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Tips to Improve Short Term Memory
Would you like to know how to improve short term memory? A good memory can be an invaluable asset for many reasons. For example, if you’re studying for a test or exam, it can be helpful to have a good memory. You can recall the answers from the knowledge you have learned and get the grades that you need.
In addition, keeping your memory robust as you become older can assist you in protecting your brain tissue. It will maintain your mental acuity, and keep dementia and other forms of cognitive decline at bay. When times are bad, focusing on happy and comforting memories can help you maintain a positive frame of mind and provide you with a source of comfort.
Short Term Memory Capacity
Short term memory capacity. It refers to the amount of information a person can store in their short-term memory at any one time. It is a measure of how much information a person can remember for a short period of time. And we are talking short here, often only seconds or minutes. The ability to store and recall this type of information is essential in daily functioning. It allows individuals to process and respond quickly to new experiences and situations.
The capacity of short-term memory varies greatly among individuals, with some people able to remember more than others. Generally speaking, studies suggest that an average adult has the capability to store between five and nine pieces of unrelated information at once in their short-term memory. This could range from seven digits from a phone number one needs to dial, to remembering instructions on how to complete a task or action.
Symptoms of Short Term Memory Loss
Short term memory loss, or the inability to recall recent events or experiences, can be a troubling symptom of a more serious medical condition. It is important to identify any signs and symptoms of short term memory loss in order to properly address and manage them.
The most common symptoms of short term memory loss may include difficulty remembering recent conversations, an inability to remember new names, misplacing belongings and forgetting appointments or commitments. Other symptoms can include trouble concentrating on tasks, confusion when given multiple instructions at once and difficulty following directions. In some cases people may experience disorientation or feelings of déjà vu.
If you have experienced any of these symptoms for an extended amount of time it is best to seek medical attention from a health care professional who can assess your concerns and provide appropriate treatment if necessary.
Memory Before Technology
Having a good memory means you don’t have to constantly rely on technology. With that said, when you want to know something, why not try to search your memory, or look in a book, before automatically turning to Google, Siri, or Alexa? Although this technology can make life easier, we are losing our capability of being able to think for ourselves, which is a big concern.
By way of an example, I have my mother’s, son’s, daughter’s, and partner’s phone numbers stored on my mobile phone. If I lost it, I would not be able to call them as I have no idea what their phone numbers are. However, I can tell you my home phone number from when I was a child. It is stored in my memory rather than on a SIM card.
This is a perfect example of how technology can be helpful on one hand, but without it, we are lost. It is definitely worth your time to focus on enhancing your memory if you want to offer yourself an advantage in life. Meanwhile, I am going to make a conscious effort to learn the phone numbers of my loved ones!
Neuroplasticity Gives Us Hope
The human brain, even in old age, can change and grow. This is called neuroplasticity. When your brain is stimulated, it can create new neural pathways. This means that you have the ability to learn and remember new information even as you get older. Neuroplasticity helps you to improve your cognitive abilities, learning skills, and memory throughout your life.
Using your brain develops many pathways that make it easier for you to understand and remember information quickly. It also helps solve problems, and know how to get hold of your family if you lose your mobile phone! With that said, there is always room for improvement.
Use It or Lose It
“Use it or lose it” is a phrase that applies to both your physical strength and your memory. If we don’t use our brain and stimulate our memory, it will deteriorate. Like an engine that doesn’t get used, it will seize up and be much harder to get started.
The more you challenge your brain, the better it will be able to take in, organize, and recall the information it encounters. However, not all activities are created equal. The most effective brain exercises are those that force you out of your comfort zone and to use new neural pathways.
No matter how challenging the task may be intellectually, it is not going to be beneficial for the brain if it is something that you can already do quite easily. For your brain and memory to improve, you need to engage in activities that are challenging for you and outside of your comfort zone.
Activities That Help
These activities include learning a language, or playing a musical instrument. They can be learning specific dance routines, learning to play chess, doing puzzles. And with technology, activities can include playing brain training games online.
The best activities to boost your memory and keep you doing them consistently start out quite simple and easy to do and then get more difficult as you get better. Learning a new instrument is a perfect example of this. You start off learning one or two notes and build up to being able to play a challenging piece of music over time. Once you know how to play that piece of music, that’s a start. Then learn other pieces to keep laying down more neuropathways in your brain and stimulating and enhancing your memory. You build on what you have already learned and committed to memory, with each new stage of learning.
Earn Your Own Rewards
It is also worth mentioning that, just like when you were a child, rewards work to make challenges more satisfying, They in turn help to encourage you to continue with the activity or learning experience. By rewards, I don’t mean someone will give you a bag of sweets. The reward could be playing the whole piece of music straight through without making a mistake.
How about speaking in a foreign language and making yourself understood? Perhaps winning a game of chess, or doing a crossword or Sudoku puzzle much quicker than you’ve done it before. These rewards make the activity more enjoyable. They keep you repeating the activity to make your memory and brain stronger each time you do it.
The Hippocampus and Consolidation
The part of the brain involved with memory-making is the hippocampus. This part of the brain cannot work properly unless you have had enough sleep. Therefore, after all that learning during the day, you are going to need a good night’s sleep. Preferably seven to nine hours of sleep are recommended. This is necessary to recover physically and get up refreshed, ready to start again the next day. And also to embed all that you have learned into your memory. This process is called consolidation . It is one of the reasons why “pulling an all-nighter” cramming before an exam doesn’t work.
Not only does leaving it until the last minute cause unnecessary stress, but you are relying on your short term memory with little or no sleep. This is a recipe for disaster! The stress will put you into a state of fight, flight or freeze. With luck, fight mode will kick in and you will be able to focus. However, if flight, or freeze kick in, your mind will go blank, you won’t be able to remember anything, and there will be nothing in your long term memory to back you up.
Consistent Small Steps and Sleep
The best way to improve your memory is to learn a little bit every day; then, when you sleep, it gets consolidated in your memory. Revisit what you learned the next day, see how much you can recall, and then add some more information. Rest and repeat and watch yourself get those “A” grades!
To help preserve your memory as you age, you still need to get plenty of sleep. Not getting enough sleep has been shown to lessen the ability to recall things, especially in people over sixty. If you struggle to sleep at night, napping during the day can also help to boost and consolidate memory. Naps can also restore energy and put you in a better mood. Plus, you will be in good company, as UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and famous physicist Albert Einstein are both reported to have taken daytime naps.
Not Before Bedtime
When thinking about stimulating your memory and sleep, be careful when playing memory or brain-training games on your phone or tablet. These gadgets emit blue light, which can interfere with the sleep-wake cycle, as it suppresses the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. This can disrupt sleep and lead to insomnia. In addition, stimulating the brain too close to bedtime can also affect sleep quality.
Therefore, ideally, you should not play these games in the evening. However, if it is unavoidable, there are apps that can be downloaded onto the phone or tablet to block blue light. You can also attach blue light blocking screen covers or wear glasses that block the blue light.
Conclusion
As mentioned, stress can lead to memory loss. So trying to live a stress-free life, if possible, is one of the best things you can do to boost your memory. With this in mind, it is important to do things that you enjoy, such as socializing, looking after a pet, physical exercise, walking in nature, and laughing. All of which have been shown to reduce stress and increase memory.
If you follow these tips, you should keep your memory working efficiently well into old age. Learning new things, not relying on technology, and laughing while you do it, all go a long way to keeping your brain and memory fit and healthy. With that said, I’m off to take part in the pub quiz, and I won’t be using Google for the answers!
Click here to see what scientists are saying about how Google is changing our brains !
Click here to access our section of anti-aging articles.
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