Improve Your Memory

How To Improve Your Memory Power Easily And Naturally

Isn’t it incredibly annoying when you can’t find your keys, or remember important passwords or what you need from the shops? Memory problems are very common, and the results can range from mild annoyance to severe inconvenience. However, there are steps you take to improve your memory – and without taking potentially harmful and addictive ‘memory drugs’ either!

Why Do People Forget?

The workings of both short term and long term memory have been studied extensively, and while people forget things for different reasons, there are some common issues that can cause problems with recall. One is your state of mind – both while you are absorbing knowledge in the first place, and while you’re attempting to retrieve it later. If your focus is scattered, or your attention span low, you may not absorb information effectively. Stress and mental blocks can also prevent its retrieval later on.

How To Improve Your Memory

There are many systems and tactics out there that claim to help you improve your memory, from the proverbial knotted handkerchief to more high-tech solutions. These include:

1. Avoiding distractions – while taking in new information (as when studying for example), ensure that distractions such as noise, interruptions etc are minimized.

2. Take breaks – don’t try to take too much new information in at once. Take regular breaks to keep your brain fresh.

3. Use mnemonics – these are tricks and techniques for boosting recall, such as when you associate the items you’re trying to remember with something else that’s easy to recall. For example if you’re trying to remember a list of items, you might visualise a picture of the number ‘1’ (perhaps as some tall thin item like a tower or ladder), and combine that with the item you’re trying to remember. The more verbally inclined might use a rhyme, such as ‘one is a bun, two is a screw, three is a tree…’ – and link the things you’re trying to remember with these items.

4. Get plenty of sleep – not sleeping enough can play havoc with your memory (as well as with other physical and mental functions).

5. Eat well – certain nutrients are needed for maximal brain function, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil and various seeds such as flax.