1. Keep learning
A higher level of education is associated with better mental
functioning in old age. Experts think that advanced education may help
keep memory strong by getting a person into the habit of being mentally
active. Challenging your brain with mental exercise is believed to
activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells and
stimulate communication among them. Many people have jobs that keep them
mentally active, but pursuing a hobby, learning a new skill, or
volunteering for a project at work that involves a skill you don’t
usually use can function the same way.
2. Use all your senses
The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain
will be involved in retaining the memory. In one study, adults were
shown a series of emotionally neutral images, each presented along with a
smell. They were not asked to remember what they saw. Later, they were
shown a set of images, this time without odors, and asked to indicate
which they’d seen before. They had excellent recall for all odor-paired
pictures, and especially for those associated with pleasant smells.
Brain imaging indicated that the piriform cortex, the main
odor-processing region of the brain, became active when people saw
objects originally paired with odors, even though the smells were no
longer present and the subjects hadn’t tried to remember them. So
challenge all your senses as you venture into the unfamiliar.
3. Believe in yourself
Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and
older learners do worse on memory tasks when they’re exposed to
negative stereotypes about aging and memory, and better when the
messages are positive about memory preservation into old age. People who
believe that they are not in control of their memory function — joking
about “senior moments” too often, perhaps — are less likely to work at
maintaining or improving their memory skills and therefore are more
likely to experience cognitive decline. If you believe you can improve
and you translate that belief into practice, you have a better chance of
keeping your mind sharp.
4. Prioritize your brain use
If you don’t need to use mental energy remembering where you laid
your keys or the time of your granddaughter’s birthday party, you’ll be
better able to concentrate on learning and remembering new and important
things. Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists,
file folders, and address books to keep routine information accessible.
Designate a place at home for your glasses, purse, keys, and other
items you use often.
5. Repeat what you want to know
When you want to remember something you’ve just heard, read, or
thought about, repeat it out loud or write it down. That way, you
reinforce the memory or connection. For example, if you’ve just been
told someone’s name, use it when you speak with him or her: “So, John,
where did you meet Camille?”
6. Space it out
Repetition is most potent as a learning tool when it’s properly
timed. It’s best not to repeat something many times in a short period,
as if you were cramming for an exam. Instead, re-study the essentials
after increasingly longer periods of time — once an hour, then every few
hours, then every day. Spacing out periods of study is particularly
valuable when you are trying to master complicated information, such as
the details of a new work assignment.
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