Forgetfulness. It’s one of the most telling signs of age. I used to boast that, “My brain is my organizer.” Now, just a few years later, I find myself surreptitiously checking my phone every fifteen minutes just to see what I have to do next.
Age alone doesn’t determine how well you remember. Memory is closely related to your health, habits, motivation levels, and organizational skills. So whether you’re twenty-five or seventy-five, there are many things you can (and should) do to keep your memory sharp and functional:
1. Challenge your brain.
Learn new skills. Use your memory to the utmost. Mental challenges help rewire connections in the brain. Do crosswords and other puzzles, or learn to play chess. If you’re right-handed, use your left hand. Study a new language. The more you stimulate your brain, the more resistant it becomes to degeneration and disease.
2. Focus.
In this age of multi-tasking and sensory overload, it’s no wonder memories begin to fail at an earlier age. Attention is essential to retention. Both external and internal distractions interfere with memory, so learn to focus on one thing at a time. This way, you accumulate a greater deal of information and give yourself enough time to relate it to what you already know. The new, well-processed material then becomes a part of your long-term memory.
3. Involve multiple senses in the learning process.
Don’t just read something. Write it down. Explain it to someone else. Draw it, even. Don’t just look, or just listen. Touch, smell, and taste (but only where applicable or appropriate, please). The more senses you use in digesting new information, the better you’ll remember it.
4. Get enough sleep.
Lack of deep, restful sleep causes cognitive impairment later in life. And if you’re sleep-deprived, you’re more likely to be forgetful and unable to think clearly now.
5. Feed your brain.
Some vitamins are essential for the proper working of memory: thiamin, folic acid, and vitamin B12. These are found in bread, cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Water, as well, is extremely important. Lack of water in the body has an immediate and deep effect on memory. Dehydration can generate confusion and other thought difficulties.
6. Avoid the most common memory killers.
- Drugs. We all know illegal drugs fry your brain. But even some “good” over-the-counter or prescription drugs can cause memory or concentration problems. These include tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety drugs (particularly benzodiazepines like diazepam (valium) and lorazepam). Some medicines for the control of high blood pressure can also cause memory problems and depression.
- Alcohol. Alcohol interferes specially with short-term memory, which impairs the ability to retain new information. Studies have shown that even the ingestion of low quantities of alcohol during a one-week period will interfere with your ability to remember.
- Smoking. Smoking lowers the amount of oxygen arriving in the brain, which often affects memory. Studies show that, compared to non-smokers, smokers of one or more packs a day have difficulty remembering people’s faces and names in tests of visual and verbal memory
- Caffeine. Coffee and tea may help control sleepiness, but they can also interfere with the memory function.
7. Exercise regularly.
The area of the brain responsible for muscle movement is near the area responsible for thought and emotion. As muscles work vigorously, the resulting stimulation in the muscle center of the brain also stimulates the thought and emotion center—producing improvements in both mood and mental functions.
8. Visualize.
Visualization is the ability to see things “with the eyes of your mind.” Close your eyes, and imagine a big, juicy steak. (If you’re a vegetarian, well … try a tomato.) Picture its color, size, and texture. Try to conjure up its aroma. Hear it sizzling on a grill. Imagine slicing a piece, popping it into your mouth, and savoring its juices as they burst onto your taste buds. If your mouth waters during the exercise, you’ve done a good job! Move on to other things. (Note: You don’t have to limit this exercise to food—you’ll be obese in a month if you do.)
Visualization is a great mental exercise—and not just because it can aid memory. It can also help improve other skills and boost self-esteem. Many athletes, for example, rely heavily on mental visualization—playing several versions of the game in their heads before an actual match to enhance both performance and morale.
