How to Improve Your Memory

Tips and Exercises to Sharpen Your Mind and Boost Brainpower

A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether you're a student
studying for final exams, a working professional interested in doing all you can to stay mentally
sharp, or a senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there are lots of
things you can do to improve your memory and mental performance.

You can boost your brain power at any age

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists
have discovered that this old adage simply isn’t true. The human brain has an astonishing ability
to adapt and change—even into old age. This ability is known as neuroplasticity. With the right
stimulation, your brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and
react in ever-changing ways.

The brain’s incredible ability to reshape itself holds true when it comes to learning and memory.
You can harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase your cognitive abilities, enhance
your ability to learn new information, and improve your memory at any age.

Improving memory tip 1: Give your brain a workout

By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways
that help you process and recall information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute
familiar tasks with a minimum of mental effort. But if you always stick to these well-worn paths,
you aren’t giving your brain the stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. You have
to shake things up from time to time!

Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it.” The more you work out your
brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. But not all activities are
equal. The best brain exercises break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new
brain pathways.

Four key elements of a good brain-boosting activity

1. It teaches you something new. No matter how intellectually demanding the activity, if it’s
something you’re already good at, it’s not a good brain exercise. The activity needs to be
something that’s unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone. To strengthen the brain, you
need to keep learning and developing new skills.
2. It’s challenging. The best brain-boosting activities demand your full and close attention. It’s
not enough that you found the activity challenging at one point. It must still be something
that requires mental effort. For example, learning to play a challenging new piece of
music counts. Playing a difficult piece you’ve already memorized does not.
3. It’s a skill you can build on. Look for activities that allow you to start at an easy level and work
your way up as your skills improve —always pushing the envelope so you continue to
stretch your capabilities. When a previously difficult level starts to feel comfortable, that
means it’s time to tackle the next level of performance.
4. It’s rewarding. Rewards support the brain’s learning process. The more interested and
engaged you are in the activity, the more likely you’ll be to continue doing it and the
greater the benefits you’ll experience. So choose activities that, while challenging, are
still enjoyable and satisfying.

Think of something new you’ve always wanted to try, like learning how to play the guitar, make
pottery, juggle, play chess, speak French, dance the tango, or master your golf swing. Any of
these activities can help you improve your memory, so long as they keep you challenged and
engaged.

Improving memory tip 2: Don't skip the physical exercise

While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a
sweat. Exercise helps your brain stay sharp. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the
risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise
also enhances the effects of helpful brain chemicals and reduces stress hormones. Perhaps most
importantly, exercise plays an important role in neuroplasticity by boosting growth factors and
stimulating new neuronal connections.

Brain-boosting exercise tips

 Aerobic exercise is particularly good for the brain, so choose activities that keep your
blood pumping. In general, anything that is good for your heart is great for your brain.
 Does it take you long time to clear out the sleep fog when you wake up? If so, you may
find that exercising in the morning before you start your day makes a big difference. In
addition to clearing out the cobwebs, it also primes you for learning throughout the day.
 Physical activities that require hand-eye coordination or complex motor skills are
particularly beneficial for brain building.
  Exercise breaks can help you get past mental fatigue and afternoon slumps. Even a short
walk or a few jumping jacks can be enough to reboot your brain.

If you are experiencing traumatic stress or find yourself stuck in repetitive, unhealthy
behavior...

...Try exercising the muscles connected to fight-or-flight with attention. Exercises that use both your arms and legs—and are
done in a focused way with mindful awareness of your physical and emotional experience—are especially good at reducing
traumatic stress. Exercises like walking, running, swimming, or rock-climbing, activate your senses and make you more aware of
yourself and others when they are done with focused attention.

Improving memory tip 3: Get your Zs

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you
need to function at your best. The truth is that over 95% of adults need between 7.5 to 9 hours of
sleep every night in order to avoid sleep deprivation. Even skimping on a few hours makes a
difference! Memory, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills are all
compromised.

But sleep is critical to learning and memory in an even more fundamental way. Research shows
that sleep is necessary for memory consolidation, with the key memory-enhancing activity
occurring during the deepest stages of sleep.

 Get on a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same
time each morning. Try not to break your routine, even on weekends and holidays.
 Avoid all screens for at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted by TVs, tablets, phones,
and computers trigger wakefulness and suppress hormones such as melatonin that make
you sleepy.
 Cut back on caffeine. Caffeine affects people differently. Some people are highly sensitive,
and even morning coffee may interfere with sleep at night. Try reducing your intake or
cutting it out entirely if you suspect it’s keeping you up.

Improving memory tip 4: Make time for friends

When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as
wrestling with the crossword puzzle or mastering chess strategy, or do more lighthearted
pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie—come to mind? If you’re like
most of us, it’s probably the former. But countless studies show that a life full of friends and fun
comes with cognitive benefits.

Healthy relationships: the ultimate brain booster

Humans are highly social animals. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation.
Relationships stimulate our brains—in fact, interacting with others may be the best kind of brain
exercise.
Research shows that having meaningful friendships and a strong support system are vital not
only to emotional health, but also to brain health. In one recent study from the Harvard School of
Public Health, for example, researchers found that people with the most active social lives had
the slowest rate of memory decline.

There are many ways to start taking advantage of the brain and memory-boosting benefits of
socializing. Volunteer, join a club, make it a point to see friends more often, or reach out over the
phone. And if a human isn’t handy, don’t overlook the value of a pet—especially the highly-
social dog.

Improving memory tip 5: Keep stress in check

Stress is one of the brain’s worst enemies. Over time, stress destroys brain cells and damages the
hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in the formation of new memories and the
retrieval of old ones. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss.

Tips for managing and minimizing stress

 Set realistic expectations (and be willing to say no!)

 Take breaks throughout the day
 Express your feelings instead of bottling them up
 Set healthy a balance between work and leisure time
 Focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to multi-task

The stress-busting, memory-boosting benefits of meditation

The scientific evidence for the mental health benefits of meditation continues to pile up. Studies show that meditation helps
improve many different types of conditions, including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Meditation also can improve focus, concentration, creativity, memory, and learning and reasoning skills.

Meditation works its “magic” by changing the actual brain. Brain images show that regular meditators have more activity in the
left prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with feelings of joy and equanimity. Meditation also increases the thickness
of the cerebral cortex and encourages more connections between brain cells—all of which increases mental sharpness and
memory ability.

Improving memory tip 6: Have a laugh

You’ve heard that laughter is the best medicine, and that holds true for the brain and the
memory, as well as the body. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of
the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain.

Furthermore, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to
learning and creativity. As psychologist Daniel Goleman notes in his book Emotional
Intelligence, “laughter… seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely.”

Looking for ways to bring more laughter in your life? Start with these basics:
  Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less
seriously is to talk about the times when we took ourselves too seriously.
 When you hear laughter, move toward it. Most of the time, people are very happy to share
something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the
humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and try to join in.
 Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily—both at themselves and
at life’s absurdities—and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful
point of view and laughter are contagious.
 Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a
funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame
photos of you and your loved one shaving fun.
 Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly,
and laughing.

Improving memory tip 7: Eat a brain-boosting diet

Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy” fats (such as olive oil, nuts, fish) and lean protein will
provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health,
though, it’s not just what you eat—it’s also what you don’t eat. The following nutritional tips will
help boost your brainpower and reduce your risk of dementia:

 Get your omega-3s. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for
brain health. Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially cold water “fatty
fish” such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.
 If you’re not a fan of seafood, consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such as walnuts, ground flaxseed,
flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds,
and soybeans.
 Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat (from sources
such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream) increase your risk of
dementia and impair concentration and memory.
 Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect
your brain cells from damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good
antioxidant "superfood" sources.
 Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against
free radicals that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular
consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain
aging.
 Drink wine (or grape juice) in moderation. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is key,
since alcohol kills brain cells. But in moderation (around 1 glass a day for women; 2 for
men), alcohol may actually improve memory and cognition. Red wine appears to be the
best option, as it is rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain and
reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Other resveratrol-packed options include grape
juice, cranberry juice, fresh grapes and berries, and peanuts.
For mental energy, choose complex carbohydrates

Just as a racecar needs gas, your brain needs fuel to perform at its best. When you need to be at the top of your mental game,
carbohydrates can keep you going. But the type of carbs you choose makes all the difference. Carbohydrates fuel your brain, but
simple carbs (sugar, white bread, refined grains) give a quick boost followed by an equally rapid crash. There is also evidence to
suggest that diets high in simple carbs can greatly increase the risk for cognitive impairment in older adults. For healthy energy
that lasts, choose complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, high-fiber cereal, lentils, and whole
beans. Avoid processed foods and limit starches (potato, pasta, rice) to no more than one quarter of your plate.

Improving memory tip 8: Identify and treat health problems

Do you feel that your memory has taken an unexplainable dip? If so, there may be a health or
lifestyle problem to blame.

It’s not just dementia or Alzheimer’s disease that causes memory loss. There are many diseases,
mental health disorders, and medications that can interfere with memory:

 Heart disease and its risk factors. Cardiovascular

disease and its risk factors, including high
cholesterol and high blood pressure, have been linked to mild cognitive impairment.
 Diabetes. Studies show that people with diabetes experience far greater cognitive decline
than those who don’t suffer from the disease.
 Hormone imbalance. Women going through menopause often experience memory problems
when their estrogen dips. In men, low testosterone can cause issues. Thyroid imbalances
can also cause forgetfulness, sluggish thinking, or confusion.
 Medications. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications can get in the way of
memory and clear thinking. Common culprits include cold and allergy medications, sleep
aids, and antidepressants. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects.

Is depression to blame?

Emotional difficulties can take just as heavy of a toll on the brain as physical problems. In fact,
mental sluggishness, difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness are common symptoms of
depression. The memory issues can be particularly bad in older people who are depressed—so
much so that it is sometimes mistaken for dementia. The good news is that when the depression
is treated, memory should return to normal.

Practical tips for supporting learning and memory

 Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn
something—that is, encode it into your brain—if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It
takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your
memory. If you’re easily distracted, pick a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
 Involve as many senses as possible. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells, and
tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. Even
if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it
rhythmically, even better.
 Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already
remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as
simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.
 For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated
details. Practice explaining the ideas to someone else in your own words.
 Rehearse information you’ve already learned. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn
it, and at intervals thereafter. This “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than cramming,
especially for retaining what you’ve learned.
 Use mnemonic devices to make memorization easier.  Mnemonics (the initial “m” is silent) are clues
of any kind that help us remember something, usually by helping us associate the
information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.