Pressures of everyday life can affect your brain’s performance. You forget about that morning meeting, what you planned to get in the fridge, or where you left your keys. The good news is, there are scientific breakthroughs to reverse memory problems. Here are some ideas to improve memory:
Oxygenate. Your brain needs oxygen in order to function well. Taking iron supplements can greatly improve raising the oxygen levels in your blood and helps your brain cells to communicate well with each other.
Do Some Cardio. Increase your mental power by being physical. Cardiovascular exercises like aerobics or walking increase your brain’s volume and white matter, which contributes to better attention and memory processing.
Keep it down. Focus on what you’re currently doing, rather than multitasking. Although sometimes you need to multitask because of the amount of workload you need to get done, doing one thing at a time can help you retain more information. Rather than writing on a monthly report while paying your bills, finish one task first before entertaining another. This way, you’ll be able to give your undivided attention to a certain task and you’ll be surprised by the results.
Meditate. Stress can greatly affect your overall well-being. It can slow you down and damage your brain cells, thus reducing your ability to retain information in the long run. By meditating, you can refresh your mind of unwanted information and begin to focus on what’s really important. Meditation can give you a sharper memory and a quicker mind.
Regulate. Help your circulatory system by maintaining a good cholesterol level. This can improve your mental alertness and other cardiovascular functions. Unhealthy cholesterol builds up in your blood vessels and hinders proper blood circulation, thus robbing your brain of essential nutrients. This results to memory problems.
Munch or Drink. Eating a couple of apples a day or drinking two 8-ounce glasses of apple juice each day gives you the right dose of antioxidants to keep your memory sharp. Antioxidants in apples help retain your memory by protecting brain cells against damage from free radicals.
Verify. Make sure you talk with your doctor regarding the possible side-effects of the prescription and over-the-counter drugs you are taking. Antidepressants, sleeping pills, painkillers, antihistamines, and other drugs can increase memory loss and tend to stay in your system for a longer time, especially as you get older. This increases the possibility of memory problems.
Play it. You can learn from your teenagers that video games are actually good for you. Games that are designed to improve your focus, like Nintendo’s Brain Age, could get your memory in shape. If video games are not for you, try brainteasers or puzzles. Your brain constantly needs fun, but challenging activities to keep it active and engaged.