How to Improve Long-Term Memory

Your long-term memory is just as important as your short-term memory. Long-term memory, however, helps you remember and capture those precious moments in life–the day you get married, the birth of your children, the day your children graduate, and other special lifetime experiences. Without long-term memory, we don’t have a past and a history to share with others.

There are a number of ways to improve your memory, keep it sharp, and decrease your chances of losing precious nerve cells and neurons. Although everyone can expect to see a downturn in their memory as they age, if they keep it nurtured with proper use and nutritional practices, one can slow down the passage of time and help improve their long-term memory.

First off, it’s important to use that brain! Just like exercising keeps your body in great shape and helps it perform at its best, exercising your brain is important. By playing Suduko, constantly reading and learning new things, and keeping life interesting and spontaneous, you can help keep your mind on the top of its game for years to come. It’s important to exercise your body AND your brain!

Second, when it comes to remembering something, make sure you structure the information in a way that helps you recall and retrieve the information. If it helps to write things down, then do so. Maybe drawing pictures is more your style if you are a visual learner. Or, if you want to know something like the back of your hand, “over-learn.” Know it inside and out, and use the information regularly to keep in touch with the long-term memory you have created. Some people find that mnemonic devices, acronyms, and rhymes help them remember certain numbers and information that may, in other forms, be difficult to recall.

Health and nutrition play a large part in your memory recollection abilities. By getting regular physical exercise, not smoking or using recreational drugs, and by getting enough vitamins, antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids, you increase your chances of keeping your brain healthy and vibrant. Whether these are taken in by your food or by over-the-counter supplements, they are one of the easiest ways to maintain your long-term memory over time.

Whether you spend more time nurturing your body and mind, practicing word games and other brain-sharpening skills, or following a healthy lifestyle, you can easily help play a part in the functionality of your mental processes and long-term memory. Just because your body is aging doesn’t mean that your brain has to! Keep it sharp, keep it nurtured, and keep it healthy!

Following these tips will improve long-term memory:

1. If performing a mind-intensive task such as studying, give yourself a break every forty minutes. This will give the brain time to process, store, and recall information.

2. Exercise your brain daily by doing a puzzle, crossword, or any kind of mental activity to keep the brain in top mental shape.

3. Never cram information at the last minute.

4. Eliminate stress. Stress has an immense negative impact on mental health and mind power.

5. Practice meditation and relaxation. Both of these activities clear the mind and allow it to perform more efficiently.

6. Get enough sleep. The brain uses the periods of sleep to store information into its memory banks and process the millions of stimuli that a person is exposed to on a daily business.

7. Stay hydrated. Water is just as important to mental well-being as it is to your physical body. Many people are chronically dehydrated and don’t even know it.

8. Eat well-balanced meals. Vitamins and minerals can help the brain function properly and help develop new brain cells. Foods that are good for the brain are those that are high in B vitamins (especially B12) and foliate. Make sure to include berries and dark color fruits on a daily basis.