Improving your Memory

Tips and Techniques for Memory Enhancement

f our brains were computers, we'd simply add a chip to upgrade our memory. However, the human brain is more complex than even the most advanced machine, so improving human memory requires slightly more effort. 

 


Just like muscular strength, your ability to remember increases when you exercise your memory and nurture it with a good diet and other healthy habits. There are a number of steps you can take to improve your memory and retrieval capacity. First, however, it's helpful to understand how we remember.

ips for memory improvements 

Do you feel that you have a poor memory? You may just have some less-than-effective habits when it comes to taking in and processing information. Barring disease, disorder, or injury, you can improve your ability to learn and retain information.
Brain exercises

Memory, like muscular strength, is a “use it or lose it” proposition. The more you work out your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information.
Novelty and sensory stimulation are the foundation of brain exercise. If you break your routine in a challenging way, you’re using brain pathways you weren’t using before. This can involve something as simple as brushing your teeth with your nondominant hand, which activates little-used connections on the nondominant side of your brain. Or try a “neurobic” exercise – an aerobic exercise for your brain – (see Keep Your Brain Alive Exercise) that forces you to use your faculties in unusual ways, like showering and getting dressed with your eyes closed. Take a course in a subject you don’t know much about, learn a new game of strategy, or cook up some recipes in an unfamiliar cuisine. That’s the most effective way to keep your synapses firing.
General guidelines to improve memory

In addition to exercising your brain, there are some basic things you can do to improve your ability to retain and retrieve memories:
Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something — that is, encode it into your brain — if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of information through your hippocampus and into the appropriate memory center. So, no multitasking when you need to concentrate! If you distract easily, try to receive information in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. 
Tailor information acquisition to your learning style. Most people are visual learners; they learn best by reading or otherwise seeing what it is they have to know. But some are auditory learners who learn better by listening. They might benefit by recording information they need and listening to it until they remember it.
Involve as many senses as possible. Even if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, even better. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain.
Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone. 
Organize information. Write things down in address books and datebooks and on calendars; take notes on more complex material and reorganize the notes into categories later. Use both words and pictures in learning information.
Understand and be able to interpret complex material. For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Be able to explain it to someone else in your own words.  
Rehearse information frequently and “over-learn”. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. What researchers call “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than “cramming.” If you’re able to “over-learn” information so that recalling it becomes second nature, so much the better.
Be motivated and keep a positive attitude. Tell yourself that you want to learn what you need to remember, and that you can learn and remember it. Telling yourself you have a bad memory actually hampers the ability of your brain to remember, while positive mental feedback sets up an expectation of success.

Stress Management

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.

Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

10 Tips to Reduce Stress

hile you may not be able to solve the biggest stressors in your life, you can do something about many of the smaller stressors that "nickel and dime you to death." Here are some proven stress reducers you can implement in daily life to help:

Get up 15 minutes earlier each morning. That gives you a little more time to eat something, run back to get something you forgot, or enjoy a cup of coffee before heading out the door. If you drive to work, a 15 or 20 minute head start may decrease some of the traffic you face, and make the commute less stressful.
Prepare for mishaps. Make an extra copy of your house key and bury it in your neighbors' yard; make a second copy of your car key and tape it under your coworker's desk. Both may allow you to get home and inside the house if you loose your keys. If you do have to use them, pat yourself on the back for being smart.
Don't do something if you will have to lie about it afterwards. While this may seem obvious, the nagging guilt we feel often wears us down or makes us anxious about getting caught… Sure, it may be more time consuming to fax your resume to new job sites from Kinko's, but you don't have to worry about being caught.
Do something healthy for yourself. That could mean taking the stairs once a day instead of the elevator, picking one day a week to have a salad for lunch, or eating fresh fruit instead of a candy bar. What's the overall effect on your health? Maybe not much, but small steps lead to bigger ones, and doing something simple for your body is the best way to start.
Write it down. There is an old Chinese proverb that goes, "The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory." All those "Seven Secrets" tips are based on writing things down. Write down goals, errands, chores, due dates for projects and library books… Instead of just a "To Do" list, keep a "Have Done" list too. Move things over to that list after having completed them. At the end of the day, review how productive you were.
Do something special on a whim. Buy flowers for your partner unexpectedly. Sneak a small greeting card that says "I love you" into your child's lunch box. Bring donuts, bagels, or muffins to the office for others one morning. You get the picture. Someone else's smile and "Thanks" can sometimes make a bad day better.
Be willing to forgive others. Allowing others the right to make a mistake goes a long way toward forgiving yourself for mistakes. Assume that others are doing the best they can. Mark Twain once said, "Never attribute to malice what can easily be attributed to stupidity." This goes a long way toward doing the best you can as well.
Don't eat lunch at your desk. Get away to somewhere quiet or different if only for a 15 or 20 minute break.
Delegate new jobs. Say no to avoid additional responsibilities. Simplify. Put your best effort into a task, and ask yourself, "Is it really that important?" before you decide to do it over. Learn to ignore others' criticism sometimes.
Get up and stretch periodically. Twist side to side and bend front to back. Roll your head around to stretch your neck a bit. Trade shoulder rubs with a coworker. If you used to smoke, but have stopped, get up and take a break anyway when you feel the need to smoke. A quick trip to the water cooler, to a coworker's desk, or to the restroom doesn't provide the nicotine a cigarette used to, but it does give you the break and moment's respite a cigarette did.

Healthy Fats and Oils to support brain and body functions

Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia. The best sources for the EPA and DHA omega-3 fats are fatty fish such salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Canned albacore tuna and lake trout can also be good sources depending on how the fish were raised and processed.
You may hear a lot about getting your omega-3’s from foods rich in ALA fatty acids. Main sources are vegetable oils and nuts (especially walnuts), flax, soybeans, and tofu. Be aware that our bodies generally convert very little ALA into EPA and DHA, so you may not get as big of a benefit from these foods. 
Some people avoid seafood because they worry about mercury or other possible toxins. But most experts agree that the benefits of eating 2 servings a week of cold water fatty fish outweigh the risks.

American Lung Association Provides Health Tips To Alaska Residents Living In Areas Affected By Ash Fall From The Mount Redoubt Volcano

Residents in the path of Mount Redoubt's recent surge of volcanic activity should take steps to protect themselves and their families from the ash, gases and debris. The American Lung Association warns that people most at risk include children and teens, seniors, people with lung diseases, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular diseases and diabetics. Healthy adults exercising or working outdoors also face increased risk. Furthermore, the Association warns that the risks do not end when the eruptions cease. 

"It's important to protect yourself and your family from exposure to ash from Mount Redoubt," said Norman H. Edelman, American Lung Association Chief Medical Officer. "Breathing in volcanic ash can be harmful to anyone. Even healthy adults may experience coughing, chest tightness, wheezing and other health problems." 

The American Lung Association recommends all residents in affected areas stay indoors. Doors and windows should be kept closed and driving should be limited due to poor visibility conditions that can result from the abundance of ash. 

Protect yourself with a mask if you must be outdoors when ash is present and especially when cleaning up after the eruptions end. Use an N95 or N100 mask, which is available at most hardware stores. Adjust the straps and the mask so that it fits snuggly against your face with no air leaks around the edges. 

"Masks are not sized to fit children, so children must stay indoors" added Edelman. "If N95 masks are not available, a fabric mask may help to filter out the larger particles. Dampen the fabric to provide greater filtration." 

The American Lung Association reminds people with lung disease to prepare for their medical needs and to assume that their lung condition may deteriorate during and after the eruption and ash fall. 

"It is important to contact your health care provider should any breathing problems develop or worsen," said Dr. Edelman. "Do not allow a respiratory condition to linger, especially if there is a high concentration of ash or dust in the air." 

People with lung disease are advised to continue to take their medications as prescribed. Medications for an acute episode should be readily available and kept in a convenient place. Those that do not have any medications, but feel they may need them, should also consult their health care provider. It is also advised that those with lung diseases obtain clear instructions from their health care provider regarding actions to take should their breathing suddenly worsen. 

The American Lung Association strongly cautions those with breathing problems to not exert themselves while outdoors. Children should also not be allowed to play actively outdoors when ash is in the air. Those who smoke should be aware of the additional stress these conditions may have on their lungs. Additional precautions should be made by nonsmokers to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke during this time. 

Residents are reminded that the cleanup process can stir up ash and debris that can exacerbate lung health issues. Lightly wetting ash deposits during clean up can reduce the volume of ash that becomes airborne again. Take care not to wet the ash too heavily. Waterlogged ash will form into hard mass making clean up more difficult. 

During this period of frequent volcanic activity, it is critical for residents to continue to monitor the situation. Check online at the Alaska Volcano Observatory website for updates on volcanic activity at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php or follow the alerts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/alaska_avo. 

Residents should also be aware of wind direction to find out if ash will be blown into their communities by following weather reports or visiting http://www.airnow.gov.

Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health

Eating nuts helps your heart. Discover how walnuts, almonds and other nuts help lower your cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet is good for your heart. Nuts, which contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, are a great snack food, too. They're inexpensive, easy to store and easy to take with you to work or school. 

The type of nut you eat isn't that important, although some nuts have more heart-healthy nutrients and fats than do others. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, you name it, almost every type of nut has a lot of nutrition packed into a tiny package. If you have heart disease, eating nuts instead of a less healthy snack can help you more easily follow a heart-healthy diet.

Dairy products and other sources for calcium and vitamin D

Dairy products provide a rich source of calcium, necessary for bone health. Most are fortified with vitamin D, which helps the small intestine absorb calcium. Calcium can also be found in dark green, leafy vegetables, such as kale and collard greens, as well as in dried beans and legumes.

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

Choose non-fat or low-fat dairy products that do not contain rBST (bovine growth hormone). If you're lactose-intolerant, choose lactose-free and lower-lactose products, such as lactose free milk, hard cheeses and yogurt. 

Avoid full-fat dairy products or products from cows treated with rBST.