Tips on Improving Your Memory

Photo by - KashinoRei

Many of us might have been wishing to have a very good memory. To top the exams, so you will never ever forget a friend's birthday or a newly met friend's name. Some even wish to have a great memory just to remember where they have placed their keys or books or where they parked their car. Not all of us has a photographic memory but with practice and some techniques, we might soon master the "art of remembering."

Here are some easy steps that can help you gain a better memory:

Exercise: regular aerobic exercise will improve blood circulation not only to some organs of the body but most especially, to the brain. It also helps in energizing you mind so you won't be very sluggish and you will feel alert and be able to think fast.

Use your brain: If you don't use your muscles, it won't get bigger and stronger. Same rule applies to the brain. The more exercise you put on your mind, the better it will become. try solving some puzzles everyday, play scrabbles, crosswords, sudoku, some mental online games or even try learning to play musical instruments. This things will make your memory active and soon will improve its functioning.

Pick the right foods: This is an essential step to have a good memory. There are some foods which actually contributes in promoting better brain functioning like the salmon which has Omega-3 which can actually improve your brain matter, improve synaptic connections and reduce the risk of Dementia and Alzheimer's. Cacao beans is also a good help, yup cacao, an ingredient of chocolate but it should be minimally processed. Cause chocolate has lots of sugar and flavorings that poses harm to the brain. Some other good foods for the brain are blueberries and acai berries, coffee bean and green tea.

Create links and associations: This is my favorite of all the steps,  I always use this technique especially when I'm trying to memorize laws. I put certain letters from 0 to 10 and from those letters I form a word. For example I have the RA 6425 and I easily recognize it as the Dangerous Drug Act of the Philippines because I use (chair = 64 and nail = 25) and then I associate the two words to form a picture of a nail trying to push the drug inside a small hole in the chair. Sounds complicated right? but when you get the hang of it, you will really enjoy using this technique.

Repetition: If your really want to remember things that don't work out with association, try using repetition. The more you repeat the word, the better the chance of remembering it. Like if you want to remember names of newly met friends, repeat them and there will be a better chance of remembering them. Like when Flora is introduced to you, repeat her name by saying simple words like "Hello Flora" or "nice meeting you Flora." You can also use flashcards especially when you are preparing for your exam. Try writing the question on one side and the answer at the back. Always repeat those questions you are having a problem with and put aside those easier questions and you may review them later.

Have a good night sleep: A recent study conducted at Harvard Medical School reveals that a sleep of atleast seven hours a day helps in improving your short term memory and your long term memory.

Believe in the power of your mind: This is the most important step of all. You have to believe that you are capable of remembering unlimited information. The power of remembering is believing that you can make it. You need not to rely on your to do list at your pocket, just put it in your mind. Try to focus and remember those things and after some time, you will be amazed by how strong your mind has been.

Wonders of Walking

image from: ~ZiAzon

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." That is one of my most favorite words from Plato. It tells the basic formula to keep yourself healthy and fit.

We all need some form of physical exercise atleast even for a couple of minutes a day. We might not notice its effect today, but in the long run, it will definitely define our health. It can even save us great deal of money and can even save us from some forms of cancer. That is why lots of institutions advocate walking for atleast 10,000 steps a day, jogging for 10 minutes or trying to learn to run for 10 kilometers. When you go to school, office or other places; when you go to the mall or even visit your doctor, try to walk and you will be able to slash the required number of walks , jogs and runs for the day.

Here are some reasons why you might consider some extra steps every day:


#1 -  Strolling can reduce stroke risk. Women who walked two or more hours a week or who usually walked at a brisk pace (3 miles per hour or faster) had a significantly lower risk of stroke than women who didn't walk, according to a large, long-term study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.


#2 - It can save you from breast cancer. According to the Nurse's Health Study after following the cases of almost 3000 women. They were able to find out that women who walk 1 - 3 hours per week after breast cancer diagnosis improve their survival rate by 20-50%, according to researchers. This effect is especially seen in women who have hormone-responsive tumors.


#3- Reduces the risk for developing diabetes. Walking improves muscle absorption of blood sugar thus preventing it from building into the bloodstream. This effect can last for hours or even days. That is why regular exercise is advisable.


#4 - It spices up your sex life. Walking not only helps in improving your body image, it also aids for a better blood circulation so risk for impotence can be prevented and according to a research from the University of Naples, some form of exercises like walking can improve erectile dysfunction in obese men.


#5 - It can save you some money. Walking is somehow economical. You don't need to pay membership on gyms to make you fit. You even have a lot of space where you can do your workout and most specially,  you don't have to worry in scheduling you workout hours.


#6 - Walking for your memory. There is a great connection between physical exercise and improve memory. When you try jogging for atleast 10 minutes a day, you blood oxygenation becomes very good and your brain will be oxygenated also. It also raises the level of neuroprotein which is essential to prevent depression and gives us a peace of mind.