You keep your body fit, so why not to improve your memory? Brain games aim to optimize your working memory, which is your ability to process information quickly, make rational decisions and ignore distractions. What’s more, working memory is directly related to intelligence – the more you train, the smarter you can be.
Regularly challenging yourself with brain games, mental exercises and new activities keeps your mind running on all four cylinders.
Professionals say our brain’s exact storage space for memories is hard to calculate, according to Scientific American. The size of an average person’s memory can vary from person to person, and memories with more details can take up more space. One info graphic shows there are three general ways our brains store memories: encoding (visually looking at a picture or scene for example), storage and retrieval of data.
Challenging your brain throughout the day — like using the opposite hand when you brush your teeth or talking to yourself — can not only help improve our memory.
Here are some common tricks to improve your memory:
1. Turn Your Photos Upside Down
If you find yourself losing focus or easily distracted during your work day try engaging your brain and attention levels by turning pictures upside down in your house or on your desk at work. He says the instant your pictures are upside down, you brain will automatically go into “alert mode” and help you pick up other small details during your day.
2. Involve Other Senses In Your Routine
Start your day by stimulating your senses when you get dressed. Try dressing with your eyes closed or choose outfits based on texture and not how they look. Engaging unused senses for day-to-day routines can improve your memory and stimulate your mind.
3. Use Your Other Hand
When you’re brushing your teeth or brushing your hair, switch hands — or use the ‘other hand’ — to help stimulate your brain and senses. One study found that using the opposite hand or less dominant hand can increase your brain’s creativity levels.
4. Go To A Beautiful Environment
We all have memories of our favorite places. Maybe it’s your childhood backyard or vacation to a sandy beach. These memories stay with us in rich detail, and travelling to these places (when possible) or finding new places that help create memories of equal depth can also help improve your memory.
5. Meditate
Sit back and relax. Meditation can improve your memory and help your mind focus. One study found that meditation can improve brain function.
6. Workout your brain
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, we workout so that our body is in shape but our brain also required workout in order to stay fit and functional. The main aim with “mind games” is that they have to teach you something new, it’s challenging (so that it required your full attention) and it’s rewarding (since it engages your mind at a higher level).
7. Give your friends a call
Seriously, studies have shown that we always consider that the only way to improve the functions of our brain is through strenuous activities. However, reality is a tinsy bit different. People who have the most active social life tend to have the slightest decreases in memory.
8. Check out your stress level
Stress is one of your brain’s worst enemies (and not just of your brain, as a matter of fact). First of all, you have to learn to say no to things that cause you no real pleasure and are not a necessity in matters of work. Second, try to keep a balance between your free time and your work time. Try to keep an order within your tasks, one thing at a time.
Choose activities that challenge the brain and give you enjoyment as well. If you try to do something that you find very difficult or boring, you may become frustrated or stressed, and this is not healthy for your brain. The whole point is to reach improvement without striving too much and falling into the exact opposite direction: stress.
A number of brain training sessions are now available. There is evidence for some of these programs that they can improve the cognitive functions that the program is created to train.
