When you're studying unfamiliar material, take the time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. By establishing relationships between new ideas and previously existing memories , you can dramatically increase the likelihood of recalling the recently learned information.
Use this approach in your own studies by teaching new concepts and information to a friend or study partner. Have you ever noticed how it's sometimes easier to remember information at the beginning or end of a chapter? Researchers have found that the order of information can play a role in recall, which is known as the serial position effect. While recalling middle information can be difficult, you can overcome this problem by spending extra time rehearsing this information.
Another strategy is to try restructuring what you have learned so it will be easier to remember. When you come across an especially difficult concept, devote some extra time to memorizing the information.
Another great way to increase your recall is to occasionally change your study routine. If you're accustomed to studying in one specific location, try moving to a different spot during your next study session. If you study in the evening, try spending a few minutes each morning reviewing the information you studied the previous night. By adding an element of novelty to your study sessions, you can increase the effectiveness of your efforts and significantly improve your long-term recall.
Researchers have long known that sleep is important for memory and learning. Research has shown that taking a nap after you learn something new can actually help you learn faster and remember better.
In fact, one study published in found that sleeping after learning something new actually leads to physical changes in the brain.
Sleep-deprived mice experienced less dendritic growth following a learning task than well-rested mice. So the next time you're struggling to learn new information, consider getting a good night's sleep after you study. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Winerman L. Study smart. American Psychological Association. Interpreting semantic clustering effects in free recall.
This time it's personal: the memory benefit of hearing oneself. Serial position, output order, and list length effects for words presented on smartphones over very long intervals. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss. The scientific evidence for the mental health benefits of meditation continues to pile up. Studies show that meditation helps improve many different types of conditions, including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Meditation also can improve focus, concentration, creativity, memory, and learning and reasoning skills. Brain images show that regular meditators have more activity in the left prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with feelings of joy and equanimity.
Meditation also increases the thickness of the cerebral cortex and encourages more connections between brain cells—all of which increases mental sharpness and memory ability. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain.
Furthermore, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to learning and creativity. Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is to talk about the times when we took ourselves too seriously.
When you hear laughter, move toward it. Most of the time, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and try to join in. Spend time with fun, playful people. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious. Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh.
Frame photos of you and your loved ones having fun. Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing. Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. Get your omega-3s. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat from sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream increase your risk of dementia and impair concentration and memory.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect your brain cells from damage. Drink green tea. This is why they believe there were effects when caffeine was ingested after the learning task, rather than before. Another diet-related effect on memory is the mounting research that eating berries can help to stave off memory decline. A study from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School found that supplementing a normal diet with blueberries for twelve weeks improved performance on spatial working memory tasks.
The effects started just three weeks in and continued for the length of the study. A long-term berry study that tested the memory of female nurses who were over 70 years old found that those who had regularly eaten at least two servings of strawberries or blueberries each week had a moderate reduction in memory decline. More research is needed in this area, but science is getting closer to understanding how berries might affect our brains.
In particular, blueberries are known for being high in flavanoids , which appear to strengthen existing connections in the brain. Studies in both rat and human brains have shown that regular exercise can improve memory recall. Fitness in older adults has even been proven to slow the decline of memory without the aid of continued regular exercise.
Of course, the benefits of exercise are numerous, but for the brain in particular, regular exercise has been shown to improve cognitive abilities beyond memory. See how a quick walk ignites the brain in the scan below:. Another easy method to try that could improve your memory is chewing gum while you learn new things.
One reason that chewing gum might affect our memory recall is that it increases activity in the hippocampus , an important area of the brain for memory. Another theory focuses on the i ncrease of oxygen from chewing gum , which can help with focus and attention.
One study found that participants who chewed gum during learning and memory tests had higher heart rate levels than control groups, which can also lead to more oxygen flowing to the brain. Sleep has proven to be one of the most important elements in having a good memory. Meditation and relaxation techniques have been shown to improve short-term memory in people of all ages, from people in their 20s to the elderly For example, one study demonstrated that Taiwanese college students who engaged in meditation practices like mindfulness had significantly better spatial working memory than students who did not practice meditation Spatial working memory is the ability to hold and process information in your mind about the positions of objects in space.
Research suggests meditation may increase gray matter in the brain and improve spatial working memory. Maintaining a healthy body weight is essential for well-being and is one of the best ways to keep your body and mind in top condition. Interestingly, being obese can actually cause changes to memory-associated genes in the brain, negatively affecting memory Obesity can also lead to insulin resistance and inflammation, both of which can negatively impact the brain A study of 50 people between the ages of 18 and 35 found that a higher body mass index was associated with significantly worse performance on memory tests Summary Obesity is a risk factor for cognitive decline.
Maintaining a body mass index within the normal range may help you avoid a host of issues associated with obesity, including a poorer memory. Lack of proper sleep has been associated with poor memory for quite some time. Sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation, a process in which short-term memories are strengthened and transformed into long-lasting memories. For example, one study looked at the effects of sleep in 40 children between the ages of 10 and The other group was trained and tested on the same day, with no sleep between training and testing.
Health experts recommend adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimal health Summary Studies have consistently associated sufficient sleep with better memory performance. Sleep helps consolidate memories. Mindfulness is a mental state in which you focus on your present situation, maintaining awareness of your surroundings and feelings. Meditation is a more formal practice, whereas mindfulness is a mental habit you can use in any situation. Studies have shown that mindfulness is effective at lowering stress and improving concentration and memory.
One study of psychology students showed that those who underwent mindfulness training had improved recognition-memory performance when recalling objects compared to students who did not receive mindfulness training Mindfulness has also been linked with a lower risk of age-related cognitive decline and an overall improvement in psychological well-being Incorporate mindfulness techniques into your daily routine by paying more attention to your present situation, concentrating on your breathing and gently resetting your attention when your mind wanders.
Summary Practicing mindfulness techniques has been associated with increased memory performance. Mindfulness is also linked to reduced age-related cognitive decline. Consuming too many alcoholic beverages can be detrimental to your health in many ways and can negatively impact your memory.
Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that raises your blood alcohol levels to 0. Studies have shown it alters the brain and results in memory deficits. A study of college freshmen found that students who consumed six or more drinks within a short period of time, either weekly or monthly, had difficulties in immediate and delayed memory-recall tests compared to students who never binge drank Alcohol exhibits neurotoxic effects on the brain.
Repeated episodes of binge drinking can damage the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays a vital role in memory While having a drink or two now and then is perfectly healthy, avoiding excessive alcohol intake is a smart way to protect your memory. Summary Alcohol has neurotoxic effects on the brain, including reducing memory performance.
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