Saturday, March 30, 2013

Tips For Mental Vitality As We Become Senior Citizens

By Reyes Nordick


Strengthening your memory doesn't have to be a strenuous workout. There are plenty of simple, everyday tasks you can do to improve your memory little by little every day. In this article, you will find a few ways that you can help yourself master your memory skills.

Try to stay away from pills that promise to help improve your memory. Most of the time, these pills are not effective and could cause you physical problems. Instead, you may want to look into supplements like Niacin, Thiamine, and Vitamin B-6. They all help to improve the part of the brain that deals with memory.

Avoid cramming. Work in regular study sessions that you have set out on a schedule. Having a set time to study will help your brain remember the facts you present to it. Cramming simply presents your brain with too much information to remember at any one time, and so you will forget much of it.

Take care of any chronic health conditions that you have in order to help with improving your memory. When you do not feel well, you can become depressed. A depressed state of mind adversely affects how your brain retains information because your brain will not be able to focus. So, taking care of your physical health is important in improving your memory.

If you're having a difficult time remembering something, visualize yourself handing that something off to your subconscious. This will, in effect, make your mind act like a computer program, running in the background. It leaves you free to tend to other tasks and you can come back to the thing you want to remember at a later time.

If you are having problems concentrating or memorizing things, try getting more sleep. Your brain needs at least six to eight hours of sleep a night to function properly. If you have a sleep deficit, it can show in your cognitive abilities. If you're having problems getting enough sleep, don't ignore this; consult your physician. Very few people can manage to stay healthy in the longterm with only a few hours sleep per night, so don't be fooled by the claims of those who insist that they can get by on 5 hours per night.

If you are having memory problems, try taking fish oil. Recent studies have shown a link between problems with concentration and memory and a deficiency in Omega-3 fatty acids. One of the best Omega-3 sources is fish oil. You can either take the oil in the liquid form by the spoonful, or opt for fish oil pills instead.

A great way to help you improve your memory is to start taking alternative driving routes. Taking different routes will keep your mind active by keeping you guessing and alert. Keeping your mind active like this can go a long way in improving your ability to remember things.

If you are concerned about memory loss, organize your home and your life. You will not be able to remember information and events if things are messy and disorganized. Make to-do lists and use a planner. It is also crucial to keep important items, like your keys and checkbook, in the same place.

Try to keep your memory sharp by not relying too much on technology. Instead of storing everyone's phone number on your phone, try committing at least a few of them to memory. Don't just turn to the computer to Google the answer to a question; instead, try to remember it for yourself.

Make your memorization easier by using mnemonic devices. The easiest one is to associate a visual image with the word or name you need to remember. Life like, vivid images linked to hard to memorize or understand concepts can help to speed up the learning process significantly. Think of images from your everyday life to make the process easier and faster.

Before you make a commitment to improve your memory, be sure you are all ready to do so and keep an open mind. Some people's memories will not improve because they are not willing to try certain techniques given to them. Tell yourself that with enough hard work, your memory will work fine in no time!

When learning a new concept, teaching someone else the concept has been proven to be an effective way to improve your memory. The reason for this is that when you teach someone else the concept, you must first have an understanding of it and then be able to phrase it yourself. It is significantly more effective than simply trying to remember a concept word for word.

Use mnemonic devices to help you remember information. The best mnemonics use humor and positive imagery to help you recall facts, so come up with a song, joke, poem or rhyme to help you memorize important segments of information. The simpler the mnemonic, the easier it will be to remember.

Writing by hand is a great way to help your memory. Writing with a pen or pencil engages your brain in a different way than typing on a computer. You can either copy out a speech your trying to memorize or keep track of your daily to do list by writing in a calendar. If you've written it out, you may be able to remember without even checking your list!

If you are trying to remember some body of information, one of the best techniques for doing so is to try to teach it to someone else. Teaching concepts to another person actually improves understanding and recall for both the student and the teacher. Even something as simple as reading out loud to someone else can help too.

Carefully focus on what you are trying to memorize. This is especially important when you are studying. Never try to multitask. Turn off the television, turn off the radio. Just focus on what you need to memorize and the knowledge you need to retain. Many things can distract you without you even realizing it.

In conclusion, you have found that there are certain ways that you excel at memorizing and there are other ways that just do not suit you. This is common among different people. Hopefully you have realized what your special way of learning is and will be able to utilize this in your life.




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