Do you ever one of those days that you walk into a room and honestly can’t remember why you’re in there? Or say, hypothetically of course, that you go into the store to get an Easter Ham and leave with several other items and no ham–not once, but twice {again, I want to stress that this is just a hypothetical example}? I hate that feeling that I can’t seem to remember anything. What if it gets so bad that one day I just wonder out into the yard having forgot to put on pants? No thank you.
In an effort to keep my mind sharp {and keep the kids from making fun of me}, I’ve put together a couple of tips on improving your memory.
- Sleep. This one is kind of my downfall. I like to get up super early. More times than not, I get distracted doing this or that and I don’t go to bed at an hour that really supports my early rising. Turns out, I am not doing myself any favors. Sleep deprivation literally deprives your brain its ability to operate on all cylinders. I guess I better make more of an effort to get to bed on time.
- Schedule fun into your day. Your brain needs a little downtime. Think of it as the recovery period after a hard day in the gym {you should know, I laughed out loud while typing that because I don’t have any idea what a “recovery day after a hard day in the gym” looks like}. The principle is what is important, though. Schedule time with friends or a hobby to give your brain a chance to relax and reboot.
- Wait, what are we talking about? I forgot.
- Increase healthy fats in your daily intake. Olive oil, fish, nuts, etc. help your brain function. Since your brain is fully in charge of your memory {I know, it’s rocket science-type stuff here, so let me know if you need me to slow down :}, it will need the proper kind of fuel to perform to the best of its abilities {which for some of us, is admittedly less than others}. While you’re at it, eat more veggies.
- Give your brain a daily workout. Studies show that brain function increases and risk of Alzheimer goes down for people that regularly do crossword puzzles, Sudoku, Lumosity, etc.
- Simplify. Face it, our lives are too cluttered–excess stuff and to-do lists clutter our minds as well. Get honest with yourself about de-crapifying your house, office, and car. And then, get honest with yourself about how much you cram into your day. Cutting some of that out will quiet your mind. {How Yogi-like was that?}
- Exercise your body. Your brain relies on blood flow, exercise increased blood flow. See, A+B=C. {Is it just me, or does it kind of seem like a “healthy lifestyle” would solve most of our problems?
- Vary your routine. Apparently, keeping your memory sharp requires throwing curve balls at your brain. Instead of going through the grocery store the same way, do your shopping backwards {it’s actually harder than you think, I tried}. Go a different way to work. Challenge your brain on menial tasks.
- Do something silly during menial tasks. When you set down your keys, say outloud, “Wooopeee!” Change it up each time, chances are when you go to find them later, you’ll remember saying that and exactly where you were. No more lost keys.
- Focus on one task at a time. Multi-tasking is a myth. Really, it’s very difficult for our brains to do, so no wonder we can’t remember anything. When someone tells you their name, for example, focus on their words {and not on whether or not you remembered to turn off the coffee maker}. Focusing and being completely in the moment will eliminate distractions and improve your overall memory.
How do YOU keep your memory sharp?
~Mavis
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Geo D says
I wanted to read this post. But, I forgot! >;)