It’s no surprise that as we get older we forget things more often than when we are younger. You don’t need to remember the name of your elementary boyfriend or third grade teacher but it would be nice to know where you put your keys. Here are a few tips to help you remember if you feel like your memory is slipping away from you.
The number one defense against the loss of your memory is prevention! Taking simple steps when you first start to forget things will help ward off your memory loss. Not only will these simple steps help you remember things, they will also help you from losing even more information.
* Give your brain a workout. Just like your body needs regular exercise, so does your brain. Take a little time each day to do a puzzle. Do a crossword puzzle or try the new puzzle craze, Sudoko. Even learning a new skill will help improve your memory.
* Stay in shape. If you are like me you probably don’t think of your brain as an organ, but it is. Keeping your body in good physical condition will help improve your brain function. You don’t have to go run a marathon every day, a simple walk every day is sufficient.
* Keep stress levels to a minimum. We all know that stress wreaks havoc on our bodies. When we are under stress our bodies produce cortisol which causes a lack in remembering things. Try taking yoga classes, doing breathing techniques or taking a bath to reduce your stress levels and keep it at a minimum.
* Get emotional. That’s right I said get emotional! Don’t be afraid to let your tears flow, or share that you are upset/frustrated with someone. It will be good for you and your brain. Holding your emotions in takes constant mental energy. It’s better to express what you are feeling when you are feeling it rather than hold all those emotions in.
* Believe in yourself. If you believe that you are going to forget something you probably will. Instead you need to have confidence in yourself that you’ll remember things.
These suggestions will help you with your overall memory capabilities but now we need to look at remembering things that you need to know now. Below are a few techniques that will help you to stop forgetting specific things.
* Pay attention. If you have a habit of not paying attention you need to stop that right now and start paying attention instead. The majority of memory problems are caused by simply not paying attention in the first place. When you put your keys down don’t just throw them down. Instead start saying to yourself, “I put my keys on the kitchen counter” as you lay them down.
*Make up a song. It’s been shown that you are more apt to remember things if you sing it in a song, so make up a song. When I was in school several years ago a teacher of mine taught us the presidents of the United States in tune to the theme of Ten Little Indians. If you have phone numbers you need to remember try putting them to a tune you already know. This will make things a lot easier to remember.
*Connect what you don’t know to stuff you do. Use the first letter of things you need to remember to make up a word or sentence. For example when I was in school a teacher taught us how to spell arithmetic by using the sentence A Red Indian Thought He Might Eat Turnips in Church. Kind of a silly sentence but here it is many years later and I still remember that!
*Write a story. When you have things you need to remember, try connecting them in your head. Make up a funny story or make a picture in your head that involves what you need to remember. The more creative you are, the easier it will be to remember.
Using these tips and techniques should help you with not only your long term memory but also your short term memory.
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