Improve memory
Memory like a sieve? 5 tips that will help in the long term
© Jirsak / Shutterstock
Do you have a memory like a sieve? Then there is good news now: you can improve your memory. We'll show you five practical tips for your memory training!
Improve memory
What did I want to do again? Surely some people ask that, although the thought was still there. Memory performance decreases with age, the gray cells dwindle. Unfortunately, they are responsible for transferring information into long-term memory. If that doesn't happen, we forget what we have just learned. But: There is a lot that we can do ourselves to train our memory.
Improve memory: This is what defines our memory
Often we mean our long-term memory when we talk about memory. But that's only part of it: that Ultra-short term memory (also: sensory memory) only keeps our perceptions ready for about a second – what we don't need is deleted again. While that Short memory (also: working memory) keeps information for a maximum of a few minutes, information that we need in the long term gets into the Long-term memory. This happens, for example, through emotional experiences or through targeted learning. Because: The environment and our genes are responsible for around 30 to 40 percent of our brain performance. And the rest? A matter of practice.
What can I do to improve my memory?
Unfortunately, in order to increase our cognitive performance, it is not enough to solve a Sudoku every now and then. To improve your memory, here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Solve difficult tasks
Of course, it can't hurt to solve the crossword puzzle or Sudoku from the daily newspaper. However, only your general knowledge is asked for in the crossword puzzle, for example. However, it is better to solve tricky tasks to train your memory.
2. Do sports
Sport is not only good for the body, but also for the brain. One reason for this could be that Exercise promotes blood flow to the brain and nerve growth. However, it is not yet entirely clear which processes sport triggers. Nevertheless it is a good memory training and also good for your health ??!
3. Learn new things
What trains the memory optimally is to constantly familiarize yourself with new areas. That can also be the case during your professional life, when you get to grips with new aspects, for example by adopting a new program. Learning again may become more difficult and tedious, especially with increasing age. The cognitive psychologist Hans Markowitsch told Spiegel Online that it helps to orientate oneself on what one has already learned – that is, through associations. This can be, for example, a new language in which one orientates oneself to an already learned and related language as an aid.
4. Maintain contacts
A point that at first glance has nothing to do with our memory: social interaction. But a conversation with others on the one hand lifts the mood and on the other hand it is one complex cognitive performance. Perfect to get our gray cells going! Can also be used on the phone or via video telephony …
5. Meditate
Studies have shown that meditation not only improves general well-being, but also improves cognitive skills! Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) found in a small study that a short meditation of 27 minutes a day over a period of eight weeks was enough to a. promotes memory performance. Fadel Zeidan's team at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (USA) achieved similar results. There the working memory has already improved significantly after four days and 20 minutes of meditation each day!
What actually is dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term for around 50 different forms. For example, Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. The different shapes that they have in common lead in the long term to a loss of mental performance.
But it is not always about the beginning of dementia, around two thirds of dementia sufferers are over 80 years old. Forgetfulness does not immediately mean that you will slowly get dementia. With the strategies mentioned you can even prevent dementia, so the guide to dementia.
By the way: Here we show you how you can easily learn meditation or how tree yoga can lead to more inner peace (and what else helps against inner restlessness).