Some people can remember facts, numbers and stories with little effort, but for others memory can be difficult and elusive. But no matter how accurate your memory is, most people lose memory functions as they age. It is very important to keep your brain moving and invest time and effort in maintaining memory functions.
To keep your brain healthy and your memory alive for life, there are a few ideas you can implement in your daily life that won’t take much extra time. Here are some tips to improve your memory.
Some general habits to maintain your memory
Harvard Medical School In detail, there are many options that people can do to reduce the chance of more severe memory loss. While some changes may be inevitable with age, they emphasize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and doing things like:
- Participating in regular exercise, as even a simple walk or attending a fitness class can improve your brain function.
- A healthy diet that does not include too much red meat and sweets.
- Work with your doctor to ensure a healthy balance of vitamins.
- Get some sleep. Although getting enough sleep every night can be difficult because life can be stressful, lack of sleep affects your memory and many other brain functions.
Along with these important healthy habits, you can do a few other things in your daily life to keep your memory sharp.
Ways to focus your memory
Health line mentions several steps you can take to improve your memory naturally. Here are five good behaviors to add to your daily life:
- Learn to meditate as it can increase the amount of gray matter in your brain and improve cognitive function.
- Try it word games or memory games on your phone that help you focus. These apps are easy to download and fun to occupy your free time, but they also help your brain.
- Reduce stress levels. If you feel anxious all the time, you are more likely to become forgetful, and too much stress can have harmful effects. The Mayo Clinic also notes that stress leads to a decline in memory function. One way to reduce stress is to work with a mental health professional to learn about using medication or therapy.
- Communicate with others. Having a solid support system and social life is good for your health in many ways, including your memory.
- Pick up a new tool. Anything you do that forces your brain to learn a new skill will benefit your memory in the long run. Learning an instrument is a great idea because music is linked to memory in many ways. Music of all kinds can improve mood and memory improvement. But if you don’t want to learn an instrument, even just singing in the car is a good option.
While these aren’t the only ways to keep your memory strong and agile, they’re a good landing pad from which to jump.
What to do if you are worried about memory loss?
Regardless of your age, if you notice frequent or significant changes in your memory, it’s best to see a health care professional.
While some memory changes may be due to stress or other more correctable problems, it’s still important to work with a doctor who can diagnose the problem and make sure you’re okay. If there is a long-term condition or problem, catching it earlier will give you more opportunities to implement habits and intervene.
