How to Increase your Memory

As we age our memory, or more precisely our ability to memorize, declines. Aging neurons are not replaced and therefore our capacity to memorize, recall, and even recognize somewhat diminishes. This is a natural physiologic process and is part and parcel of growing old. There are, however, degenerative diseases which does affect memory but these are pathological conditions and they can occur at any age. Before we begin our post on how to increase or improve our memory power let's make a clear concept of what memory is and the types of memory ( what, you didn't know there are several types of memory?)

Ever lost sleep trying to recall the name of somebody you ran into at the local supermarket? You know it's at the tip of your tongue you just can't remember who that person was. You RECOGNIZE her but can't RECALL her name. This case scenario happens to everybody and it's nothing new. Well there are essentially several types of memory but are categorized into two groups; that of short term memory, and that of long term memory. Long term memory can be further divided into explicit, implicit, and autobiographical memories. Let' just say, to make things simple, that short term memory is your "working" memory. It's what you remember on a day to day basis. It allows you to function with familiarity and continuity. Long term memory, on the other hand, is STORED memory and are often more complex than short term memory in that they involve more detail and are stored in different memory systems. Short term memory does not have this ability to be stored so if you stopped doing something for a while you will probably forget how to do it next time around. However, if you've been playing baseball all your life, you'll never forget how to play it. See the difference.

But enough of the medical lingo now and let's get to HOW WE CAN IMPROVE OUR MEMORY OR ABILITY TO MEMORIZE. The brain, being an organ in and of itself also needs "EXERCISE" You have to get into the habit of trying to recall things in order to work your memory. You can also do mental exercises like a crossword puzzle, perhaps, which hones your ability to think for sustained periods as well as increase your span of ATTENTION. The first step to increasing your memory is to INCREASE YOUR ATTENTIVENESS. Most of us go through a day without even paying much attention to the little moments and details which comprise our day. We simply want to hurry things along to get them over with. Sometimes completion is more important than procedures for us.

The next is perhaps the most obvious and the most overlooked; and that is optimal health. Your brain consumes a lot of what you take in and if you eat poorly or excessively ( both ends of the spectrum), your mental state of mind also suffers.
Eat to sustain your body ONLY. Eat right, exercise frequently, and eradicate any vices you might have. Foods high in iron, minerals such as folic acid, and B-vitamins increase brain power. Lack of sleep, alcohol, smoking, and fatigue decreases it.

As I mentioned earlier, try to do mental exercises. Do the crossword puzzle on your morning paper. This allows you to exercise rote memory as well as retrieval from your long term memory stores. Another exercise you can certainly do is be an avid reader. Be wide read but not bookish ( if you know what I mean). You don't want to be called a bookworm now do you?

Increasing your ability to memorize names, things, places, concepts, and even detailed information like numbers comes with continual practice. You can associate things with other familiar objects to make memorizing them easier. You can also make a song out of a slew of information. Anything silly will be memorable so keep that in mind. Until our next post, you guys take care.