Blog

How to Improve One's Memory - don't Forget to Remember!24 Aug 2016

How many times have you surprised yourself finding out too late, that there was something you were meant to do - and didn't - that you earlier thought of as impossible to forget?

For some people, experiencing this just once is enough to implement some sort of memory reinforcing device or technique.
Others simply see this as a one-off slip and fail to admit this has anything to do with their memory - they're just too busy with other things - and it's easy to see how this is true for majority of people.
But being busy doesn't mean there is nothing you can do to try make yourself remember more. Try these:

Do a brain workout

Logical puzzles, learning new languages or getting to know a completely new skill are all a challenge for the brain. Try to find something that is a challenge, but that you do enjoy, nevertheless. A valid point when trying new things is also building associations between the new ideas and things you already know. This way, your chances of remembering are higher.

Do a body workout (!)

The recommended type of exercise are those that boost your circulation and involve hand-eye coordination, for instance aerobics or table tennis.

Minimize stress = smooth-out relationships

Interpersonal relationships (both private and professional) are a great cause of stress, which in trun lays heavy on people throughout a day. Avoid conflict and bottling-up emotions whenever possible, it's just not good for you in any way.

Respect your need for sleep

This is important not only because sleep deprivation causes stress, anxiety and irritability. While you sleep, your brain has a chance to consolidate all recent memories and to "reboot" - in a beneficial kind of way.

Don't multi-task

This can be a good working method for a small number of people, but to most, it only causes excess stress and irritability, not to mention the decrease in their work quality. There is tons more sense in working on just one thing at a time - consider using Work in Progress limits, typically associated with Kanban. Not only will this calm you down, but the strain on your memory will also lessen.

Laugh it up!

It's been shown, that laughter is a perfect memory booster. Also, when trying to work out a possible punchline of a joke - you think more broadly and freely. Laughing also engages various parts of the brain, stimulating activity in all its areas. There are some voices saying the same can be true for listening to music - can't hurt to try!

Think of what you eat

This may be obvious - we are biological creatures, so what we eat greatly impacts how we behave and perform. It's common to praise fish and nuts as a great brain enhancing food - try it. If nothing else, just limiting intake of saturated fats should be the minimum.

Please remember to try some of these to boost your memory!