7 Quick Tricks To Improve Your Memory

The best way to improve your memory is to practice different activities to stimulate various brain areas. Here are some tips to help you get there.

Having a good memory depends on a number of factors, from your health to the things you pay attention to. There are those who constantly face periods or lapses in which memory plays a trick on them. So how can you improve your memory?

Do you usually forget what you were going to do or what you have done? Do you need to write down everything you have pending because, if not, there is no way to remember it? Don’t worry, you are not alone.

Fortunately, there are some quick tricks to improve your memory and we’ve put them together here. Put them into practice and you will see that, gradually, that problem may disappear.

1. To improve your memory, put your mind to work

With the passage of time and advancing to adulthood, the brain creates neurological networks that help process information quickly. This means that the usual processes are saved to make the minimum of mental effort.

This is why routine tasks are so easy, and sometimes you can do two at the same time. Instead, the tasks that you do not do constantly cost you more because they are not recorded in your mind.

Due to this, small forgetfulness can occur, such as entering a room and not remembering what you were going to.  The first of the quick tricks to improve your memory is to do activities that represent an intellectual challenge. The options are several:

• Read.
• Memorize a phrase, poem or text.
• Solve sudokus.
• Solve puzzles.
• Crosswords.
• Mobile applications dedicated to training memory.

In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society indicates that these mental training games could help lower the risk of dementia in older people.

2. Get physically active

Another trick to improve your memory is to exercise. The reason is that in this way you oxygenate your brain and reduce the risk of memory loss.

When you take a moment to go for a walk, the amount of oxygen reaching the brain increases and the neural connections can work better.

Aerobic exercises are the best, as they force you to work with your whole body. If you can combine several activities, it would be ideal, since, in this way, you develop the ability to work with several areas of the brain at the same time.

Thus, a study published in Psychology and aging  in 2013 showed that doing a stationary bike in a moderate way for about 15 minutes led to an improvement in the cognitive and memory performance of all the people who participated, whose ages were between 19 and 93 years.

3. Get enough sleep to improve your memory

There is a big difference between sleeping 8 hours during the day and sleeping 8 hours during the night. The mind is designed to replenish itself and perform certain activities at night, and it won’t get the same rest if you change this.

Those who sleep little, or during the day, have problems with memory, creativity, problem solving and logical reasoning. It is not that you are incapable but it will take you longer to carry out related activities.

To improve your memory do not forget

• Have a regular sleep schedule.
• Avoid computer, telephone and similar screens the hour before bedtime.
• Reduce or eliminate caffeine.

4. Spend time with friends

Have you completely forgotten to hang out with your friends by concentrating on work? Does your family see you less and less? You should rethink that situation if you want to improve your memory.

By spending time with your loved ones, you not only have fun, but also improve your cognitive skills. Your memory benefits from creating new memories, as it must work with those connections again.

Furthermore, human beings are social animals. We need to be in contact with others to maintain and optimize our language skills, something that improves your memory.

Some options for socializing are

• Join a sports club.
• Participate as a volunteer.
• To go out with your friends.
• Take some live class.

Keep in mind that it is not enough to send messages to your friends. The communication that works best is the one that happens face to face.

5. Keep stress at bay to improve your memory

Stress is one of our greatest enemies, not only for memory, but for the entire body. Try to prevent stress from taking over your life because, when it becomes chronic, it destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus, as evidenced by this article published in the Chilean Journal of Neuro-psychiatry .

This leads to attention and memory problems. To deal with stress remember

• Have realistic goals.
• Take breaks throughout the day.
• Express your emotions and feelings to free yourself from them.
• Define a time to relax and rest.
• Focus on one task at a time and avoid doing several simultaneously.

6. Laugh

You have surely heard that laughter is the best medicine and it can also help you with your memory. When you laugh, you activate different areas of the brain, something that does not happen with other activities or emotions.

In addition, when you hear, watch or read jokes, your brain awakens the areas responsible for learning and creativity. Some actions that will help you are

• Learn to laugh at yourself.
• Get close to funny moments or situations.
• Spending time with funny and laughing people.
• Surround yourself with fun things.

7. Eat a healthy diet

Your stomach or your heart are not the only ones that need good nutrients, your brain requires them too. Therefore, a diet rich in healthy, natural and varied foods helps you improve your memory.

• Omega 3 fatty acids provide hydration to your brain, which improves and keeps neurons alive, as this work published in Advances in nutrition points out .
• By limiting calories and saturated fat, you lower your risk of dementia and increase your ability to concentrate and memory.
• In turn, green tea contains antioxidants that prevent brain cell damage.

Lastly, don’t forget to consume enough water. A dehydrated brain will not be able to think or focus enough on any task for long and effectively.

In short, improving your memory also helps you improve your lifestyle. You will need less time to do all your activities and you will get better results.