Most of us have a hard time remembering things; some of us very often forget the names of our colleagues, and some can’t remember where they put their car keys. The brain fog is normal, and it’s something we can work on. Just as we can strengthen our muscles through training, we can also train our brains. 

We can improve our memory through some proven scientific strategies and techniques, which we will discuss here. Let’s explore them.

• Sleep helps consolidate memories, with naps boosting memory recall by up to 500%.
• Writing information by hand improves memory retention compared to typing.
• Hydration plays a crucial role in preventing memory loss and maintaining brain function.
• Talking to yourself about information helps to distinguish it in your mind and enhances recall.
• Consuming omega-3 fatty acids from foods like fish and walnuts supports brain health and memory.
• Mnemonics are powerful memory aids that simplify the recall of complex information like lists or formulas.

Remember that not everyone is a Sherlock Holmes; even he used memory techniques to remember everything.

Before anything, do you know how many types of memory we have? There are two types of memory: short-term and long-term memory.

Short-term memory is also called fleeting memory, where your mind holds information for a few seconds or minutes. Just enough time to dial the number or write the instructions.

Long-term Memory: your mind tries to retain information that is important to you. There will be memory information about your family, emotional experiences, crucial factual data, skills, or knowledge you’ve learned.

Improving memory is like adopting a new habit; you must repeat it frequently to make your mind accept it. There is no ‘magic’ memory pill; it is all about time and effort. 

he strategies involve visual and spatial tricks, techniques, and lifestyle changes where you sometimes ask to write, use your senses, or try mnemonics. There are many ways to improve memory. Keep reading to find out.

You can use an elaborative rehearsal memory-enhancing strategy to boost your memory and help information go from short-term to long-term memory. 

In this technique, you learn new information and try to create its relation to the existing knowledge in your memory.

For example, you can remember that the first world exhibition was held in London and your school friend is also doing his job in London. This will help you remember the expo information better.

Talking to yourself about the information you are learning or trying to memorize helps to remember. As you speak out loud, the said information gets distinct from the remaining information lying in your short-term memory block. Your voice makes the information different. And it can be a very effective memory-enhancing tool.  

For example, saying or just mouthing the list of grocery items helps you recall the items when you go shopping.

There is a direct connection between the hand and brain, and when you write the information, you are encoding it deeply into your brain. Writing helps learn the information more deeply, allowing the brain to ‘see’ and ‘process’ the information.

For example, if you make hand notes of the concept or information you’re learning, you will be much more likely to recall it as it’s written. If you’re trying to memorize a speech, write and rewrite it a few times.

Exercise improves your memory by providing oxygen to your brain. Your brain needs oxygen to create neurons and function properly. Cardio and resistance training also play a significant part in the healthy flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain.

When your blood is low on oxygen, it gets difficult for you to focus and your brain to learn new information.

Example: 20 minutes of daily workout improves your memory and learning capabilities.

It’s an easy way to boost your memory. Sleep is necessary for your brain and body’s wellness, memory, and learning. It strengthens the relevant associations of information and discards the irrelevant associations, which improves long-term memories.

However, lack of sleep disrupts your concentration and adversely affects processing speed, emotional stability, and memory log. 

When you’re sleep-deprived, the neurons get overly connected to electrical activity inside the brain. Thus, new memories cannot be saved.

Studies have also shown that 40 minutes of naps immediately after learning something new could boost memory up to 500%. So sleep on the newly discovered information.  

What goes in the stomach majorly affects brain functions. Certain foods protect your brain by providing enough nutrients to produce antioxidants to fight harmful compounds, such as oxidants.

The foods that are good for your brain and memory are:

Your brain structure comprises healthy fats, and the most required healthy fats are omega-3 fatty acids. It helps in the effective production of neurons. The omega-3-rich acid-rich foods are fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, and eggs.

Drink enough water to keep your body and mind hydrated. Dehydration decreases your mental activity, increases anxiety, and can impair your memory.

Fibers help to regulate the amount of healthy sugar in the blood, and foods that contain fibers are vegetables, legumes, dry fruits, seeds, and whole grains.

High-tyrosine proteins build the neurotransmitters that carry messages from one neuron to the other. Foods with rich amounts of proteins are sea foods, eggs, dairy, and soy.

Eating on time and avoiding soft drinks and refined sugar help your brain perform the best.

Mnemonics are the memory aids that help us organize the information for memorable and encoding. This helps when you want to recall more critical information such as steps, rules, phases, parts, and stages.

For example, you want to remember the exact order of planets in the solar system, but it’s hard to remember all the names in the correct order. So you use a mnemonic device that will help you remember. You can remember this name instead: Mr. JEM J. SUN.

This way, you can easily recall the correct order of the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

You can use this mnemonic device to learn someone’s name, the periodic table, a mathematical formula, or some order or stages.

Some techniques can feel weird at first, or your mind can take time to get used to them fully. But the more you will practice, the easier they become. And you can store way more information in your memory than ever. Not every strategy on how to improve your memory will work for you. 

You can experiment with a few and find which works better for you.