Many elderly people will face memory loss in varying degrees. This condition has a negative impact on everyone involved, and can seriously decrease quality and enjoyment of life. Here are a few tips to help you, or someone you know, deal with the frustration of memory loss.
One exercise that can make it easier for you to recall things is to jot notes down. This exercise causes blood to flow to the area of the brain which is responsible for memory. You may significantly increase your ability to remember important things by making a habit of letter writing or journaling.
If so, allow yourself a brief break, but no longer than 15 minutes, during every hour and use that time to rest your mind. You will go back to work better able to retain the information you are working on.
When you have to memorize a substantial amount of information, try studying at a variety of locations. This works because you will associate the information you are learning with the location you learned it in. By moving around, however, you can easily store items in long-term memory by disassociating them from locations.
To recall things later, stay focused and pay attention. You may believe that you are listening attentively, but in reality most people find that their mind may be on other things. Clear all other thoughts from your mind and give your full attention to what is being discussed and presented. Once the moment has passed, play it over again in your mind to commit it to memory.
Sticky Notes
Sticky notes and lists are very popular for those people that have difficulty remembering important things. Put them in places that you know you will frequently look at, such as next to your computer or cell phone. Placing sticky notes on things will help you make sure you don’t forget things that are extremely important.
You can improve your memory while studying if you change the environment that surrounds you while you are studying. A fresh new location will make your mind feel refreshed, and give your long-term memory a boost. The change in routine or surroundings will help keep your brain alert, and therefore ready to absorb new information and ideas.
To jog your memory on a specific thing, try injecting some humor through association. Humor makes learning more fun and you will find it is easier to remember things later.
Always try your best to space out gathering information. If you have to commit something to memory, break the information into short, manageable sections, and schedule brief study periods for yourself each day. Learning a large amount of information at one sitting is not an effective method for long term memory. It can overwhelm your mind, and you can forget nearly all of it. Sit down for regular short sessions to allow your brain to get used to studying.
When you need to commit something to memory, it helps to actually speak it out loud. Once you learn something for the first time, like a person’s name, vocalize it. By repeating these things out loud for you to hear will ensure you remember this information for future use. If you can, repeat it out loud over and over again.
As you study for a test or presentation, outlining the material in your own words helps to retain the information. Playing around with the outline or bullet-pointing different study topics can organize the material in such a way that you can easily learn and recall it on demand. Your outline doesn’t need to be long; any grouping system you come up with will work.
You can use mnemonic devices that help you remember important information. This strategy works by creating an association between a new piece of information and something you already know. These typically involve songs, jokes or rhymes, and they’re an extremely fun method of improving your memory. These often eliminate frustration from studying.
Pay attention while learning new things to ensure that it is committed to memory. When you are first introduced to someone, picture the spelling of their name in your head, or ask about the spelling. So, if someone’s name is Tracy, ask if it is with a “Y” or an “I”. Then, repeat the name out loud once to solidify the memory. Sneak your memory tricks into conversations with others, and you will not have any issue recalling the information at a later point.
Develop an information tree to aid your memory. For large subjects you need to remember, focus on the gist of it first. So you want to put brief overviews of things first, and then the more sensitive and in depth information following it. Lastly, let the little tiny details, the leaves, form off of those branches. Organizing the information in this way can really benefit recall speed and accuracy.
Study more information than what it is you have to know. You will find it much easier to remember things when you know some of the background information. For instance, to remember a definition and a word, get a more in-depth understanding of the word as well.
Memory loss is the most common thing we think of when we think of an aging relative or friend. This is an unfortunate symptom of age but part of the natural stages of life. Sometimes, though, the cognitive decline may be slowed down or even stopped. Hopefully, the tips mentioned previously can give a starting point to learning ways to improve memory.
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