Increasing Your Memory As You Go About Your Day

The advances in medical science since World War II have seen life expectancy rise by several decades. Now, the challenge faced by medicine is – how do you maintain a person’s quality of life, for a span of 80 years or greater?

The key to staying fit lies in one simple dictum – stay fit, stay active. This applies as much to the mind as to the body. In fact, the brain responds much better to regular activity than even the body, as it is not susceptible to “stress injury” the way our bodily muscles are. With regular mental exercise, an 80-year old can give his grandchildren a run for their money in memory and concentration tests.

Here are a few mental exercises that will improve your memory and concentration, leaving you better equipped to handle household tasks, professional jobs and everything you need to do during the day. Best of all, these exercises become part of your daily routine rather than a separate “task”, so you do not need to dedicate a chunk of time to improving your memory.

1. An itinerary check. Every night, write down your itinerary for the next day. The next morning, try to recall each item on that itinerary without checking your list until you finish. This little trick adds structure to your life and also allows for better time management, as well as improving your memory.

2. Give up speed dials. Memory is lost in little bits and pieces. The more you make a sustained effort to recall things, the more you will find yourself able to do so. Start by dialing numbers manually instead of looking at the phone book every time. If someone tells you a number, try to remember it for the ten seconds you need to find pen and paper rather than asking them to tell you again when the pen is in your hand.

3. Keep the shopping list in your pocket. Sure, make a list when you go shopping. But when you reach the shop, use your memory first. Do not check your shopping list until you have spent five minutes thinking about what you forgot.

4. Face the thoughts under the carpet. Have you ever found yourself blocking things out, refusing to deal with them, and having those things attack with a vengeance when you try to concentrate? You aren’t alone – in fact, this is the primary reason behind most peoples’ forgetfulness. Book yourself a counseling session, and begin dealing with your repressed thoughts. With a clearer head, you will find your memory and concentration growing to much higher levels.

One of the things people do not realize about memory loss is that it is preventable. If you have never had a good memory, memory tricks make sure that it does not get worse in the long run. With a healthy mind, clear of toxic thoughts and needless worries, you will find yourself quicker, sharper and more competent, very far indeed from falling victim to dementia.