Happy Train your Brain Tuesday! I hope last week’s mini meditation article was beneficial to you! This week we will be talking about memory! Memory is defined as how your brain processes, stores, and retrieves information when needed.
Memory is a huge function in our daily life as being able to recall information is something we need to be able to do. We utilize our brain’s memory every second of the day even if we do not realize it. Even the smallest actions require memory. For example, how to move your left pinky finger. Your brain needs to be able to recall the functions to move your left pinky finger. Another example is remembering how to do a math problem a certain way for the exam next week.
Training your brain to excel in its’ memory capacities will not only help you now, but in the long run. The ability to recall things efficiently can improve your mental health; it allows your brain to be elastic and stretch (just like physical exercise). Memory can also improve many different things including cognitive learning, organization skills, mental awareness, and communication skills. Being aware of your memory capacity is important as it can lower your chances of illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease in the future. Here are some ways to challenge your memory and allow it to grow:
- Playing board games
Many board games such as Chess, Catan, Scrabble etc is not specifically a memory game but it allows your brain to do some work while having fun. Playing strategic board games will allow your brain to work those memory neurons as you have to strategically play.
- Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to exercise your memory powers. Try doing a crossword puzzle, word search, or even sudoku to give your memory a little push! Even the puzzles where you have to put the picture together is a great way to train your brain.
- Learn a new language
This is a tough one but a great way to work on your memory! Learning a new language is not going to happen overnight but the process of it will definitely work your memory. There are apps out there that you can download to make it fun and doable!
Try these things out and of course many other activities that you can find online to help improve your memory!