Odds are, you got home from a social event recently and had trouble remembering things about the people you’d just met. It happens to everyone, and researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine are trying to unravel why our minds have trouble remembering details as we age. The good news is you can take steps to lessen forgetfulness and limit those experiences in the future as well as strengthen your brain health.
8 Memory-Boosters to Add to Your Routine
Looking for ways to lessen forgetfulness and cognitive decline? Start here:
1. Prioritize getting enough sleep.
Because sleep deprivation is a common cause of forgetfulness, getting enough quality sleep each night can help. Aim for between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Older people may be OK with seven to eight hours nightly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To get enough sleep, you may need to revamp your habits, so focus on keeping your bedroom cool and dark, creating a nighttime routine that sets your body up for sleep and keeping electronics out of the bedroom. Here are some expert tips on how to sleep better.
2. Move your body often.
Exercise is a known way to boost brain power and cognitive function. Even taking regular walks can help improve what’s known as episodic memory, which is the ability to remember events. But more intense activities, like doing a HIIT workout, may also improve other aspects of memory, including spatial memory. This type of memory is the kind that helps you remember why you went into a room or where you put your phone. Physical activity also promotes improved blood flow, keeping essential blood and nutrients flowing to all parts of the body, including the brain. Learn nine easy ways to fit exercise into your life.
3. Work on training your brain.
Brain-training strategies, like using mnemonic devices, can help those with mild cognitive impairment hit “reset” on the brain’s ability to remember. You can also help your brain cells retain information by regularly challenging them. Find times during your everyday routines when you can work on your memory—for example, writing down your grocery list but then trying to remember what’s on it without looking at the list at first. Here are a few more ways to slow cognitive decline.
4. Learn the art of the thoughtful pause.
Practicing meditation or even simply being mindful throughout your day can improve your memory. Meditation, in particular, has been linked with improved episodic memory, and it may also affect memory by increasing the gray matter in the brain. But even pausing to reflect at times during your day can help lower your stress level, which calms the body and mind, making you less likely to forget. Slow down as you eat a meal, focus solely on driving during your commute to work or simply sit for a few minutes in silence.
5. Play games.
Yes, you read that right! Improve your memory by playing games on a regular basis. Choose games that engage your problem-solving skills, like a murder mystery board game, or games that are focused on your memory, like a memory matching game. Solo games can also be beneficial, so try putting puzzles together, playing single-player board games, solving crossword puzzles or doing word recall games.
6. Watch what you eat.
How you fuel your body plays an important role in your brain health. A heart-healthy diet, filled with fruits and veggies, lean protein, and whole grains, is also a brain-healthy diet. In particular, pay attention to how much sugar you’re getting in the foods you eat. An excess amount of added sugar has been linked to problems with short-term memory. Adding fatty fish to your diet can also be helpful since the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as tuna or salmon are associated with inflammation reduction and may even improve episodic memory.
7. Don’t rely too much on technology.
In today’s world, digital devices are always at our fingertips, and nearly every part of everyday life is touched by an appliance or other technology. Becoming overly reliant on technology can make your brain less able to retain information, leading to memory loss. That’s because when you’re using technology instead of basic brain functions, like recall of the route to a local store, your brain doesn’t need to do the work, leading to memory loss in some cases. This is another area where you can challenge your brain. Use written directions instead of your GPS, or try to remember the directions without assistance. Rely on your mind to make a basic calculation instead of turning to the calculator on your phone.
8. Pay attention.
Your elementary school teacher probably repeated this instruction quite a bit, but it’s helpful even for older adults. We are less likely to remember something when we simply aren’t paying close attention. This is especially a problem when we attempt to multitask. When your mind is pulled in multiple directions at the same time, it’s likely that you won’t remember any of the information. Keep a single-minded focus on one thing at a time, especially when you’re learning something new.
If you find yourself being more forgetful, rather than less, after trying some of these strategies, talk with your medical provider about what you’re experiencing. While many instances of forgetfulness are normal and fleeting, memory lapses can sometimes be a sign of a more significant issue, such as cognitive decline or dementia.
Why Forgetfulness Happens
Memory lapses can occur for a number of reasons. Most of the time, forgetfulness is just a normal part of being human. But there are some risk factors that can increase the risk of memory lapses. Common causes of forgetfulness include being sleep-deprived, taking certain medications that can affect short-term memory, having an underactive thyroid or high blood pressure, drinking alcohol excessively, and experiencing mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression.
Your medical provider can help determine whether an underlying factor could be the cause of your memory problems. In some cases, making an adjustment to your medications or taking steps to treat a medical condition, like depression or high blood pressure, can help improve your memory.
If some type of dementia is suspected, your medical provider can provide you with a treatment plan and connect you with other resources and specialists to help limit the progress of the condition.
More to Read
- How Can Older Adults Have Better Mental Health?
- 5 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy as You Age
- Tackling Senior Loneliness
- How to Reduce the Stress in Your Life
Medically reviewed by Mohit Negi, MD.
