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5 ways to sharpen you memory skills

It’s really possible to improve your memory? If you have ever found yourself forgetting where you left your keys or blanking out information on important tests then you have probably wished that your memory was a bit better. In fortunately, there are plenty of things that you can do to help improve your memory.

How to Sharpen Your Brain

1. Get physically active

If you want your memory to stay sharp, it’s important to keep active. Exercise increases oxygen levels in your brain, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes; which leads to memory loss decreases levels of stress hormones and increases the effect of helpful brain chemicals.

Working out also facilitates neuroplasticity of certain structures in the brain, which enhances cognitive function. In an analysis investigating brain health of the over 50s, researchers found that aerobic activity and resistance training combined boosts brain power. Aerobic activity improved cognitive abilities, while resistance training enhanced memory, working memory, and executive function.

Aerobic exercise in young adults has also been shown to be a predictor of recognition memory. Particular hormones that increase during exercise, called growth factors that help to improve memory. Growth factors mediate the connection between exercise and brain health via the hippocampus, which is a region of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

Incorporating elements of moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance training for at least 45 minutes per session and on as many days of the week as you can manage, will likely benefit your cognitive abilities and memory.

Source also hints that if you want to remember something you have just learned, you should aim to exercise 4 hours later. Individuals who exercised 4 hours after a learning session were better at retaining information two days later than individuals who exercised immediately after learning or not at all. Exercise doesn’t have to be all running and weights; horse riding has been shown to improve children’s cognitive ability and dancing may reverse signs of brain aging.

2. Reduce sugar intake

Sugary foods can taste delicious and feel rewarding at first, but they may play a role in memory loss. Since 2017, animal models noted that a diet high in sugary drinks has a link to Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers also found that drinking too many sugary drinks, including fruit juice, may have a connection a lower total brain volume, which is an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Avoiding extra sugar may help combat this risk. While naturally sweet foods, including fruits, are a good addition to a healthful diet, people can avoid drinks sweetened with sugar and foods with added, processed sugars.

3. Repeat Information

When trying to recall something you have just read and heard, repeat the information out loud as well as write it down. This helps to reinforce the new facts in your memory. Nevertheless, do not just repeat the information several times and then not review it later. Instead, plan to go over it again shortly.

In other words: space it out. Review your new information every few hours throughout the day, and every day, until it becomes embedded in your mind. When you space out periods of study, you are helping to improve your memory. Thus, repetition works best when it is timed correctly.

4. Read More Books

The people who read a lot of books are better at recalling information than non-readers. That's why you should read more books and publications on a wide variety of subjects.

Rather than wasting hours vegging out in front of a TV or texting on your phone, check out books to read at your public library. You can also find a vast array of books on virtually any topic from eBooks.

5. Do brain training

In a similar way to muscles, the brain needs regular use to stay healthy. Mental workouts are just as essential to gray matter as other factors and challenging the mind can help it grow and expand, which may improve memory. A large trial from the found that people that did just 15 minutes of brain training activities at least five days a week had improvements in brain function.

The participants’ short term memory, working memory, and problem solving skills all significantly improved when researchers compared them to a control group doing crossword puzzles. The researchers used brain training activities from the website Lumosity. The challenges work on a person’s ability to recall details and quickly memorize patterns.

6. Engage More with People in Challenging Games

In addition to challenging yourself with games include other people. When you participate in interactive, challenging games and activities with others you're 65 per cent to 75 per cent more likely to remain sharp and prevent memory disorders from occurring, such as Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Dancing is another type of social interaction that helps in sharpening your brain.  

7. Make Schedules

At present, business world is exceptionally competitive and busy. That's why making schedules should be a requirement for your personal development growth rather than an option. In other word time management is of extreme importance if you want to advance in your personal or professional development. What's more, learn to prioritize as some jobs require more urgency than others.

8. Get Quality Sleep

If, even you do everything possible to improve your cognitive abilities, your brain still won't function as well as it should if you fail to get enough sleep. Getting quality sleep can help your brain recover after a hectic day at work. Try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep although everyone has different needs.