Your memory is extremely important in your daily life, and you would like to know all that you can do to maximize your potential. You want to be able to remember and recall things as efficiently as possible. Use the tips and tricks provided in this article, and you should find success in doing so.
Avoid cramming all your material into one short study session. Studies show that information is better retained, if you take some time to learn it. You can do this by scheduling short study sessions in the days and weeks, prior to an exam. Cramming everything into one sitting will only prove to be counter productive.
When trying to commit a large amount of information to memory, having several shorter study sessions is significantly better than having one long study session. The reason for this is that it takes several separate instances of reviewing the material in order to commit the material to long term memory. Holding the information in long term memory will allow you to more readily recall the information than if it was stored in short term memory.
One great memory technique involves simply paying attention. Although you might think that you’re paying attention, you might have your mind wandering, in which information is not absorbed efficiently. Focus your mind and free your thoughts from distractions. Consider the subject at hand and link it with things that you already know to solidify it in your memory.
Increase the dark leafy greens in your diet like spinach to help boost your memory power. They contain important B vitamins and folic acid, which have a huge job in taking care of the neurons in your brain. They also help keep oxygen flowing through your body, which is integral to healthy brain activity.
Jigsaw puzzles are good to improve your memory. Choose the harder ones (500-600 piece puzzles) for greater benefits. This game requires visual judgment, critical thinking and shifting focus from the small pieces to the big picture several times. Mastering your jigsaw puzzles skills will help you when you need to use your memory in your everyday life.
Improve memory with mnemonics. Use an acronym to remember lists of related things. For example, ‘Homes’ is used to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. The first letter of the words in a sentence can represent a list of letters that you have to remember. For example, “Every good boy does fine” can be used to memorize the notes on the lines of a treble clef: E,G,B,D and F.
If you are having issues with remembering things, you may want to try relaxing techniques like yoga or meditation. When your body is relaxed, so is your mind which allows you to easily learn and remember things. Working your mind and body to hard will make memorizing things much worse.
Carefully focus on what you are trying to memorize. This is especially important when you are studying. Never try to multitask. Turn off the television, turn off the radio. Just focus on what you need to memorize and the knowledge you need to retain. Many things can distract you without you even realizing it.
Use a mnemonic device to help yourself remember things. Create a picture in your head in relation to what you anticipate needing to remember. You can work it into an unusual sentence or make it into a fun acronym. Mnemonic devices are much easier for the brain to remember than straight facts.
To better your memory, try listening to classical music if possible. Music that is calming eases stress, and allows you to focus more clearly on the matter at hand. A great time to use this kind of music is during relaxing baths, with scented candles burning on the side.
It is easy to forget things when you feel overwhelmed and stressed. Try to stay relaxed when learning new information or when trying to recall something. Give yourself the time to recall what you need, instead of getting upset with yourself and losing patience.
Sleep is vital to maintaining mental clarity and memory. By avoiding sleep, you make your senses and mind foggier, hurting your ability to focus and piece together information. In addition, during sleep, your brain forges pathways that lead to memory. Getting good sleep (and a good amount of it) will improve your memory.
Things are easier to remember if they have a special meaning to you. Think about why you need to memorize the information. For example, if you are going shopping, ask yourself why. It could be for your child’s birthday and thinking about that, will help you remember what you need to buy.
Paying attention to what you are doing will help your memory. When studying or memorizing something, avoid distractions. Find an environment you are comfortable in. Learn how to focus on something, and if you can, find material that interest you. Focusing on something that interest you should be relatively easy.
Do not cram information before an exam or a test. You will remember better if you study regularly. You can improve your memory by making it work on a regular basis, and you will remember something more easily if you go over it everyday instead of focusing on it for a few hours only.
Learn how to use mnemonic devices. Mnemonic devices can be the association of a concept with a familiar object or remember acronyms or rhymes. Create your own mnemonic devices: you need to make sure they are meaningful and that you will remember what you associated the information with later on.
Older people who are worried about losing memory can use electronic devices such as the Wii to help with memory. These types of interactive video games have designed games that are actually geared to help improve memory like Nintendo’s Brain Age. Also the stimulation of working with the puzzles involved in video games is a great brain stimulator.
In conclusion, you want to know all there is to know about how to have an efficient memory. There are many things that you can do to hone this skill and hopefully the advice provided in this article will be helpful toard doing so. A great memory is a great trait to have.