How To Improve Memory With Good Habits

One main issue most of us face as students is remembering what we study. We know that it is not the number of hours we spend in preparation, but how much we can recall that is important. Yet, we find it hard to remember things. What can we do to improve memory? Here are a few good habits that will help.

    The first and foremost step is to get enough sleep. We often reduce our sleeping hours to study more. However, this is something that adversely affects our memory and learning. The sleep that we get in the 6-8 hours window, also called R.E.M. sleep, is very crucial to memory. If we do not get that sleep, not only will we find ourselves unable to remember what we learned the previous day, but we will also find it hard to learn new things.

    The second step is to drink lots of water. If we are dehydrated, it gets very difficult to focus on studies. Exercising regularly is the third step. A 2014 Harvard Health letter said that exercise helps memory in both direct and indirect ways. It directly helps the brain by reducing inflammation and stimulating the growth of new blood cells. Indirectly, it reduces our stress levels, thus enabling us to sleep better. As we already saw, getting the right amount of sleep is the first ingredient to developing a good memory. 

    The fourth point is to maintain optimum salt levels in the body. If there is a lack of salt, it affects our short-term memory. This is because salt is used as a stimulant for the brain to create new memories. At the same time, too much salt is also harmful, even paving the way for Alzheimer’s disease.  

    When we study or prepare for a competitive exam, we often push ourselves until we are stressed out. We need to understand that stress is memory’s worst enemy. Therefore, reducing stress levels is important. Techniques like meditation and taking deep breaths will help a great deal. Once we are relaxed and peaceful, studying and remembering will be a piece of cake.

    There are two things that we must avoid the excessive intake of- sugar and alcohol. The Hippocampus, the part of the brain which plays an important role in learning and memory, is sensitive to sugar. Avoiding excessive intake of sugar is important to prevent damage to the hippocampus. Avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol is also important. Scientific studies show that excessive consumption of alcohol not only affects short-term memory but also impacts long term memory over time.

    Apart from following these tips, there are two interesting techniques to remember things very easily. The first technique is to turn what we want to learn into a picture. This is because the mind remembers what it sees. Most of us might have experienced this at some point. For example, we often find it easier to remember the face of a person than his or her name. If we can visualize things in the form of a picture, we will find it easier to remember and recall anything.

    The second technique is of creating a mind palace. The mind palace is an imaginary palace in our mind, in which we can have as many rooms and pieces of furniture as we like. Once we have all the details clearly in our mind, we can attach what we want to remember to the furniture or other items in the mind palace. In this way, we can easily remember large chunks of information. For example, to remember the name Taj Mahal, we can imagine a picture of it placed on the bedside table. 

     A few changes in our daily routine and a few interesting techniques are all it takes to build a strong memory. So, are you ready to go?

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