How to improve memory and brain function: simple techniques from a psychiatrist

psychiatrist, M.D.

“George Burns once said: “By the time you’re 80, you’ll have learned everything. All you have to do is not forget it.” According to research, memory loss can begin as early as age 45. As the years go by, the effects only worsen. That’s why you need to start supporting brain function even before significant cognitive impairment.”

Food

One of the easiest ways to improve your memory is to change your diet. We don’t mean revising your entire menu, but replacing one or two meals with something more beneficial for cognitive function. Here are a few recommendations.

Eggs. They contain high amounts of choline, important in controlling neurons in the central nervous system’s cortex. A link has been experimentally found between higher levels of this substance in middle age and a reduced risk of dementia. For better brain function, eggs are exactly what you need!

Fish. Contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. This is an important “contribution to the bank” of your brain’s memory.

Walnuts. Another great source of omega-3. In fact, the levels of DHA (a type of omega-3) in walnuts are known to help cognitive function in adults and prevent it from deteriorating later in life. Not only that, they also play a role in maintaining heart health by reducing the risk of hypertension.

Mental Strategies

To develop strong muscles, your body needs the right workout. Likewise, so does your brain. Here are some strategies to improve your memory.

Mnemonic techniques

Need to keep a grocery list in your memory? How about a group of tasks that need to be completed? Use a mnemonic technique. It is an abbreviated method of memorizing large amounts of information.

Some of the most common techniques include acronyms, rhymes, and the localization method. In this method, you visualize each room of your house and associate everything you need to memorize with one of the rooms.

So, do you need to buy copy paper? Put an image of it in your mental computer room. What about toilet paper? Imagine your bathroom and place the roll on an imaginary counter.

Repetition

In memorization, when we decide that it is something important, we manage to keep the information in our minds longer because we are more concerned about retaining it. When there is difficulty in this retention of memory, repetition becomes key.

Repeating a name over and over again aids in internalizing the information. By listening to it or writing it down, we familiarize ourselves with it so thoroughly that we no longer need to think about it. This is essential if we are to have a long-term memory, but it can only happen in conjunction with assimilation.

Assimilation is the process of linking current information to something previously learned in order to form a strong connection.

Finding as many similarities as possible between new and familiar objects helps our brains process information more efficiently and make it easier to remember.

So make as many mental connections as possible. By doing so, you will create a fine structure by which all your memories can be stored for future reference.

Learning foreign languages

Choose a language that you need or are interested in. Make it a habit to learn 5-10 new words a day. Read them, repeat them several times, try to use simple sentences. And the next day, before a new task, try to remember yesterday’s lesson.

Reading

If you like to read, but do not remember the content well, retell what you have read. You can do this out loud or in writing on a piece of paper – as you prefer.

Over time, increase the number of pages for narration, but do not reduce the volume of the story – it should be as detailed as possible. If you have difficulty with this, write down the main points that you can refer to.

Sleep

Memory retention is closely related to lifestyle, habits, associated diseases. But one of the most significant factors is considered a quality night’s rest. Memory processes are stabilized and improved, and memories are better consolidated with a full uninterrupted sleep.

During sleep there is a release of the brain from the products of active neuronal activity during wakefulness. Most of the amyloid – an extremely important component in the regulation of the central nervous system – is drained (removed) at night.

The development of what diseases threatens the deterioration of memory?

Insomnia literally disrupts the ecology of the brain’s internal environment, creating conditions for subtle inflammatory reactions that precede the development of dementia by many years.

Among one of the mechanisms associated with this disease is the accumulation of the very amyloid proteins we described above.

It is important not to miss the moment of cognitive deterioration and to see a doctor in time. Very often such disorders are found with a combination of decreased daytime cognitive endurance and interrupted sleep.