In times of constant information overload, it is not surprising that we can forget even elementary things.
Sometimes we wonder what we can do to improve our memory.
1. Get enough sleep.
A good sleep helps to consolidate episodic memories - related to time and place. There is also evidence that REM sleep phase plays an important role in linking and matching memories, related to learning motor skills such as playing musical instruments or riding a motorcycle. A good night's sleep after learning a new skill will help you pull together all the processes involved so that you can later perform the skill on autopilot.
2. Keep a cool head.
Stress affects memory differently when it occurs stressful event. The rapid release of adrenaline as part of the "flight or fight" response makes us more attentive, but the slower release of cortisol disrupts memory formation processes. A stressful event occurs, which seems long before the process of forming memories, can damage memorization. Whereas stress before memorization itself or immediately after it can improve memory results. And if we are trying to remember something, and before that we were worried, it can also hurt to remember. Yoga, meditation, or other relaxation techniques can help.
3. Keep learning.
Research suggests that certain new types of psychological activity help to maintain memory. US scientists in 2013 investigated, that 60- to 90-year-olds who spent 15 hours a week for three months learning a complex skill like digital photography showed significant improvements in episodic memory tests. But performing more familiar tasks with less challenge, such as solving crosswords, did not help.
4. Believe that you will remember.
Positive thinking improves memory. Scientists from Harvard University have found out what can be improved productivity of people over 60 years in memory tests. To do this, they subconsciously adjust people with words associated with age: "wise", "deep-thinking", "judicious" and "perceptive". Throwing words at others like "Alzheimer's," "forgetfulness," and "embarrassment" disrupted their productivity. Brain scans showed difference in activity brain regions during memory encoding depending on whether people believed in their good abilities or not.
5. Take breaks.
Memories can fade if the brain does not have enough time to assimilate them. More than a century ago, German scientists showed that people demonstrate twice the results on memory tests, if they take breaks. And relatively recently, neuroscientists have shown that patients with amnesia and healthy volunteers are more able to remember word lists, if tasks are accompanied by periods of silence.
6. Stay socially active.
An active social life delays memory loss with age. US scientists conducted memory tests for 50-60-year-old people every year from 1998 to 2004. The researchers found that people who were well connected to others performed twice as well as those who had poor social connections. That is, having good friends, volunteering for charity and other forms of social involvement protect our memory.
7. Memory menu.
Our cognitive functions are also affected by what we eat. Review of research 2016 showed that Mediterranean diets associated with a lower level of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease and improve long-term working memory. So stock up on plant-based foods, cut back on red meat and dairy – and use olive oil as your main fat source.
