Sharpen Your Mind: How You Can Get A Better Memory

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.

To improve your memory, make sure to stay focused on what you're studying. Distractions such as television or loud music can make it difficult to remember the subject at hand. Actively attending to the information will make you more likely to remember it, and retain it for a longer period of time.

Avoid cramming all your material into one short study session. Studies show that information is better retained, if you take some time to learn it. You can do this by scheduling short study sessions in the days and weeks, prior to an exam. Cramming everything into one sitting will only prove to be counter productive.

In order to have a better memory, you will want to have different interests, and try new things. This will keep your mind sharp and open for new memories. In addition, these new neurons will connect to existing neurons, which will then give you a new approach as to how to look at something.

Make sure your attention if focused on the material you want to remember. If you have other distractions going on around you - music playing, the TV on, kids talking, etc. - your mind won't be able to focus on the material. This will result in it being hard to remember what you've studied.

Meditate a lot to reduce stress and improve brain functions. Meditation is known to improve several conditions such as depression, anxiety, sever pain or blood pressure. Persons who frequently meditate can focus better and have significantly better reasoning skills and concentration. Meditation improves the communication among brain cells which in return results in enhanced memory functions.

To better commit names to memory, repeat a person's name after an introduction, and try to come up with something about the person that might help you remember his or her name. If you meet a Bob who mentions that he enjoys fishing, you might associate his name with a bobber like those used on a fishing line, for instance.

Feed your brain. Just like the body, the brain needs fuel. A healthy diet, including vegetables, fruits and plenty of whole grains, can help to boost your memory. In addition, try to limit saturated fat in your diet. Saturated fats can hinder concentration and memory. Drinking alcohol in moderation can also help your memory and cognitive skills. One glass of red wine a day is the ideal option.

When trying to commit a long list of information to memory, it is usually better to arrange the information in chunks or smaller units and categories to help make the information easier to remember. As an example, it is easier to remember a telephone number as three units of three, three, and four numbers rather than a long string of ten numbers. The same tactics work when remembering social security numbers and computer passwords.

It's vital that you keep learning on a daily basis long after you've left school. When you don't learn anything new, the part of your brain that controls memory isn't being used. Eventually when you find yourself in a position where you have to remember something, you might realize that it is difficult.

Get plenty of sleep. Studies indicate that your short-term memory can be negatively affected by a lack of sleep. Impaired concentration then means you will have difficulty transferring present events to long-term memory.

If you have a bad memory and you are on certain medications, you may want to get a pill organizer. This way, you will remember to take your medicine at the time you need to. Also, if you have forgotten whether you have taken your medication or not, you can always look at your pill organizer.

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.