The word memory represents the act of gathering information from the world we live in, filtering through and preserving it for eventual recall.
Sometimes while trying to recall information, we may find ourselves facing some trouble. This could be because of factors such as insufficient sleep, intake of certain medications, consuming alcohol, feelings of stress and/or anxiety to name a few. They can impact our ability to focus and could make it difficult to actively store information or recall it.
Some simple changes we could incorporate into our daily life to improve our memory include:
Incorporating physical activity in your daily routine helps stimulate blood flow in our body, making us more energized and helping us focus better, which serves to facilitate formation of memories.
Stimulating brain activity is also helpful. This could be nurturing a hobby for solving crosswords or solving sudoku puzzles. Learning a new language could aid in improving concentration while simultaneously developing new areas of our mind and increasing our ability to focus.
Maintaining regular contact and actively socializing tends to decrease the levels of stress or fatigue a person may experience thereby helping us maintain a more balanced state.
Lifestyle changes such as ensuring a healthy diet and establishing a heathy sleep schedule allows us to feel well rested and more alert to our surroundings. It also aids in improving concentration making it easier to take in and store information for future recall.
Practicing yoga or mindfulness meditation can help in grounding and becoming more aware of ourselves. Some of the techniques that can be used are-
–Breathing exercises wherein one sits and focusses on the process of inhaling and exhaling. Body scan meditation essentially requires the individual to lay down flat and then focus on each part of their body in slow progression (one may choose to proceed downwards from the head or upwards from the toe).
–Walking meditation is mainly centered around the person experiencing the sensation of walking and the feeling of being balanced.
–Directing more attention to ourselves and the world around us. It entails a person opening up their senses to fully experience moments in their lives – be it the food that they eat, the walks they go on or the act of reading books, watching films, or even the time spent interacting with family and friends.
These are some techniques that we can make use of to improve memory and recall skills. It can also help us feel more grounded and in control. It is a process that has to be worked on consciously to yield results, so consistency is key.
By Nikki Alice Cherian