Our memory is an integral part of who we are, but we all experience moments of forgetfulness from time to time, especially when life gets busy. While forgetting things is completely normal, having to deal with poor memory can be quite frustrating.
There are several factors such as genetics and neurological conditions that play a role in our memory, but certain lifestyle and diet choices we make can also majorly impact our memory. The amazing news is that science has been learning more about our brain’s incredible capacity to change and grow new neural connections every single day – even as we age.
Research has discovered the phenomenon of neuroplasticity and realized that our memory capacity isn’t fixed, but rather extremely malleable like plastic. However, our brain doesn’t just magically grow new neural connections without your help. You need to take care of your body and exercise your brain in order to be able to fully take advantage of neuroplasticity.
Here are our TOP 10 tips to mobilize your memory.
#1 Eat Right
The foods we eat play a major role in our memory. Healthy fats and fresh vegetables are essential while you should avoid simply sugars and carbs. You should focus on plant-based foods, especially leafy green vegetables and berries, legumes, nuts, whole grains, coconut oil and olive oil, as well as fatty fish like salmon, chicken or turkey in addition to fresh herbs and spices and stay away from processed foods, sugar, butter, fried foods, red meat, and salt. Fatty fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which play a crucial role in building brain and nerve cells and are essential for memory and learning. Sugar and bad fats like saturated fats and trans fats have been linked to impaired memory and negatively impact hippocampal memory.
#2 Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise is good for everything, particularly our heart, mood, mind and sleep. Exercise is especially important for the part of our brain that is involved in memory and studies have proven repeatedly that regular exercise can actually increase the size of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that is majorly involved in the memory storing process. A new study from 2018 recommends that if you have issues with mild memory problems, exercise should be on top of your to-do list. You may wonder how exercise helps your memory. Well, it encourages our brain to work at optimal capacity by stimulating nerve cells to multiply and strengthening their interconnections while protecting them from damage. During exercise the protein brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is released, which triggers a number of other chemicals, which promote neural health and are directly linked to cognitive functions, including memory and learning.
#3 Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important elements when it comes to good memory because sleep is when our memory consolidates. So it makes sense that when we don’t get enough sleep at night, we struggle to remember the things we’ve learned. Research shows that even a short nap can have a positive impact on memory recall as napping also helps our brain to solidify memories. But sleep is not only critical in the memory consolidation process, it is also important to sleep before you learn something new, as sleep deprivation can affect your ability to commit new things to memory.
#4 Stop Multitasking
Multitasking means that we attempt to do as many things as possible simultaneously, as quickly as possible, but the truth is that multitasking ultimately slows us down and makes us prone to mistakes and makes us forget things. Research demonstrates that you need about eight seconds to commit a piece of information into your memory, so when you are talking on your phone and carry your groceries while putting down your keys, you are very unlikely to remember where you left them. So stop multitasking and embrace the opposite concept of mindfulness to improve your working memory capacity.
#5 Meditate
We live in a non-stop world of 24/7 information and endless news, facts, data and figures pour into our minds like a waterfall. Unfortunately our brains are not designed to absorb this huge amount of information, which is why a lot of us struggle to recall things and remember information. Fortunately, meditation can help us out. Even just 10 minutes a day can do wonders to our ability to focus and in turn makes it easier for us to remember important information. And remember, meditation doesn’t just mean you close your eyes and sit in lotus for hours on end. It can also mean taking a nature walk, swimming or conscious breathing exercises just to name a few other options.
#6 Challenge Your Brain
When was the last time you really challenged your brain. And we are not talking about under sleeping or overeating, but stretching your mental capacity through memory games, word games, crossword puzzles, etc. To make your memory razor-sharp you need to continually challenge your brain. There are plenty of brain training apps that can help you enhance your memory, focus, attention span and problem-solving ability, so instead of mindlessly scrolling through your social media feed, play brain games instead because challenging your brain will strengthen your neural pathways and enhance your mental abilities.
#7 Take Breaks
Taking breaks on a regular basis is one of the best ways to keep yourself creative, productive and alive to opportunities, It’s also the best way to learn new information and actually remember it. It’s just like working out. You wouldn’t vigorously train for four hours non-stop but instead take regular breaks to give your muscles, heart and lungs time to recover otherwise you will have to deal with overexertion, muscle cramps and injuries. It’s the same for your brain. If you overload it with information for hours on end, your mental capacity will suffer. Take a 5-minute break every hour and your memory will move up a level.
#8 Learn a New Skill
Purposeful and meaningful activities stimulate the mind while at the same time reducing stress and improving health and well-being. Learning a new skill or learning a new language gives you focus and something to aim for. Keep in mind, your brain loves to learn, so tap into this by always looking for new information and feeding your mind with inspiring and empowering messages. And when you make learning a habit, you will be able to remember things effortlessly.
#9 Test Yourself
Most people see tests as useful because tests tell you what you know and what you don’t know. But what’s even more important about the power of testing is that it gives you the practice to retrieve the information you’ve learned and with that establish more powerful connections in the brain. A recent study tested a group of students on how well they remembered information they had learned a week earlier. The students who were immediately tested after learning the new information significantly outperformed the students who simply were instructed on the information in the test they all took one week later.
#10 Focus Your Attention
One of the major components of memory is attention. In order for information to move from short-term memory into long-term memory you need to actively attend to the information. So when you learn something new, make your environment free of distractions as much as possible. Sure, it might be a challenge to eliminate distractions especially when you are surrounded by family or roommates, but it can make all the difference in your ability to remember.
Memory is like a muscle that can be improved with practice and healthy overall habits. A healthy lifestyle can support brain health and encourages our brain to grow new neurons. Our hippocampus – the area of the brain that is associated with memory – is especially capable of growing new cells and make new neural connection and has been known to be able to regenerate throughout our entire lifetime.
TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF NEUROPLASTICITY
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked