Remember that person you passed in the street yesterday?
I pass hundreds of people every day. I swept past them on pavements and stared at the backs of their heads in queues. There are countable times I’ve helped them for directions. But at the end of the day, all of them are just a presence, a constant annoyance and a minor detail. How could you be expected to remember one specific person, one solitary face amongst all those bodies and all those conversations?
The fact is you couldn’t.
The day would pass and all those souls would blend into one, form a canvas whose detail you just couldn’t focus on. Nobody would expect you to remember that one face, for it to stand out or stick in your mind. Nobody would expect you to wonder what was in that one person’s head, what troubled them or stirred them, what they were passionate about, what they loved or what drove them to tears, to breaking point. Nobody would expect you to care enough to be curious.
But we also have a chance to defy expectations. Here is a life, a face, a living and breathing soul. It looks different but in essence, it’s just like everyone of us. It has dreams, regrets, loves and loss. It has stories running in rich seams from its past, right through its present and into its future. And it’s here, right here, waiting for you.
We live lives that are busy, loud and hectic. They play out in an increasingly impersonal world; one where fear is easier to find than trust, where stranger danger stalks our streets as the sun sets ominously. Years ago we could fall asleep safely with doors unlocked. Today’s safety only comes when a lock is turned, a bolt is thrown; when shutters are drawn to keep the world out, to keep it at bay.
This door you see is unlocked, and it will swing open if you push it. The challenge is to come in, step inside and put a name to one of those many faces you pass, day in and day out. Question is, what for?
Sometimes we go into a room only to forget why. We forget words, names and what we were going to do but I have a theory that this is more to do with all the things we have to juggle as we get older than any brain deterioration. Friends, peers, jobs and life’s stresses all compete for our conscious and unconscious attention.
Last week, Louie and I read a book titled Brain Rules 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina. It’s a powerful and helpful read, and I encourage everyone to read it as well.
Brain Rules talks about how the brain works, covering different areas such as exercise, sleep, stress, wiring of the brain, short and long-term memories, etc. These are the top tips I’ve uncovered to improve our brilliant brain’s memory, from the book and from everyday life.
How to Improve Your Memory (Brain Rules)
1. Get enough sleep.
Your brain, like everything else in the body, needs enough rest and sleep. When you’re tired creativity and problem-solving skills are low down on the brain’s list of priorities because it’s not functioning at its best and you’ll find your memory struggles, too. Get enough good quality sleep.
2. Get the right amount of exercise.
Body exercise is good for the brain as you take in more oxygen and stimulate the production of essential chemicals and hormones that the brain can use to process information. If that wasn’t reason enough to get outside for a walk or go dancing, exercise also reduces the risk of heart attacks, diabetes and obesity as we age.
3. Get enough love.
Humans are social animals. We don’t do well in isolation and need our friends and loved ones around us. The emotions, conversations, challenges, positive strokes and support we get from them stimulates the brain. Those with the most active social lives had the slowest rate of memory loss.
4. Get enough laughter.
Think of all your favorite laughter sources. A good belly laugh makes the whole body happy. Not only does it stimulate multiple areas of the brain but we get the release of feel-good hormones (endorphins).
5. Deal with stress.
During times of stress and depression, we release too much of the hormone cortisol which can destroy brain cells. So not only will quality of life be affected, but also memory when we’re under pressure.
Stress busting techniques include meditation, counseling, relaxation techniques, journal writing and talking your situation over with trusted friends. Do what works for you.
6. Get the right foods and nutrition.
The right brain food is essential for memory and the right diet can help improve it. Enough said.
7. Get enough brain exercise.
Do crossword and jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, complex board games and chess which are all good brain aerobics. The brain is like a muscle so “if you don’t use it you lose it.”
Exercises should be new, challenging and fun because these qualities all make the brain create new neural pathways that we talked about above. One fun exercise is one that is mentioned above. 😉
So to improve your memory, whatever your age, remember NESSELL–nutrition, exercise, stress, sleep, exercise, love, laughter–is what you need. Also, now’s our chance to defy expectations.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
I’m deprived of Item #1. hahaha!
Masyado ka kasing masipag magbasa ng mga libro. 😛 Tama na iyan at matulog ka naman hehe.
Basically enjoy the finer side of life. I also do a lot of brain exercise just to keep my brain sharp and focused and even add time element in puzzle games.
Nice! The best brain exercising activities break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways. Activities that require using your hands are a great way to exercise your brain.
its really nice to know these kinds of things to improve your own self, but mostly hard to follow the rules specially there are other things needs to be compromised before perfecting everything.
There is no “hard” if your heart desires for it. 😛 Playing a musical instrument, juggling, enjoying a game of ping pong (table tennis), making pottery, knitting, or needlework are activities that exercise the brain by challenging hand-eye coordination, spatial-temporal reasoning, and creativity.
nice tips! when i used to work back then i can remember all the faces of those people riding the jeepneys with me or eating me in the jollibee afterwork at the same time its like dejavu haha. Well i mean maybe its their routine to eat there at the same time i do hehe xx
Thanks, Jane! Anything that takes some mental effort and expands your knowledge will work. Also, figuring things out that are unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone will be helpful.
Stress can really be one of the most “brain-depleting” factors in our life. It makes the brain overwork on matters that cannot be solved by worrying.
If you’re caught up with a lot of things on your mind and at your desk, it’s a good advice to review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. This “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than cramming, especially for retaining what you’ve learned, and you can avoid having stress as a deterrent in improving the brain.
Thank you very much for sharing these helpful tips…NESSELL. Though I must say, getting enough sleep is hard to do most of the time.
Rossel rhymes with NESSELL 😀 Just saying! Hey, you can also try ashitaba tea to further improve your memory. Click here to read how.
I should practice #5-6. And if I were given hefty amounts of, that would be #7. I’m a writer by profession, so I get to practice stuff with my brain everyday. =P Anyway, I’m getting that book already! 🙂
I guarantee it’s a good read. 🙂
great tips. I m guilty of #1.
Most of us are and we should work on it. 🙂 Sleep is key time for your brain to solidify the connections between neurons. In a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine, researchers asked subjects to perform some memory tasks and then either take a nap or stay awake. The people who napped remembered more of the tasks they had performed than did those who stayed up. Rule of thumb: Get seven to nine hours of sleep total each day. And, yes, naps count.
I guess blogger like you do not get enough sleep most especially if your part of FBW. Lol. But yes laughters there is a lot and the more we laugh the more oxygen is infused into our most important asset – the BRAIN.
Haha right. Busy as always but of course I have to balance tasks and spare eight hours to sleep. 🙂
even at a young age I tend to forget things, maybe I should start following your tips about how to improve memory haha
Yes, you should! 😛
These are timely for me as I’ll be back in the workforce a few days from now. ^_^
Good luck to you, Mark. Spruce up with smart supplements for the brain if you can. Get fish oil as it contains DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that decreases the production of memory-inhibiting substances in the brain and that may be involved in the formation of new neurons. Increasing your consumption of fatty fish, like salmon, will also help.
I like the get enough laughter. I guess happiness or laughter makes us more eager to learn hence our brain gets to work.
To get yourself entertained more, you can play strategy and action games. Thinking hard really does sharpen your memory and cognition, and as the evidence for this has accumulated, a huge number of “brain fitness” programs have hit the market.
Awesome. I’ll try this when I’m not that busy anymore. Brain power! 😀
I think busyness should not get in the way to improve your memory. You can insert some activities like play a Sudoku puzzle or jot down notes in between tasks you need to complete in a day. Little by little you will change your lifestyle.
My friend’s dad told us before back in high school that staring at naturally green things will improve our memories and eye sight. Not too sure if it’s true though 😛
Hehe I also do that. Our walls are painted blue-green here so whenever I got the time to look away from the computer screen, I steal the chance. It relaxes the eyes somehow.
As you grow old your memory becomes dull and we need to find ways to catch them. I have lots of love, more laughter maybe and eat more food, brain food.
Another way is to always challenge yourself. Take quizzes or speak to a friend to keep updated about things happening around. Staying engaged in different events reinforces the connections between neurons. Do some fun activities that make you think. 😉
True, it’s not just a one time popping pill for memory, if we want a healthier brain.. we need to look at the whole picture!
Yes. The task of keeping our memory cells healthy is big and it cannot happen overnight. Aside from the things mentioned, there are other ways you can do like writing a diary, exploring the world and taking a different route every time. Decide what to remember and what to toss away.
I need the number 1 and 2. As a blogger and full time internet marketer, I tend to sit all day and most of the night in front of my computer. Sleep and a good exercise is what I really need.
I work in the office for 9.5 hours in a day and spend most of the time sitting in front of a computer as well. But I feel I need all of the above to make me a balanced individual. 😀