How to Improve Short Term Memory

A good memory is a very powerful asset to have, that will help you in every sphere of life. A good memory will help you in your studies, at work, in your everyday life and even in your social life. However, not everyone has the natural ability to remember well. Fortunately, unlike certain in born talents, there are a number of steps to better the short term memory and long therm memory. You can increase your ability to remember by exercising your memory, consuming a nutritious diet and living a healthy lifestyle.

Ways to Increase Short Term Memory

Brain Exercises: Just like we use exercise to tone our bodies, we can use exercise to sharpen our minds. The same principles of exercise apply here too; the more you exercise your brain, the better you'll be able to process and remember information. Brain exercises to meliorate short term memory are based on novelty and sensory stimulation. The idea is to challenge yourself so you may use brain pathways you haven't used before. You don't need a specific 'exercise', for even brushing your teeth with your recessive hand will suffice. This will utilize the lesser used connections on the recessive side of our brains. Alternately, you can try 'neurobic' exercises, which involve doing tasks differently, such as dressing with your eyes shut. Learning anything new is good for your brain, even something simple like a game of cards or a recipe.

Focus: You need to pay attention to any subject for your brain to grasp it. You need to give a subject about 8 seconds of your complete attention for a piece of information to reach the appropriate memory center in your brain. Try to eliminate distractions, and do not multitask when you need to concentrate.

Understand Your Learning Style: While most people are able to learn better by reading or seeing what they have to know, you may learn better by listening to someone. If this be the case, it is better for you to record information that you are trying to learn and listen to. It is important for you to understand what your learning style is, and use that method to acquire information.

Organize Information: Organizing the information one acquires is helpful in retaining it. This can mean making entries in address books, datebooks and/or calendars; or making list and notes. If the material is complicated, make notes about it and organize the notes into categories later. While making notes, include pictures along with words.

Draw Connections: While learning anything new, try to relate it to information you already know about the subject. By drawing connections between new and existing information, one can find it easier to remember. Even if the subject is entirely new, it is almost always possible to relate it to something you already know.

Mnemonic Devices: Another way of improving short term memory is through mnemonics devices, which are little tricks used to remember information, that usually involves association of the material to an image, a sentence, or a word. For example, one may visualize a microphone to remember the name 'Mike', or remember the sentence 'My Very Extraordinary Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies' to learn the names of the planets ' (back when Pluto was a planet).

If you want to enhance your short term memory, start living a healthy life. If you are wondering what conditions improve short term memory, they include regular exercise, managing stress, sleeping sufficiently and not smoking. A healthy diet that is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and "healthy" fats also helps improve memory. Include B vitamins, especially B6, B12, and folic acid, antioxidants like vitamins C and E, and beta carotene and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Another surprising fact is that having a positive attitude, and telling yourself that you can learn and remember a piece of information will actually help you remember it.