Meditate
There are countless benefits of inculcating meditation as a daily habit, including a sharper memory. Meditation has been found to increase grey matter (composed of neuron cell bodies) in the brain. Grey matter tends to decline as you age, which translates to poor memory and cognition.
Fortunately, meditation has proven to be an excellent technique for improving short-term memory across all age groups. The hippocampus and frontal brain lobe, sections of the brain responsible for long- and short-term memory storage, light up during meditation.
Why is that important? Well, when you flex your memory muscle during meditation, it results in the multiplication of information storage mechanisms in your brain. This ensures your brain’s ability to add fresh memories and retention of such ability as you age.
Train your brain
Your brain, like any muscle in your body, can be trained to get stronger. Using it often will not only improve your memory, but your cognitive ability.
A great way to train your brain is by learning an instrument, as it has been shown to improve memory and reading skills. This is because it stimulates many parts of your brain at once - you're using both of your hands at the same time, while listening to make sure you're playing the right notes, while reading along with your sheet music.
You can also stimulate your brain with simple games and puzzles. Crosswords and sudoku are fun ways to pass the time and make you think hard about what you're doing. There are also a lot of brain training apps and websites on the market, such as Peak or Brilliant.org.
Sleep well
For long, research has shown a close association between poor memory and lack of sleep. Sleep is critical for memory consolidation, a process whereby the brain strengthens your short-term memories to transform them into long-lasting memories.
An ideal sleep duration for an adult individual is about seven to nine hours every night. However, in addition to some solid sack time, you should aim for a regular sleep cycle as well (wake up and go to bed at the same time every day).
Say NO to sugar
Sugar brings, in addition to a sweet flavor, a bunch of chronic diseases including a decline in a person’s cognitive capacity. Research suggests that a sugar-heavy diet results in poor memory and reduced brain volume, especially in the section responsible for short-term memory.
Sugary beverages have been linked to pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease, and artificial sweeteners are no good either, since they have been linked to a greater risk of dementia and stroke.
Giving up sugar for good is not only beneficial for your memory, but also your overall health.
