- Drink water. Your brain is 80% water, so it’s essential to avoid anything that dehydrates it, such as caffeine or alcohol. Being dehydrated by only 2% impairs performance in tasks that require attention, immediate memory skills, and physical performance.
- Engage your senses. When learning something new, try to incorporate as much appropriate sensory information as possible. Use what you hear, see, smell, and touch to give the information more context.
- Get quality sleep. Sleep rejuvenates all the cells in your body, gives brain cells a chance to repair themselves, helps wash away neurodegenerative toxins that build up during the day, and activates neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate due to inactivity. Research has shown that sleep deprivation can cause significant memory deficits. Practice good sleep hygiene to optimize your sleep habits.
- Use mnemonic devices. A mnemonic device is a technique often used by students to aid in recall. It’s a way to remember information by associating a term you need to remember with an everyday item that you are familiar with. The best mnemonics utilize positive imagery, humor, or novelty.
- Avoid toxins. Smoking and drug and alcohol abuse increases your risk for dementia. Even a glass of beer or wine per day can be harmful to the brain and make it look toxic. Recent research shows that smoking negatively affects the hippocampus, the brain’s major memory center.
- Read out loud. Recent research suggests that reading materials out loud significantly improves your memory of the material. Educators and psychologists have also discovered that having students teach new concepts to others enhances understanding and recall.
