8 basic tips for keeping your memory sharp:
- Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to learn a piece of information. You must rehearse to remember
- Tailor information acquisition to your learning style. Most people are visual learners; they learn best by reading or otherwise seeing what it is they have to know. But some are auditory learners who learn better by listening. They might benefit by recording information they need and listening to it until they remember it. Discover which type of learner you are.
- Involve as many senses as possible. Even if you’re a visual learner, relate information to colors, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain.
- Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember.
- Organize information. Write things down in address books and datebooks and on calendars; use a CHECKLIST to keep tasks organized.
- Understand and be able to interpret complex material. For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details will help you retain information longer by making it more meaningful.
- Rehearse information frequently and “over-learn”. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. What researchers call “spaced rehearsal” is uses practice to make recalling information easier.
- Be motivated and keep a positive attitude. Most of us want to learn and remember things. Telling yourself you have a bad memory actually hampers the ability of your brain to remember. Positive mental feedback sets up an expectation of success.
11 Tips for improving Memory (Elder HealthCare from the Govt of Hong Kong) – translated into English
- Attend to one task at a time; avoid external distraction.
- Simplify information and remember items one by one. For example: Learn Tai Chi one step at a time.
- Link items to old memories to be remembered, and form images to which can be exaggerated for more vivid memory.
- Divide numerical information into groups: A telephone number 2121 8080.
- Categorize information by putting similar items together when shopping.
- Summarize information: understand information thoroughly and focus attention on the main points, put aside the details.
- Rehearse and practise repeatedly information you want to remember.
- Be observant and notice the special features: Facial characteristic for remembering a face and name.
- Use your senses (smell, sound, sight) to remember. Seek medical attention early if there is problem with hearing/eyesight. Wear glasses or a hearing aid if needed.
- Be self-confident and adopt a positive attitude.
- Use physical memory aids: Draw up checklists and a timetable, use a tape recorder set electrical appliances that have automatic clocks. Use a medication alarm. Use a big calender that you can see. Make things visible that you want to remember.
The Chinese experience similar issues.
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A Blog List on Aging
- Alliance for Aging Research: Latest policies and more in anti aging.
- Global Ageing Network: Find out about aging around the world.
- Boomers: Baby boomers.
- Fight Aging!: Fight Aging! create an era of longer, healthier lives.
- Ageism in America: News and research on US age discrimination from Ageism in America.
- The New Old Age: The ever-growing 80 and older population.
- Department of Health and Ageing: Australian government : Aging news.
- Ageing Research: Learn more about the ageing process from this blog.
- Ouroboros: The biology of aging on Ouroboros.
- British Society for Research on Ageing: Understand the aging process.
- Healthy Aging for Women: Healthy Aging for Women.
- Better Than I Ever Expected: Learn about sex after sixty.
- CRON Diary: This blogger has been practicing calorie restriction for almost 8 years.
- Al Fin Longevity: Longevity and preserving the best of humanity.
- Longevity Science: Aging and longevity in extending the human lifespan.
- The Methuselah Foundation: Therapies to end the disabilities and diseases of aging.
Here is a list from AARP:
10 steps to an optimal memory
No matter what your age, it’s not too late to take steps to prevent memory loss.
1. Exercise
Physical fitness and mental fitness go together.
-When possible, walk instead of driving.
-Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. Keep learning
Experts think that advanced education may help keep memory strong by getting people into the habit of being mentally active. Regardless of your level of education, you, too, can be an active, lifelong learner.
3. Don’t smoke
As described earlier (see “Smoking”), smokers perform worse than nonsmokers in studies of memory and cognitive function.
4. Drink alcohol only in moderation
While heavy drinking can harm your memory, moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages may actually be beneficial . But excessive consumption of alcohol is toxic to neurons and is the leading risk factor for alcohol dementia.
5. Maintain a healthy diet
A nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables as well as healthy fats from fish, nuts, and whole grains is vital to maintaining brain health. .
6. Consider taking vitamins
If you eat a healthy diet, chances are that you are already getting most if not all of the vitamins that you need. However, aging can make you vulnerable to vitamin deficiencies due to nutritional restrictions and malabsorption syndromes. Taking a high-quality multivitamin.
7. Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is essential for memory consolidation as well as overall health. Although people vary widely in their individual sleep needs, research suggests that six to eight hours of sleep a night is ideal.
8. Be social
Social support — that is, close ties with others — can improve the cognitive performance of older people, according to the MacArthur study on aging and other research.
9. Manage stress
When you’re under a lot of stress, it’s hard to concentrate. And not concentrating sufficiently is one of the main causes of poor learning and memory. Being under sustained stress for many weeks can impair your memory by altering brain chemistry and damaging the hippocampus.
10. Protect your brain from impacts and toxins
Head trauma is a major cause of memory impairment and a risk factor for future development of dementia. Wear seat belts when riding in motor vehicles.
Thanks for putting together General Tips | PositiveAger I am enjoying your posts. Would you do a guest post on a site I help run? Do you think that you could contribute? You can see our post styles at http://hr-prompts.com and certainly we would be interested in having you post an article or two on our blog, what do you think? If you are interested let me know through the contacts page on our site.General Tips | PositiveAger is an interesting name for a blog, keep up the good work , thanks, from Erich Ingram
I’d be happy to do this Eric. I have a recent article on “memory issues” that was published in the Psychotherapy Networker. This might be a fun article to post. The link is as follows:
http://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/magazine/currentissue/1096-case-study
It is labeled as a case study, but it has more to offer than a single case. I’ll also attempt to place a guest post on your site.
bob hill