Wouldn't it make sense to invent a device that could help you improve your long-term memory? Unfortunately, it may not be realistic now. Despite several innovations, R&D and technologies that have made living simpler, it would be appealing to believe a device like a chip, no matter the price, would help you improve your long term memory. Instead of wasting time looking for that device, why not familiarize yourself with these scientific ways to improve your long term memory?
Where Is Long Term Memory and Why Is It Important?
The hippocampus is the passage through which information passes from the short-term memory to the long-term memory. The hippocampus ( 'hippokampos' in Greek) is a part of the cortex so named as it takes the shape of a bent tail of a seahorse. Every information that is decoded in different sensory regions of the cortex links up in the hippocampus, which later redirects them to their origins. It could also be described as an information-sorting center where new information is juxtaposed with the initially recorded ones. Any time you relive an event, recall new information or repeat those using mnemonic techniques, you are directing them repeatedly through the hippocampus. The hippocampus is capable of strengthening the connections among all the new constituents until there is no need to reinforce them. By then, the cortex would have developed the ability to associate these elements independently to form what is known as 'memory.' Nevertheless, the cortex and the hippocampus are not the only components that facilitate long-term memory and its different capabilities in the brain.
Long-term memories are not default. While long-term memory possesses a boundless duration and capacity, the memories could be delicate and prone to change, distraction, and misinformation. Elizabeth Loftus, a Memory expert, did a great job on this by showing how false memories can be easily be triggered. She made 25 percent of her respondents to accept a false memory that they were once missing in a shopping mall as a kid.((Verywell Mind:
False Memories and How They Form )) Why is long-term memory prone to inaccuracies? Most times, people retain the visual aspects of an event but forget the details. What the brain does is to curate details that are reasonable to fill in this gap. In other cases, old information can hinder the formation of new ones, which makes it tedious to remember the actual event. This is why, sometimes, it is better to unlearn before learning further information. So, how do you improve your long term memory? Here, you will learn 10 scientific ways to improve your long term memory.
1. Be Very Focused
Forgetfulness is a by-product of distraction or lack of concentration. It takes focus to learn anything. In a world where we presently things that could easily take our attention off what we are learning, focusing is not going to be an easy-pie, but it is nevertheless crucial. In case you keep losing your umbrella, to develop your cognitive ability, begin to note every time you set it down consciously. If you researched a topic before a presentation, invest additional time to digest the juicy aspects so they can stick.
2. Practice to Be Perfect
When you were in kindergarten, did you recite the 'A, B, C..? If you did and you still remember them now, it means you will need to process and practice any information to have it installed in your long term memory. It does not matter what you wish to learn- football, piano, or remembering your friend's birthday. You can only remember by rehearsing over the information we already have repeatedly. You are repeating when you sing a song over and over again, when you sit in front of the piano and run some keys, or when you play an object on your way home even when there is no ball. Any information that you process and practice will be logged into your long term memory as exercise strengthens the neural pathways located in your brain.
3. Reminisce and Recall Details Every Now and Then
Scientists were able to discover the exact cells where some specific memories are stored using a mouse brain as the specimen. Before this research, the notion was that the short-term memory was formed in the hippocampus while the long term memory is formed later. However, the new mouse research indicated that both forms of memories are formed simultaneously. Although the formation of the long-term memory happens in the prefrontal cortex and starts with what is called silent engrams though not yet accessible immediately, it matures within a few weeks. You can strengthen this process by reminiscing the event or recalling the details through practice.((PNAS:
Silent memory engrams as the basis for retrograde amnesia.))
4. Practice Journaling
This has been proven to be another means of solidifying information and facts in long-term memory. You can relive daily events or exciting events and milestones in your career, business or relationship by writing and drawing them in your journal. Sketch it, write it, read it, draw it, and share it. The variety of experiences helps us to recall that moment in the future. Take a look at this article and learn how to start journaling:
Writing Journal for a Better and More Productive Self (The How-To Guide)
5. Schedule Time to Sleep
The physical functioning of memory storage hinges on sleep. Quality sleep optimizes the neural process in the brain. A 2016 report in Nature Communications indicated that when the subjects under study went without retiring to bed, the neural processes in their brains became noisier. Heightened activities have been found to hinder the formation and consolidation of long-term memories. You will become less productive the next day when you skimp on a night of good sleep.((Nature Communications:
Sleep recalibrates homeostatic and associative synaptic plasticity in the human cortex ))
6. Exercise Regularly
Any activity that activates your muscles and keeps your heart working will impact your brainpower positively. There is empirical evidence that exercise enhances the chemical that empowers the brain to grasp concepts and learn. A recent study has discovered that aerobic exercise is capable of increasing the size of the hippocampus. This increase enhances your memory in totality.((Harvard Health Blog:
Regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory, thinking skills )) Another research also pinpointed the significance of moving while learning. Those who walked while studying foreign language vocabulary recalled what was learned better compared to those who were stationary.((NCBI:
Treadmill walking during vocabulary encoding improves verbal long-term memory.))
7. Guard Your Mental Wellbeing
Anxiety, stress, and depression have been found to cause memory problems. They can affect your focus while learning. There's no way you can learn when you are depressed, anxious or stressed. It does not matter if forgetfulness is an outcome of a mental ailment or a contributing factor; you must go for medical treatment if you discover you have anxiety or depression. You can try these
6 Mental Exercises For Busy People To Calm the Hectic Mind.
8. Use Smart Devices Wisely
Smart gadgets can be an exciting way to enhance our memory. You can utilize reminders, sticky notes, and alarms to free up space in your mental faculty. If you are always thinking of not forgetting to rehearse for a music presentation, then you are not maximizing your brainpower. You could leave that for your reminder or alarm to handle. Also, taking pictures of events or information is a great way to retain information in long term memory. Nevertheless, there is a need to take precautions here as a study recently discovered that subjects who focused so much on the visual aspects failed to recall the actual information that was shared.((APA:
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology))
9. Quiz Yourself
An examination is proof of learning. The best means of checking if you have learned is to quiz yourself. Evaluation helps you to test your knowledge to discover the aspects you need to dwell on. It also helps you to recall what you have learned.
10. Mind Your Medications
Some drugs like tranquilizers, antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs have been found to cause forgetfulness by Harvard Health Blog.((Harvard Health Blog:
Common anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl linked to increased dementia risk.)) If the drugs you are taking is making you sedated or confused, quickly consult your primary care doctor. You will be surprised to be prescribed some better alternatives to those medications. Not only that, a study published in 2015 discovered evidence that continuous usage of anticholinergic medications like Benadryl can obstruct the functioning of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine that is linked to dementia. Aside from that, most of those drugs contain bladder-control drugs and antidepressants. You can consider drinking a lot of water instead of taking drugs.
Bottom Line
Long-term memory performs a crucial role in our lives. It helps us construct a firm foundation of memory and information that enables us to live a productive life. While it can be compared to files on a computer, studies have shown that long-term memory is not only enduring but prone to error if you don't improve it.
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