I am sure you have found yourself at some point in time trying to remember where you left your keys or what the name of that person was. Or perhaps you have been caught in a moment where the answer to something was just on the tip of your tongue.
So what can we do to improve our memory?
Though mild memory loss is perfectly normal, especially as we age, many people display signs of failing memory from as early as in their 20s and 30s.
Many factors affect memory loss. These include stress and anxiety, depression, metabolic diseases such as thyroid gland diseases, diabetes, lung, liver, or kidney failure, alcoholism, and drugs. However, memory loss from many of these conditions is normally reversible.
The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change even into old age, and with the right stimulation your brain can regain some of the ability it might have lost over time by forming new pathways and boosting existing ones.
However, the brain has to be stimulated and ways to do this include getting the required exercise and sleep, reducing stress, eating right and taking part in activities that require some level of mental exertion.
When you exercise, it increases the amount of oxygen that is flowing to the brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss. Sleep is essential to memory consolidation; therefore, if you are sleep deprived your brain will not operate at full capacity.
Another tried and true way to keep your memory intact is to keep your stress level in check. If stress is left unchecked, it can destroy some brain cells, especially in the area of the brain that is involved in the formation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones.
Stress affects the way the brain processes memory. It is therefore common for people to have memory problems during very stressful states because part of the brain is not engaged in the way it needs to ordinarily be in order to have good memory.
Eating a healthy amount of brain boosting foods can also help with memory. Some of the key vitamins and minerals that play a part in memory are Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, especially cold water “fatty fish” such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.
Additionally, fruits and vegetables, which are packed with antioxidants, help to protect brain cells from damage.
Colourful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant foods. These include green leafy vegetables and a variety of fruits.
It is important to keep your brain working by doing activities that call for mental exertion. By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways that help you process information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute familiar tasks with a minimum of mental effort.
It can be problematic if you stick to those well-known activities as you are not giving your brain the mental stimulation that it needs to keep growing and developing.
The more you exercise your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. Consequently, the best brain exercising activities are those that break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways.
These include learning a new language, instrument, or sport, or tackling a challenging crossword or puzzle.
If it is fun, the more interested and engaged you are in the activity, the more likely you’ll be able to continue doing it and the greater the benefits you’ll experience. The activity should be challenging, yes, but not so difficult or unpleasant that you dread doing it.
