Are you struggling to remember small things, such as taking your vitamins or where you left your wallet?
In daily life, we all tend to forget one or two things. Luckily there are ways to improve memory with a few simple changes to our day-to-day activities.
Exercises and techniques to assist memory can be split into three primary groups. Namely, there are physical and dietary ways to improve memory, as well as health factors.
Lastly, we have provided some activities to help with brain function.
Physical Ways To Improve Memory
Be Active
One of the simplest ways to improve memory is to be active. Running with your dog, walking to work, exercising your body, these are ways to stay active.
Physical activity increases blood flow in your body, this in turn increases the amount of oxygen in your brain.
The increased amounts of oxygen in your brain not only helps to improve memory, but also decreases stress and cholesterol levels.
There are of course also several physical benefits to staying active. If exercising is not for you, try a new sport. Swimming for instance, as it is a low impact sport that has many benefits.
Keep A Healthy & Moderate Weight
Along with staying active, one should keep an eye on one’s weight. No, it does not mean you should be a size 0, it means keep a healthy weight.
Obesity has been linked to many illnesses, including memory loss. To improve memory and keep brain function healthy, weight is an important factor.
To learn more about what your ideal weight is, follow the link here.
Try Meditation
Meditation is another practice that is simple to incorporate, and has multiple benefits.
The practice is calming and relieves stress, as well as lowering blood pressure and more.
Along with all these benefits, meditation has been proven to increase the brain’s grey matter. Grey matter declines as the body ages, and with declining grey matter, memory loss increases.
Sleep Well & Sleep Enough
Sleep is an important factor for memory consolidation. This is the process when short-term memories are turned into long-term memories.
Therefore, to have healthy brain function and improve memory one must sleep enough. But do not sleep too much.
While too little sleep impacts brain function negatively, too much sleep has other health implications, such as obesity.
Organise What You Can
Organisation helps to improve memory, simply because it limits distractions around you.
Things like keeping an organised task list, or reading things aloud after writing them down, may help to remember them better.
Less distractions lead to better focus, which in turn helps to improve memory and may increase brain function.
Protect Your Head
It is as simple as the heading suggests, protect your head.
Head injuries are serious, and can lead to decreased brain function, memory loss, and more severe conditions.
It is always best to wear headgear when doing high risk activities such as biking or rock climbing, and the like.
Dietary Ways To Improve Memory
Have A Healthy Diet
The saying “you are what you eat” cannot be any more true. Eating healthy is not only good for your weight, or heart, it is good for your whole body.
Finding a good diet that suits your body’s needs is a large factor to consider when you want to improve memory and increase brain function.
Here are some things to try and some to avoid.
Try More …
- Foods that are high in antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables. Berries are especially high in antioxidants and can help improve memory.
- Omega-3 fatty acids, or a supplement therefore, as this can help to slow down the decline in brain function.
- Cocoa is another source of antioxidants that are good for the brain, as well as other benefits. Just remember that the cocoa at 70% or higher is healthier.
- More turmeric in your diet can also improve memory as there are high concentrations of curcumin, a potent antioxidant.
Stay Away From …
- Refined carbohydrates, as they can cause a rise in blood sugar levels.
- Lots of sugar, as it has been linked to increased memory loss and declining brain function.
- Alcohol, as it has a neurotoxic impact on brain function and causes memory loss.
If You’re Struggling To Improve Memory
Test Your Vitamin Levels
Focussing mostly on Vitamin D levels, as low levels can reduce brain function.
Vitamin D is an important vitamin for your body, and specifically the brain.
People with low vit D levels also have an increased risk of dementia.
Test Your Blood Sugar
High blood sugar levels can cause a string of illnesses such as diabetes and dementia. Test your blood sugar regularly and take medication if needed.
Test Your Blood Pressure
As with blood sugar, having high or low blood pressure also has an impact on your brain function. These are also factors for heart disease and stroke.
Ways To Exercise Your Brain Function & Improve Memory
Try A Different Approach
Sometimes, trying to remember something in a bizarre way can make it easier to remember.
As explained by Ricardo Lieuw in the video linked below, tying concepts to something important to you can make it easier to remember in the correct order.
Connect Learning To A Positive Emotional State
Connecting information to an emotion makes it easier to remember.
Try to stay out of your own way. Linking learning to negative memories can impede your learning capabilities.
Play More
Playing takes us back to a childlike mental state, where we are more creative. This creative state allows for better connections in the brain. In turn, this enhances learning capabilities.
Be Fast
As explained by Jim Kwik in his video Unleash Your Super Brain To Learn Faster, “Be Fast” is an acronym:
- B – Believe. Everything we do is driven by our beliefs. If you think you can, you will. If you think you can’t, you won’t.
- E – Exercise. As mentioned, moving your body increases blood flow and oxygen in the brain, and everywhere else. The more you move, the healthier your body becomes.
- F – Forget. If you start learning something, while thinking you already know a lot, you will not learn. Step into learning with a beginners mind, as if you know nothing.
- A – Active. Be active while you learn, not just as exercise. Moving while you learn puts you into a creative state and your mind can learn faster.
- S – State. This is to reinforce the emotional connection mentioned above.
- T – Teach. You should always learn something as if you plan on teaching it to others.
Morning Habits Geniuses Use To Jump Start The Brain By Jim Kwik
- Remember your dreams.
- Make your bed.
- Drink lots of water.
- Brush your teeth with the opposite hand.
- Do a deep breathing exercise.
- Drink brain tea – find recipe here.
- Journal while you drink your tea.
- Do a high intensity workout, only 3 – 4 minutes.
- Make a brain power smoothie – find recipe here.
- Read for 20 – 30 minutes.
