10 Tricks for Improving Your Memory

8/3/2019 10 Tricks for Improving Your Memory

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10 Tricks for Improving Your MemoryBy Sarah Jio, Woman's DayWhats the name of your daughters teacher, and where did you put your keys again? Ifyouve ever wished you could do some simple things to sharpen your memory skills,you can. Weve talked to the experts and compiled the latest thinking on improving the

muscles in your brain associated with memory.

1. Talk with your hands.It may sound strange, but waving your hands and gesturing while trying to learn aconcept may help your brain remember something important, says Jeff Brown, PsyD,ABPP, coauthor of The Winners Brain. "Gesturing in a meaningful way while you arelearning may help you when recalling the concept, he says. The idea is that you arestoring at least two different types of information about something you'll need to recalllater. A good example of this is when kids speak math problems aloud, but also 'workthem' in the air. Tactics to try: When youve just learned someones name, write itdown on the palm of your hand with your finger. The act of tracing the letters on your

palm (discreetly, of course) can help your brain remember it, says Dr. Brown. Or, Air-write on an imaginary map of your grocery store or mall as you name aloud the items orstores you need to remember when shopping.

2. Take a chill pill.Learning to calm down and not carry as much stress can help your brain in significantways, says Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, PT, a psychologist and physical therapist inWexford, Pennsylvania, and the author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription forHappiness. The best tip to improve your memory is: Reduce your stress, says Dr.Lombardo. Research shows that when people experience chronic stress, theirhippocampusthe part of your brain that is responsible for some memoriesliterally

shrinks in size. In fact, a 2007 study in the journal Neurology by researchers at RushUniversity Medical School found that people who are easily distressed and had morenegative emotions were more likely to develop memory problems than more easygoingpeople. How to reduce your stress? Consider delegating more tasks at work, clearingyour social calendar for the weekend (theres nothing wrong with having nothing on thecalendar!) and purging negative relationships from your life.

3. Get plenty of zzzs.Youve heard the concept of sleeping on it when youre faced with a problem ordifficult decision, right? Well, getting a good nights sleep can help you improve yourmemory, too. "Sleep is critical for memory consolidation, says Dr. Brown. Getting atleast six hours of uninterrupted sleep following exposure to new information can help inthe recall of that information. But theres an important side note: The trick is goingdirectly to bed without inserting any new information or activity between what you wantto recall and going to sleepno reading, no TV, no sex, no music."

4. Eat more fruits and veggies.Eating your spinachand carrots and peasis not only good for your body, its goodfor your memory, too. A recent Harvard study found that people who ate more


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vegetables had a slower decline of brain function as they aged. Other studies, such asone published in Pharmacology, have shown that essential brain-boosting nutrientsfound in certain produce, such as quercetin and anthocyanin, may reverse memoryloss, says Tosca Reno, a health and fitness expert and author of the bestselling bookThe Eat-Clean Diet. You can find these compounds in cruciferous vegetables, such as

Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage, as well as in leafy greens, including kale,spinach and Swiss chard. Also load up on brightly colored produce such as berries, redapples, eggplant and grapestheir bright hue is an indication of their brain-boostingantioxidants.

5. Join a book club.Not only is reading great for your brain, but discussing what youve read can improveyour memory by leaps and bounds, says Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD. In fact, a bookclub with your closest girlfriends may help strengthen your brains frontal lobe function.The frontal lobe is the last region of the brain to develop, but the first to decline withage, explains Dr. Chapman. To strengthen function of the frontal lobe, engage in

deeper-level thinking activities such as interpreting what you read in a book, discussingthe larger messages in the book and pushing to see how many meanings you canderive from it.

6. Go to yoga class.What can a downward-facing-dog pose do for your memory? A lot, says Gina Norman,a yoga teacher in New York City. A new study out of the University of North Carolinashows that brief meditative exercise helps cognition and skills essential to criticalthinking, she says. But if youre not into yoga, exercise of any kind works to boost yourbrain, says Dr. Lombardo. Research shows that exercise increases the blood flow to allareas of your body, including the brain and specifically areas involved in memory, she

says. One study found that mice who exercised grew new brain cells in the dentategyrus, a part of the hippocampus which can be affected by declines in memory as weget older. Short on time? Try running up a flight of stairs, jogging to a bathroom that isfarther away from you, doing 50 jumping jacks, putting on a great song and dancingaround, or grabbing your childs hand and jumping on the bed together.

7. Sniff some rosemary.Parsley and sage are great, as is thyme, but when it comes to improving memory,rosemary is king. In a recent study, UK researchers looked at scents and how theyboosted or detracted from mental performance. They found that office workers whosecubicles were infused with the scent of rosemary had better long-term memory thanthose in unscented cubes. There are other essential oils that can help with memory,but rosemary is by far the best and most economical, says Cher Core, anaromatherapist in Boston. Diffuse rosemary essential oil in the air, wear it in a perfume,use it in mists and more. It is a good choice for those studying and folks who need helpwith memory, focus and concentration.

8. Pay attention.


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Duh, right? It may sound obvious, but according to experts, when most people thinktheyre having memory problems, its really because they were distracted or didntrecord the information in their brain properly to begin with, says Linda Edelstein, PhD,adjunct faculty at Northwestern University and the author of The Art of Midlife. Whenpeople cannot retrieve information it is often because they haven't taken it in in the first

place, she says. You cannot recall information that you did not store. The number-onetrick to paying closer attention? Stop multitasking and be fully present. That meanssetting down the BlackBerry while lunching with your friend, turning off the TV whenyoure trying to read something and not letting your eyesor mindwander whenchatting with someone at a party. Youll be more likely to remember the persons name.

9. Learn a new song.Have you ever found yourself singing along to a song you love that debuted 10 yearsago, and yet you still dont know the lyrics? Learning the words could be fun, but it couldalso be good for your memory in general. By memorizing a song, you will be workingout at least two different kinds of memory, auditory and verbal, which is probably

something you don't do very often, says Cynthia Green, PhD, an expert on brain healthand memory. The research suggests that constantly challenging our brains withintellectual pursuits may boost our cognitive reserve and can have the associatedbenefit of reducing our dementia risk over the long-term.

10. Go ahead and doodle.Whens the last time you grabbed a pencil and paper and let your mind godrawinghearts and rainbows, or whatever scene or object popped into your head? Surprisingly,says Dr. Green, a free-flowing pen could be the key to strengthening your brainsmemory centers. Doodling has been found in studies to boost concentration, which isan essential first step to learning and memory, says Dr. Green. After all, if you can't

focus on information, you don't acquire it effectively, and you can never remembersomething you don't learn in the first place!

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10 Tricks for Improving Your Memory