Author: Alison Stevens

How’s your memory?

Have you ever forgotten where you left your car keys? Or which area of the parking lot that you parked your car? Or the name of the person you were introduced to just seconds ago.

Memory is a general term used to describe a variety of brain functions. It is the ability to recall both recent events and events that occurred many years ago. Some level of memory loss is a normal part of the aging process for some people although many people retain extremely sharp memories for their entire lives.

Recently, there has been encouraging research reported by Harvard Medical School that suggests that the brain continues to develop new cells and makes new connections between them. This capacity for rejuvenation introduces the potential for future medical treatment to reverse memory loss. In the meantime there are many options to help brain function and improve memory as we age. Remember the adage: “use it or lose it” … this certainly applies to memory.

Often we learn best when we aren’t aware that we are learning! An example of this is when we are having fun or playing games. Many games can help you improve both your short term and long term memory.

Crossword puzzles can be both challenging and fun. They often force us to delve into our longterm memory to recall a word. They keep the brain active and stimulate thought processes and recall ability.

Video games are an often overlooked source of improving memory. Many games will require that you negotiate your way through a mapped course … you will be required to remember where you have been, who you have seen and recall landmarks. Without good memory skills it can be impossible to achieve the goal. Playing video games can improve your short term memory skills while you have fun and exercise your brain.

Most card games require a strong level of recall ability. Even simple games from childhood can help improve short and long term memory. Most people will be familiar with the card game simply called “Memory” where all the cards from a deck are placed face down on the table and each player attempts to find matching pairs. This old game is a brilliant way of improving your memory. And the more you play the better you get.

Another memory and recall game from childhood is to look around the room then close your eyes. With your eyes still closed you must recall all the blue items, or all the red items. Open your eyes and see how well you remembered what you had previously seen. This game not only improves your short term memory, it stimulates the brain and improves your observation skills. This memory game also teaches participants to think in pictures. It is generally agreed that people with photographic memories think in pictures so this is an excellent memory habit to develop.

When you’re looking for games to play to improve your memory it can be fun to check out your local toy store. Look at the range of board games available and you’re sure to find many games that will be helpful in improving your memory. Use your imagination and you may be able to develop your own games to improve memory while having fun!

About the Author:
Alison Stevens is an online author and maintains How To Improve Memory Website to offer knowledge and advice to anyone seeking to improve their memory.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Play Games And Improve Your Short Term

Author: Luna Mohanty

There are so many gadgets and programs available today for enhancing brain function, particularly for improving your memory. They offer many tips and tools, as well as personal support. But you can start enhancing your memory on your own right now–not by changing how you recall memories, but by improving how well you create them in the first place.

Try these eight brain enhancement tips for improving your memory:

1.Pay attention. One of Ilchi Lee’s (author of Principles of Brain Management) three rules for operating our brain effectively, paying attention is the first step toward creating a memory. You should try and take in as many details as possible.

2.Use more than one sense. The more of your five senses you pay attention to when trying to create a memory, the more connections you will make in your brain, which leads to a stronger, longer-lasting memory.

3.Make associations. Making associations between one thing and another will help you remember it. For example, when you meet someone and want to remember their name, really focus on it and notice different things about the person such as, “Mary with the blonde hair and brown eyes who smells like roses and likes white wine.” The more interesting or entertaining the associations you create are, the more easily you will remember them.

4.Enthusiastically engage yourself in what you are doing. According to memory expert Eran Katz, when we like something, or are excited about it, we automatically remember it better because we naturally pay attention to it using more than one sense, and make associations with it to things we’ve already experienced.

5.Repeat, repeat, repeat. Once you make your associations, keep repeating them. If you can repeat them out loud you will employ the help of your sense of hearing and remember them more easily. Brain Rules author John Medina says, “The human brain can only hold about seven pieces of information for less than 30 seconds.” If you want to hold more information longer, keep repeating it and the associations you’ve made to it.

6.Get plenty of exercise. Exercise, especially when it increases the circulation of oxygen-rich blood to your brain, boosts every brain function, including memory.

7.Manage your stress. This tip also applies to overall brain function. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which are higher during chronic stress, actually shrink memory centers in the brain and kill nerve cells. Stress also affects things like how well you eat and sleep, which then also affect your memory. Exercise, of course, helps to manage stress.

8.Get enough sleep. During sleep, especially the first few hours of “slow-wave” sleep, our minds are busy processing the information and skills we learned during the day, further solidifying memories.

As you continue to use these brain enhancement tips for creating more solid new memories, they will also help you keep them. In addition to memory improvement, brain enhancement techniques for other cognitive abilities will help keep your brain active and agile throughout your life.

About the Author:

Michela Mangiaracina is an editor for the independent publishing company, BEST Life Media, as well as a Dahn Yoga and Brain Education Instructor for brain enhancement and many more.Your comments will be highly appreciated at michela@bestlifemedia.com.
For more information about Ilchi Lee, Yoga Video, Brain Vitality, Brain Enhancement CD visit www.bestlifemedia.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Brain Enhancement Tips for Improving Memory

Author: Gregory Frost

Now there is plenty of reason to celebrate for those of you out there who have been suffering from a poor memory, regardless of your age. You do not have to be stuck in that situation where you are constantly suffering from poor memory relapse, where your social and professional life suffers because of your poor memory. Here are some quick and easy steps for you to improve your memory. Even if it is simple forgetfulness, where you have misplaced a household item or forgotten that bank account number that you have had for years, there are so many ways that can help you to overcome the problems of memory loss.

One of the ways that has been gaining quite a bit of popularity is the ;state of mind; syndrome, in which that therapist regress the mind from believing that their memory loss is attributed to some sort of mental disease that they have. Once you resign yourself to this fact, your mind will slip into a state of regressive acceptance and that will only compound your short term or long term memory loss troubles, so you need to use your own will power and make yourself remember sometimes.

Do not accept the fact that you are forgetful but constantly remind yourself that you need to be more sharp, more alert and thus remember the things you need to remember for your own good. Also, some people have found great success when they start making lists around their lives and associate these lists with thinking and memory. There is also much to be said for challenging yourself and playing games with your memory by trying to remember things on your list on a daily basis,

Once you are able to stimulate your mind on a daily basis to remember, the retaining power of the mind will be that much higher. Studies have also shown that imagery and association are some of the best ways for you to remember things. This has been proven quite extensively why kids and students who use ludicrous associations when trying to remember facts and figures from a textbook. By adding scenarios and sometimes by making their text into a song, they are able to better remember the things they should remember and thus pass their exams with flying colours.

Constantly stimulate your mind, that is the most important and look into the areas of your life that is slipping your brain into a level of complacency. For example, if your job is mundane and monotonous, bring along a crossword puzzle or even engage in some dialogue with your co workers on things that are separate from your job. Keep the mind active, and you will see a marked improvement on your memory.

These are just some of the ways you can improve your memory the quick and easy way, and as you can see, it is just a combination of self-determination and activity – the key ingredients anyone would need. If you’re dedicated enough and willing to put the effort, you can beat memory loss, and quite easily so.

About the Author:
Click Here to grab your FREE Photographic Memory eCourse today. Learn various tips on how to master your memory at http://www.Photographic-Memory.org Eliminate memory loss with the proper memory exercises.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Improving Memory the Quick and Easy Way

Author: Ricky Lim

Have you ever tried going to a room and then you completely forgot the item that you are supposed to get? Or have you been talking for quite a while with someone but his or her name has slipped your mind? Or perhaps you have seen someone familiar but just can’t recall who he or she is.

It all sounds common to most people and there are many methods you can use to improve your memory power.

A person’s memory is categorized into three parts—imprint, retention, and then recall. Imprint talks about any piece of data that you prefer to keep in your memory bank. Retention, on the other hand, is the intensity of the information which makes it truly memorable or worth discarding.

And the last is recalling which talks about your mind’s capacity to recollect that piece of information. If any of these components fail, then the end result would be memory loss or memory lapse.

Therefore, take note of these tips on how to improve your memory.

1. Pay enough attention. If you put in less attention on certain information, then chances are it will be easily discarded by your memory and will not be imprinted in your memory bank. Usually, those things that interest you get most of your attention and that is why they are best remembered.

2. Associate or relate one piece of information with another. Physical association generally helps in recalling things. It helps if you can associate a picture with the object or person you want to remember. Our brain works better remembering pictures rather than letters and numbers.

3. Get adequate rest. Don’t deprive yourself of rest and sleep. When the physical body and the brain are overworked, the tendency is for all these to become less attentive. That is why students should be adequate sleep before their examinations. Never burn the midnight oil the night before your examinations.

4. Oxygenate and hydrate. Memory loss is mainly prompted by the lack of water and oxygen in the body.

About the Author:

Learn how to improve memory fast with Darin Hunter Master Your Memory guide. Learn how to improve your memory fast using simple techniques you can learn instantly.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How to Improve Memory Skills – 4 Tips to Improving Your Memory

Author: kayes

No matter in what profession you are, or what your social status is, you ought to have a good memory to do anything in your life. There is no one out there who would not want to improve their memory and there are so many people out there who would literally do anything and everything to improve their memory.

People so often try out the memory supplements found in the drug stores to find a solution to their degrading memory. They also try out vitamins and other commercial medicines which can improve their memory. There are some vitamins and supplements like vitamin B, a fatty acid called omega 3 and antioxidants have been a successful cure to memory loss. But question arises when; the supplements that you are taking are not enough?

There are actually some ways that can complement your medicines to improve your memory. Strong focus and high concentration can help you a great deal in improving your memory. When you are not paying any attention to the information that comes your way then you are not likely to put the information in the long term memory. This can be a real problem for those people who are dealing with a high level of stress, tension, insomnia or the people who are a victim of attention deficit disorder (ADD).

You will find a few stimulants that have been proven to be very effective in improving the concentration level. There is a drug known as Ritalin which helps in increasing the brain activity and thereby help them by improving their mental focus. They do so by increasing the stimulus in the central nervous system and managing the chemicals in the right way. Amphetamines are another stimulant that is often used to improve the concentration. They are a good memory increasing agent if you use them in a proper way. You have to use it very carefully as amphetamines are highly addictive.

There are also some modern medications that can prevent your brain from Alzheimer’s disease. This is a serious disease that affects every single part of your brain.

Be careful about all those cons out there trying to sell you their new memory improving pills and tonics as most of them are harmful to your health and useless as far as the memory improving is concerned. Try to have good nutrition, enough rest and lead a stress free life as it can go a long way in improving the memory.

About the Author:

Wanna Know More tips? you can visit this Link Health Tips

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Ways to Improve Memory

Author: Mary Nicole Hicks

Memorising things is hard. Through out or lives we are trying to memorise everything from events and history to exam answers and a plan for the future. Many students will spend all night trying to remember key facts for exams. It is ironic to think that sleep has such a large effect on memory and learning. All the students that spend all nighters to memorise answers may be doing more damage and be more forgetful than those who get a good nights sleep instead.

For insomniacs it may be sobering news that not only does a lack of sleep affect the memory and recall of exams answers, but also the memory of faces, sceneries, experiences, procedures, and many other things. Our memory of procedural and skills could be the most important and is also the most affected by sleep.

In order to counteract the effects of sleep, people drink coffee. Coffee has caffeine which helps to reduce the feeling of tiredness. The problem with coffee and ultimately caffeine is that all it is doing is masking the symptoms of a lack of sleep. It does not help to improve memory, recall or learning.

When you sleep, your brain tries to sort out all the memories and information from the previous day and file them for future retrieval. It goes through a process called memory consolidation. It is during this process that short-term memories from the day are set as long-term memories.

It is only after a 6 hour period of memory stabilization that memory consolidation occurs. This means that a 6 hour sleep will not have as much of an effect on your memory as an 8 hour sleep would.

About the Author:

Written by the award winning Mary Nicole Hicks. Read her latest
article “Association method to improve memory” at
http://www.pickbrains.com/articles/association-method-memory.
You can reprint this article, just link back to
http://www.pickbrains.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Improve Memory and Recall With Sleep

Author: Neil Hobbs

A common myth about good memory: it is a gift that only a few persons have. Many adults believe that they couldn’t do anything about consistently forgetting facts and things they should do or should have done. Forgetfulness is not a serious threat anyway, they believe. However, for those who need to boost their abilities to recall info, there are a few easy yet extremely effective methods on how to improve memory power.

Mental exercise is the key to boost memory power. Shortage of physical exercise makes the body inactive and lethargic, and absence of psychological exercise does the same thing to the mind. Train your mind frequently by repeating to yourself anything you need to remember as quickly as you learn it. This is very useful especially when remembering phone numbers and dates. Repetition is a simple system on how to improve memory power, but it works even for long term memory.

Another great psychological exercise is to envision how you’re going to use the information in the future. As an example, when you meet an individual for the 1st time, imagine meeting him or her again after some time. That way, you are sure to remember the person’s name when you meet again. You can also use other mnemonic methods like rhymes and word associations that may train you on how to improve memory power.

Do you have difficulty with teaching your brain to remember things? Let tools like paper and pen help you. Write down any significant information on a sheet of paper or a sticky note so that you can easily recall it when needed.

Mental exercises as one of the strategies on how to improve memory power won’t necessarily turn you into a genius, but they actually will help you to eliminate forgetfulness.

There is an amazing program that allows you to show dramatic learning improvement in just 5 minutes. You will learn how to drastically improve memory power, increase reading speed and comprehension, have better time management, and develop total concentration.

For more great information, check out How To Improve Memory Power.

About the Author:

Neil Hobbs is a father of three with a passion for learning and reading. He discovered an excellent system that will teach you many different methods to improve memory power and a lot more, including; increasing reading speed and comprehension, improving concentration and focus, boosting self-esteem and confidence, reducing stress, and becoming much more organized.

This system has allowed his son, Andrew, to decrease his high school work load and

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How To Improve Memory Power In 5 Minutes

Author: Susan Nickerson

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic, degenerative and fatal neurological disease that destroys the memory and mental capacity of sufferers. Although medication can slow its progress, there is no cure. At a certain point in the disease, there is no way to improve memory loss.

Fortunately, Alzheimer’s is not an inevitable result of aging. The good news is —there are practical ways to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, President of Tucson’s non-profit Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation or ARPF, believes prevention is actually the best treatment.

“We have to realize that the era of the magic bullet — drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease — is over,” asserts Dr. Khalsa. “We need to take an integrative approach, like they do for heart disease.”

The ARFP works tirelessly to educate the public and the medical profession about ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Khalsa has created a holistic memory loss prevention program that combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine to improve the memory loss that can progress to full Alzheimer’s.

Here are Dr. Khalsa’s Four Pillars of Prevention:

Pillar 1 — Diet and Vitamins. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits reduces free radicals that damage brain cells. Dr. Khalsa recommends avoiding red meats, as they induce swelling that releases free radicals. He also recommends ‘superfoods’ for the brain, such as blueberries and spinach.
Pillar 2 — Stress Management. When the brain is under chronic stress, stress hormones like cortisol remain constantly high. The chance for memory loss grows, because cortisol blocks blood flow to the memory regions.
Pillar 3 — Physical and Mental Exercise. Performing physical exercise 20 minutes a day, three days a week lowers your Alzheimer’s risk by 50%. Mental exercise in the same amount can reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 70%.
Pillar 4 — Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Khalsa believes that Western pharmaceuticals such as Aricept, Exelon, Namenda and Razadyne may play a necessary role in a holistic prevention program and improving memory loss.

The ARFP promotes these Four Pillars of Prevention — proper nutrition, stress management, mental and physical exercise, and medication to improve memory loss — as a major breakthrough in how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

About the Author:

Now I would like to invite you to visit the non-profit Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation website at www.alzheimersprevention.org to discover even more strategies on how you can improve memory loss and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Improve Memory Loss — How to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Author: Gregory Frost

Our memory plays a very vital role in our lives. From remembering our friends’ names to remembering simple things like have we eaten or not, the memory controls our daily activities. As such, keeping our memory as fresh as a newly baked muffin is definitely essential. But what happens when you realize that you have a memory capacity of a 60 year old although you are only 30? When this happens, this calls for some help. Improving memory is not at all that hard. After reading this article, you will be amazed by how ridiculously easy it is to have your memory all worked out to the maximum. Check out these 4 simple techniques that you can use for improving your memory.

Unlike flu and coughs, there are no direct medications that you can take to help you boost your memory. The only way is to keep up with some healthy habits at all times to ensure that your memory is able to perform at its maximum potential.

#1 Keep your brain active.

Keeping your brain active at all times will help to ensure that brain is able to practice good memory skills. This would refer to you training your brain to remember facts, descriptions, figures, addresses and such. As time goes by, your brain will continue to grow and develop and hence you will need to feed it. Alternatively, you can keep your brain active by working on mind-boggling puzzles, mind games and crosswords. At the same time, introduce yourself to newer things like learn a new language or new sport to help to keep your brain thinking and working at all times.

#2 Exercise, exercise, exercise!

Exercising is the root of keeping healthy. You might be 50 years old but behind the wrinkles, you actually feel no older than 30 years old! That is how these workouts can help you. At the same time, exercising will help to prevent you from memory loss and improves circulation throughout the body. Exercises help to rejuvenate your body and soul and hence, allowing you to better relax your mind and hence strengthening the memory. Doing simple exercises or yoga will allow you to achieve the desired relaxing mode.

#3 Stress alert

When the going gets tough, some people will just explode and let their rage out. Some prefer to stay quiet, but deep down; they compress all stress and anger inside. This calls for some stress relief awareness. It is definitely not good to burst through the doors when you are angry, and at the same time, it is definitely not good to suppress anger either. Suppressing anger and stress will clog your mind and hence preventing you from performing at peak pace. A troubled heart leads to a troubled mind, so, prevent yourself from a clogged mind and learn some of the ways you can handle or avoid this unnecessary stress.

#4 Healthy diet

Yes, a healthy and well balanced diet is the key to improving memory. There are plenty of supplements and vitamins out there but up till today, there are no solid proves to show that these supplements do work. Foods like broccoli, berries, spinach and blueberries are definitely encouraged.

Jot these pointers down, and keep them in your sight. You will definitely need these tips to prevent your memory from deteriorating further.

About the Author:
Learn various tips on how to master your memory at http://www.Photographic-Memory.org It is possible for you to attain a photographic memory with the proper memory exercises. Click Here to grab your FREE Photographic Memory eCourse today.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – 4 Simple Techniques For Improving Memory

Author: Susan Nickerson

Most of us assume that improving memory loss as we age is difficult, if not downright impossible. In fact, we fully expect our brains and our memories to decline in our later years.

However, the truth is that we can improve memory loss — and help our aging brains.

In this article, we’ll uncover how you can improve memory loss – even reverse it – and see how your aging brain can actually get better with time.

So how can you your improve memory loss and help your brain get better with age?

First, you must release the idea that being forgetful and having a slower mind is simply part of getting older. That just isn’t true.

Next, you must take a proactive approach to the strength and vitality of your brain.

According to Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., President and Medical Director of the non-profit Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation or ARPF: “Just as your body needs physical exercise, your brain needs mental exercise as well. You must make mental activity part of your regular exercise regimen”.

Brain aerobics are a specific example of vigorous mental exercise. And here’s some good news: brain aerobics reportedly reduce your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 70 percent!

But what are brain aerobics? In order to be considered brain aerobics, an activity must:

1. Engage your attention

2. Involve more than one of your senses

3. Break a routine activity in an unexpected way

Brain aerobics improve your memory by regrowing brain cells, increasing the size of your brain and the number of brains cells you have.

Dr. Dharma says, “You can take it a step further by combining physical exercise with various brain aerobics. This is an innovative way to take advantage of the regenerative phenomenon of various brain aerobics”.

Here is Dr. Dharma’s weekly program that combines mental and physical exercise to improve memory loss. You can use these suggestions for the next four weeks to improve your memory loss and help your aging brain:

Week 1:

Start each day out with a crossword puzzle. Later, go for a nice walk and sing your favorite song. Volunteer some of your time.

Week 2:

Start each day with a brisker walk with a companion. While you walk, discuss current events and sing three of your favorite songs. Memorize shopping lists and shop by memory.

Week 3:

Sing the national anthem as you jog. Do a jigsaw puzzle and spend a couple hours each day on a hobby. Read a book and discuss it with a friend.

Week 4:

Read a book while riding an exercise bike. Discuss it with a friend while exercising. Work on learning something new, like using the computer, a foreign language or a musical instrument.

In just 4 weeks, you can easily improve your memory loss. According to Dr. Dharma and the ARPF, everyone should spend at least 20 minutes — three times a week — doing mental exercises.

These are simple and effective ways to make brain aerobics a regular part of your life. Using brain aerobics is a scientifically proven and fun way to strengthen your aging brain — improving memory loss.

About the Author:

For more free tips, suggestions and advice on brain aerobics and other memory building tools you can use to improve memory loss now, see the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation website at http://www.alzheimersprevention.org

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Improving Memory Loss – How to Help the Aging Brain