Concentrate

  • Learning takes work
  • Develop a habit of actively paying attention
  • Just by concentrating on what you want to remember, your memory will improve

Make learning conscious and deliberate

  • Make a point of thinking to yourself that you want to remember something
  • Repeat what you want to remember to yourself (e.g., I am parking my car on level 2 near the green pole with the letter A on it)

Don’t overload your circuits

  • When two sets of information are in direct competition, older people tend to select one to remember and one to ignore.
  • Younger people try to remember both even though they might not remember them equally well
  • Make a list or a note

Make a mental picture

  • This is more important in familiar places than in unfamiliar places
  • You are more likely to pay attention in unfamiliar places

Use all of your senses

  • A combination of sight, sound, and tactile memories are easier to remember
  • Think of the experience using multiple senses
  • Can you remember your last vacation?

Activities which provide the greatest value to the brain

  • Challenge the brain
  • Stimulate learning
  • Require practice
  • Promote synaptic density

Embrace change in your daily life

  • Break your habits because they don't require much brain power or concentration to complete
    • Put your clothes in a different dresser drawer
    • Brush your teeth with your other hand

Develop Habits to Exercise Your Mind

  • Talk to someone daily
  • Change the scenery; get out of the house
  • Play games: crossword puzzles, cards, sudoku
  • Write your feelings and thoughts for the day
  • Use the library
  • Attend educational seminars and classes
  • Unlock your imagination
  • Remember it is never to late to learn something new!
  • Celebrate what you can do!