Simple Strategies for Improving Your Memory

Think forgetfulness is an unavoidable casualty of getting older? Before assigning all of the blame to Father Time, consider these ways you can take action to improve your memory, courtesy of Claire Herring, co-creator of DaisyBrains.com:

Don’t Skip Breakfast.

Neuroscientists have discovered a link between memory function and maintaining stable blood-sugar levels. Adults with significant swings in blood sugar were found to have brain shrinkage over time, particularly in the memory center of the brain.

Learn to Chunk Information.

The adult brain has the ability to hold about seven bits of information in short term memory at one time. (Phone numbers are one example.) Challenge your brain to retain more information by chunking information into large groups. When keeping track of a grocery list, you can simply group your drinks, dairy, or meat together in your head and stretch your short-term memory capabilities.

Add Some Omega 3s.

Adding brain-healthy foods like salmon, tuna, and even anchovies to your diet can help increase memory power and support increased communication among brain cells. 

Take a Picture.

A fun way to boost memory function is to take mental pictures of information you need to recall. Imagine you need to remember several unrelated items: dog, tree, horse, milk, pencil, car, and camera. You can make this list much simpler by placing the dog on the back of the horse with a camera around his neck and a pencil behind his ear, all while jumping over an old tree log while being chased by someone in a car. Sounds crazy, but it really works.

Exercise Your Mind.

Our brains have the ability to develop and grow throughout our adult years with the proper exercise. Take a few minutes each day to try some brain teasers and crossword puzzles, or play a board game like Master Mind with a friend. Games help keep our memory strong.

Image courtesy of Thinkstock Photos.