In today's fast-paced society, a keen memory is not only helpful—it's necessary. From remembering key work information to recalling where you placed your keys, our brain memory aids us throughout the day. Although certain memory loss is indeed an inevitable aspect of ageing, there is much you can do to actively promote and even boost your brain's memory for storing and recalling information. The good news? You don't require a magic pill or a fancy program. Insignificant, persistent habits can significantly improve your life.
In an exclusive interaction with the editorial team of Onlymyhealth, Dr Bhumesh Tyagi, Consultant, General Medicine and Physician, Shardacare, Health City, Noida, explained some powerful, evidence-backed habits you can include in your routine to give your brain the boost it needs.
Habits That Help Boost Brain Memory
1. Adopt Lifelong Learning
Just as your muscles, your brain also grows with challenge. Mental challenge in the form of new and demanding activities creates new neural pathways and reinforces old ones, resulting in better cognitive function and memory.
- Take up a new language: This is an excellent mental exercise, challenging your brain to decode new sounds, grammar, and vocab.
- Learn a musical instrument: Reading sheet music, synthesising hand movement, and recalling melodies all increase brain activity.
- Solve problems: Crosswords, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, and logical games are all great methods of firing up various parts of your brain.
- Read varied materials: Don't limit yourself to your comfort zone. Read various genres, non-fiction books, or even research papers to keep your brain active.
- Attend a class or pick up a new skill: Be it coding, pottery, or expert cooking, the very act of learning something new actively exercises your memory.
2. Prioritise Quality Sleep
Visualise sleep as your brain's nighttime maintenance team. While sleeping, your brain solidifies day memories, moves them from short-term to long-term storage, and removes metabolic waste products. Long-term sleep deprivation seriously degrades these functions, impairing clarity, decreasing concentration, and compromising memory recall.
- Sleep well: Shoot for 7-9 hours of good-quality sleep. Be consistent. Attempt to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
- Establish a calming pre-sleep routine: Unwind with a relaxing warm bath, reading a book (not on your tablet/computer!), or soothing stretching.
- Improve your sleep environment: Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.
- Restrict bedtime screen time: The blue light from electronic devices may disrupt melatonin production, a hormone that controls sleep.
- Do not consume caffeine and heavy meals near bedtime.
3. Nourish Your Brain
What you eat plays a direct role in your brain health. Eating food that is high in certain nutrients has been shown to shield your brain against oxidative stress, decrease inflammation, and help maintain optimal cognitive function.
- Adopt the Mediterranean Diet: This meal pattern, characterised by fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, lean protein, and healthy fats, has been repeatedly associated with improved cognitive function.
- Prioritise Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These are present in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), walnuts, and flaxseeds and play an essential role in the structure and functioning of brain cells.
- Include Antioxidant-Dense Foods: Berries, dark leafy greens, dark chocolate, and green tea are rich in antioxidants that shield brain cells from harm.
- Stay Hydrated: Mild dehydration can diminish cognitive abilities, including memory. Drink lots of water during the day.
- Avoid Processed Foods, Sweetened Beverages, and Excessive Saturated Fats: These can lead to inflammation and harm brain health.
4. Move Your Body
Exercise isn't just healthy for your body; it's incredible for your brain, too. Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, bringing oxygen and nutrients that are essential for growth. Exercise also stimulates the development of new brain cells and increases the links between the old ones.
- Get regular aerobic exercise: Try for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. Options may be brisk walking, jogging, swimming, or biking.
- Add strength training: Muscle-building can indirectly benefit the brain through overall metabolic health benefits.
- Experiment with mind-body exercises: Yoga and Tai Chi involve physical movement in conjunction with mental focus, providing dual benefits for both body and brain.
- Break up long sitting: Even brief episodes of movement during the day can be beneficial.
5. Reduce Stress Effectively
Continual stress can be very harmful to your memory. When you're stressed all the time, your body secretes cortisol, a hormone that, when present in excess, can destroy the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory formation and recall.
- Practice meditation and mindfulness: Spending just a few minutes a day can soothe your nervous system and enhance concentration.
- Use relaxation practices: Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery can lower stress levels.
- Practice self-care: Schedule time for hobbies, walks in nature, or time with loved ones.
- Establish realistic boundaries: Learn to say no to commitments that overcommit you.
- Seek professional assistance: If stress becomes overwhelming, do not hesitate to consult with a therapist or counsellor.
Bottomline
Improving your brain memory is not about making sweeping gestures; it's about making everyday, small changes that add up to big advantages. By incorporating these habits into your daily routine, you're not only investing in your memory, you're investing in your overall brain health, energy, and quality of life for years to come. Begin small, be consistent, and take pleasure in the incredible strength of a more acute, more robust brain.