Would you rate ‘Memory’ as your most valuable asset?
What are we without memory? If we compare memory with our other possessions in life eg; education, business skills, good health, happy family or loads of money etc. memory will win hands down for sure. To live life to the fullest is not possible without memory. At the same time, memory is a powerful weapon which helps us win in many areas. From students to entrepreneurs, everyone can benefit out of a good memory.
Let’s talk today how to improve brain health and sharpen our memory.
1) Practice makes it perfect: We, very well know, one needs to practice more to achieve mastery in any subject. In similar way when we talk about improving brain health and sharpening memory, one needs to put efforts every day and in varied manner. Acts like taking a different route for work, cooking a new dish which you have not made before, doing simple calculations without using a calculator etc. will put your brain to work. Further, using a hand other than your dominant hand will also help activating brain cells. Try brushing teeth or eating with left hand. Try to stir food or pick up vessel from left hand. Small acts if done daily will benefit you immensely.
2) Learn new things: Try learning new things eg. new language, singing, musical instrument, drawing, painting, knitting, photography, gardening, speed reading etc. Learning something new which you have not learnt before is quite beneficial for brain health. Anything can be explored according to your area of interest and convenience. Apart from this, refine skills by solving puzzles, playing chess, board games, memory games etc. This all makes brain sharper.
3) Technology: Our reliance on technology has increased quite a lot. Due to mobile, we don’t even try to remember phone numbers of our family members. It’s become a common practice to write list of important things in mobile notes so that we don’t forget. Facebook, LinkedIn reminds us for birthdates, important days/memories etc. After starting a car, first we turn on GPS so direction is also shown by google.
Modern technology has made our life easy but at the same time it has reduced work of our brain. To keep brain active and to sharpen memory, we need to put our brain to work. It’s best to do things by memorizing instead of relying all on technology.
4) Dance and Exercise: Zumba, aerobic exercises, brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling etc help strengthening heart health and improving blood circulation. With better blood circulation, our cells get more oxygen. Oxygen is like an elixir for our brain and these types of exercises are quite beneficial to our brain health.
5) Reading: Reading increases concentration and imagination skills. When we read about a person or a place, our brain creates image of that person or place. This process helps strengthening blood vessels, growing new brain cells and enhance connectivity in our brain which ultimately sharpen our memory. Try to read something as per your interest before going to bed. This will help calm down your mind and make you sleep better. Just avoid reading about violence, sad news etc which can disturb your brain.
To summarize, we need to add creativity and put our brain to work on daily basis for a younger and healthier brain.
1 Comment
Absolutely true 🙂