Tuesday, 16 August 2011

How to Maintain Your Memory as You Age!

People often think of the older generation as the forgetful bunch. As you age, some may tend to overlook many of the details.

Your mind can grow weak if you take it for granted. In fact, a great way to fight forgetfulness is to exercise not just your body, but also your mind.

Having a good memory is very important considering the staggering amount of information we all receive each day, especially with the increasing standards expected of the average person because of the rising competitors cropping up in the business industry.

The ability to come up with needed facts and figures in a jiffy certainly provides a big advantage. While you may have moved passed your prime, people respect those whose minds are still as sharp.

So even if you’ve gone through the corporate grind and are now enjoying retirement, you still need to find ways to make sure you’re thinking skills don’t go downhill.

In a nutshell, memory is the process of information, assimilation, retention, and recall. There are two ways of classifying it: short-term and long-term. Anomalies of memory present as deviations in the whole thinking process.

On one end of the spectrum is amnesia. This is when the sufferer forgets well-established past thoughts and experiences. The ability to acquire new information can also be impaired, but it all depends on the damage done on the brain.

On the other end are people gifted with super memory. These are individuals who read at a rapid rate with uncanny comprehension.

There are also the unfortunate few that require some time to memorize or recite a long list of randomly arranged items. The majority of the population lies in between. However, many deteriorate as they get older.

So how exactly can you improve memory? You have to take care of your head, especially what’s inside it.

When you’ve exercised your brain, you will notice that you can stay sharp despite your age. Here are just a few helpful tips you can keep in mind:

1. Make sure to get enough sleep. Sleep is not a passive state as what many people believe. During this time, your brain consolidates what you have learned during the day.

It is vital particularly for long-term retention because you are required to concentrate more and be more attentive. So those who frequently stay up all night are not doing themselves a favor.

Getting six to eight hours of sleep should do the trick for you. Remember, you can never make up for lost sleep.

2. Try to eat smarter. Green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamin B-complex, which help keep the brain in tip-top shape.

Eating fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids like tuna and salmon and cutting on cholesterol intake are also extremely beneficial.

3. Make sure to exercise regularly. Physical activity improves blood flow to the brain, making it more efficient. A daily jog or brisk walk around your street goes a long way.

4. Make sure to keep your brain active. Experts claim that doing activities such as leisure reading, learning new skills, playing games, and gardening stimulate the brain and improve memory.

You have to realize that what you have inside your skull is essential because it is in the archives of our brain that our lives linger.

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