Well, you know the saying “A memory like an elephant” no i am not suggesting we becomes elephants, but I do have a few tips to keep that memory sharp, we need to exercise our memory, train it like we do our bodies, it needs just the same as our muscles do, to keep it in shape!

It’s not difficult, if you have a good social life, and simple exercises can help you from not knowing where you left your keys, or where you left the car parked………

Our brain and memory are selective, we only remember what attracts our attention and what is most important to us. So, when our neighbour asks, all silly questions that really mean they are gossips or just plain noisy, you may think you are losing your memory, but really it is you have no interest, if we took everything on board our head would probably explode. The memory truly activates when it is something we are very interested in or has had an impact on you. This is why we can remember what we were doing on dates that have historical impact such as 11-S, or maybe this election day ! we may not remember what we were doing the day before or where we put our keys. So, what exactly is the memory, where we store and recuperate information, its first job is to accumulate experiences which allows us to take on our everyday jobs and in the future, where we pull on the memory when needed. The memory does not have a special space in our brain, as it resides in a interconnecting series of systems. There are distinct types of memory, la memory long-term (which remains for many years) and the short-term memory, the working memory that permits us to retain the information we need for decision-making. Memory and learning go hand in hand, this is how we remember what we have learnt and we learn because we remember. Our memory is what makes us conscious of ourselves, which helps us move through life. 

In this day and age the memory is actually suffering due to all the technical help it gets with diary apps in phones, lap tops etc., we have information at our finger tips, but we need to resort to older ways for the sake of the memory, books, libraries etc., However it has been proven that an active life, curiosity, mental and physical stimulation can help our memory as this will exercise the neurones, which can be considered a muscle, and should be kept in shape. We can stimulate our memory to remember by reading, our work, assisting cultural acts, playing mental games, chess, cards and even by resting with an afternoon nap!

It is believed that when we watch the TV, adverts will be remembered by the impact of the music, you will remember most the first and the last one’s, the middle will be less noticed, you will also be influenced by contrast and colour.

A recent survey shows that 90 mins of “Siesta” will help greatly with the long-term memory.(If you have that long, but if it helps keep our memory in tack, maybe we should try!!)