On an average morning—between waking up, getting ready, and commuting to work—you take advantage of all different kinds of memories, often without even noticing it. You fix a cup of coffee just the way you like, and later when you sit in your car, you know exactly how to get where you’re going. Beneath the surface of this routine experience, your memory is hard at work!
Memory lapses happen to everybody, and can often be attributed to outside factors, like a really busy day, some kind of distraction, or other stressors. While it’s normal to be a bit forgetful at times (especially as you age), frequent trouble with memory is an important health concern.
Luckily, neurologists at Johns Hopkins say there are proactive steps everyone can take to protect their brain health. Check out this guide for an in-depth look into how you can maintain your brain and help avoid memory loss!
5 hacks to improve memory
Working memory, which has more to do with daily tasks and short-term recall, is a cognitive function that actually benefits from a huge variety of health-conscious behaviors. Regular exercise, learning new things, and getting enough sleep are just a few simple examples.
1. Make sure to get good sleep
Good sleep has to do with both quantity and quality. First, you can use this helpful New York Times sleep guide to get advice targeted to your age range. For example, teenagers need up to 10 hours of sleep for healthy growth, but if you’re between 35 and 40 years old, you’ll want to aim for seven or eight hours per night.
From there, you can improve your sleep even more with simple habits and by avoiding certain stimuli. If you’re someone who falls asleep listening to music or podcasts, try setting a sleep timer on your phone so the sounds don’t interfere with your rest. If you sometimes wake up with back pain or stiff joints, you may want to consider changing to a better sleeping position.
A well-rested mind is one that’s more elastic, creative, and resilient!
2. Be a lifelong learner
The exciting journey of learning new things doesn’t need to stop when your formal education does. Plus, keeping up the practice is important for your health. In fact, the Parkinson’s Foundation advises people to continue learning as a way to enhance their cognitive function, and possibly avoid degenerative conditions in the future.
What’s great about being an adult learner is that the subject matter is fully yours to choose. The possibilities are truly endless, though some of the most popular topics include arts and languages. The best way to get started is by surrounding yourself with fellow learners, who you can easily connect with through communities like the virtual Polyglot Meetup Group or one of the hundreds of Shut Up & Write!® Meetup groups around the world.
3. Be mindful of your diet
What you eat and drink can have an effect on your memory. Consuming foods like fatty fish, berries, and leafy greens has been linked to increased cognitive health and maintained memory.
4. Keep your body moving
Regular exercise is always cited as a positive contributor to longevity, both physical and mental. That fact isn’t too surprising, because staying active crops up in all kinds of articles and advice columns. Whether the topic is heart health, stress reduction, treating depression, avoiding burnout at work, learning how to become more Zen, or hacks for maintaining your memory, one of the golden rules of staying happy and healthy is to keep it moving.
If you want to keep your mind clear, the physical activity you pursue doesn’t need to be strenuous. It’s just about getting your heart rate up a little, stretching your muscles, and getting into a state of flow where distractions seem to melt away. Some great options for low-key exercise are simply strolling around your neighborhood with a group like Walking Across Chicago, or even doing light yoga at home with an online class for beginners.
5. The important role of socialization
It’s not an opinion, it’s science! Human beings are fundamentally social creatures, with researchers going so far as to claim that face-to-face contact is like a vaccine that protects us against anxiety, loneliness, pain, and even aging.
So, as you take simple steps toward maintaining your memory, you can boost your progress by doing it with others. The key is regular social contact—that can mean anything from going out for lunch with coworkers to starting a weekly movie night that helps you connect more with your family.
Health and Wellness with Meetup
Create space for meeting new people and having new experiences. When you set the intention to put yourself out there, it helps you build a separate social skill and work different parts of your brain, which is great for keeping your memory sharp. Plus, you’re sure to learn a lot about yourself in the process. Connect in person with people in your area, or folks from all across the globe via online events, by creating your own Meetup group today.
Last modified on December 4, 2023
