If you often find yourself entering a room and forgetting why you walked towards that room in the first place, that’s cool! It happens to the best of us. But if you find that you tend to be forgetting way more things these days, you might consider trying some of these methods to improve your memory. While there’s no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to memory, these are things you can get in the habit of doing which can help improve your brain function overall.
Are you ready?!
1. TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
Your brain is a muscle, just like the ones you work out at the gym. If you never lift any weights, then there’s not much you can expect your body to do once you try to do some heavy lifting out of the blue.
Consistent brain training allows you to “upkeep” your brain, therefore keeping your cognitive functions (such as memory) sharp and ready to roll whenever you need to tap into them. Games and puzzles are a great way to do so. Try incorporating a daily puzzle into your morning routine, like the New York Times Wordle or Spelling Bee.
2. GET SOME REST
When your body is tired, so is your brain. And an exhausted brain can’t focus on much other than how tired you feel and how badly you physically need to rest. In fact, it was proven that adults who are sleep deprived have difficulty remembering things. So make sure to prioritize 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Your memory will thank you later.
3. SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
You might be making it harder on yourself to remember things. Get out of your own way by keeping your work environment clean and organized. This can significantly help you focus and recall things you needed to remember throughout the day.
For example, keep track of your to-do list in a notebook or using an app like Trello. And write down important events in a calendar so you don’t have to use up valuable brain real estate trying to remember your schedule.
4. ADJUST YOUR DIET FOR COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT
It’s been found that people who have significantly low doses of Vitamin D in their system tend to experience a reduction in cognitive function. In fact, a recent study found that adults who had less than 20 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (mL) of Vitamin D in their blood lost their memory and other cognitive abilities faster when compared to other adults with normal Vitamin D levels.
Other dietary adjustments can also improve cognitive function, like making sure that you’re not eating too much added sugar. Cutting back on sugar can improve your overall health too. Alcohol consumption can also negatively impact your memory, so protect your mind by avoiding excessive drinking.
5. EXERCISE
While you may wonder why exercise seems to come up as a remedy to almost everything in today’s modern society, it’s because it really is THE remedy! In addition to numerous other health benefits, exercising for at least 15 minutes each day has been found to increase cognitive performance, including memory. Maintaining a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) is a great way to ward off potential memory issues down the line.
While it may feel frustrating to find yourself in situations where you can’t remember something important, a certain amount of this is totally normal. However, practicing these methods mentioned above consistently will give you the boost you want to stay sharp and on top of everything you’re doing on a given day.