging process. Many seniors’ memories are as clear and vivid as any young persons. If you are a senior and are beginning to become overly forgetful it may be a medical condition rather than just getting older. This article will guide you towards figuring out whether it is something medical, or just normal forgetfulness.
Visualizing yourself recalling information is actually a great way in which you can work to recall information. You are basically training your brain to be able to memorize items when you foresee yourself dipping into that memory bank to pull them out at a later date. Think of it like visualizing your hand turning a doorknob before you actually turn it.
Support your memory by eating more fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is full of antioxidants, substances that have been shown to help prevent damage to your brain cells. Try eating richly colored fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, apricots, bell peppers and blueberries since they tend to have the highest concentrations of antioxidants.
Organize the information you’re trying to study. Studies have shown that your brain stores similar information in the same spot. So to maximize your studying effort, you want to try and group similar things together when you’re studying. Using an outline to group subjects or sub-topics together can be beneficial in the long run.
In order to improve your memory, be sure that you exercise on a regular basis. It is proven that exercise makes a person more alert, which in turn, helps you to absorb and keep information in the mind. Also, when your mind is alert, it is easier for it to take mental pictures.
When trying to commit something to memory, it is important to maintain low stress levels. This is because stress and anxiety can quickly cause you to lose your concentration. Concentration is necessary for acquiring new information. A good solution is to listen to soothing music. Music can help to keep your stress levels down, by keeping your mind off of the things that cause you to be anxious.
Be sure to visit a dentist and take good care of your teeth if you want to have a good memory. Tooth and gum disease have been known to clog your carotid arteries, which in turn decreases oxygen to the brain. Without enough oxygen, the brain cannot process and keep information.
Get plenty of high quality sleep to keep your memory as sharp as possible. Lack of sleep, or poor quality of sleep, can significantly reduce memory and make it difficult to retain information, especially if sleep deprivation is a pattern. Getting an adequate amount of high quality sleep goes a long way towards improving your memory.
The best way to improve your memory is to have healthy habits, such as eating nutritious foods, sleeping plentifully and exercising. Just as athletes need these things, your brain also needs to be cared for in order to perform well. Physical exercise is effective because it increases the oxygen flow to your brain.
You should associate the information that you want to retain with information that you know already. For example, you can link information to a more familiar concept. Over time, this process will make it easier to store information in your long-term 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.
Try using mnemonic devices to aid in recall. A mnemonic is a way to remember information. One mnemonic is word association. Think of a word or phrase you are familiar with to remind yourself of the thing you wish to remember. Rhymes, songs, and humorous images make good mnemonics.
Try learning a new language. Learning a new language can really help to keep your mind and memory in shape. It has also been proven to delay brain deterioration and dementia. Just immersing yourself in the language will do. There is no need to become a fluent speaker of it.
To help you to remember something, take that abstract thought or article and place it in a memory palace. A memory palace is some place that is familiar to you. By picturing yourself walking through that space, and then seeing, feeling, or hearing the thing you want to remember, that thought will come easier to you. This is a technique used by professionals regularly.
As was stated in the beginning of this article, losing your memory is not a sign of the natural aging process. Everyone is forgetful from time to time which is perfectly normal. If it is becoming more than occasional, it may be a medical condition. Apply the advice from this article to help you explore which one it may be.
