Memory Improvement Tips

If you'd like to know how to improve memory skills, a good first step is understanding the connection between memory and your brain. It's not hard to understand that the brain is the key cog in memory improvement, but it's a little more complex to understand how it works.

First of all, how much you remember directly relates to the sharpness of your five senses. The five senses (hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and seeing) work in conjunction with each other to send informtaion to the brain. Similarly, when you need to recall information, the specific information is attached to an element of your senses.

Let's use an example: You have probably seen a picture of the famous Mt. Rushmore monument in South Dakota. Perhaps you have even visited the site. If you were asked to remember what Mt. Rushmore looks like, you'd remember because you've seen it before.

The same holds true in other examples using other senses. If you were asked to describe what a pine forest smells like, you probably could, simply based on your life experiences.

A common problem for people (pre GPS days anyway) is remembering directions. Directions are primarily based on what you see and hear. You remember how to get to your favorite restaurant because you know the sites along the way. You know how to get to other places because directions were spoken to you over the phone.

So, what does all this mean in terms of improving your memory?

The trick, if there is one, is to think of your brain as a muscle that needs to be used. You can keep your senses sharp by using them, thereby forcing your brain to work and process information.

One of the best ways to do this is to invest in a clinically proven brain fitness programs. These programs are specifically designed by scientific experts to focus on sharpening your senses. If your mind, and senses, are nimble, flexible, and healthy, your memory skills will drastically improve.

There are dozens of games which will help improve your memory. Memory is directly related to the health of your brain, along with your five senses. Here are three improve memory games, each of which focuses on sharpening one of your five senses.

Memorize A Song: This game focuses on your listening skills. Many times we forget people's names because we don't completely focus our listening skills. We hear their name and promptly forget it.

Pick a song, preferably a new song that you like. Listen to it and try to write down the lyrics from memory. Listen as many times as necessary until you can write down all the lyrics from start to finish.

Keep Your Brain Flexible: This game will really shake things up, because it forces your brain to accept new information and change.

Let's suppose you are left handed. Use your right hand for simple tasks you normally perform with your left. It might be brushing your teeth, writing down a phone number, or catching a ball. Without a doubt, it will be uncomfortable!

This game has a direct effect on the brain, which in turn will help it be quicker to recall new information. Try it one or two days a week for a month and you will notice the difference!

Cards In A Deck: This is one of the most popular brain exercises that focuses on your sense of sight and how well you remember what you've seen.

Take five cards from a deck, one at a time. Look at them and remember them in order. Turn them back over so you cannot see them. Then, wait 60 seconds.

Ok, now get a pen and paper and write them down in order. Were you able to remember?

Since there are 52 cards in a deck, try doing the five card exercise 10 times. If you do this exercise every day for a month, you will notice an improvement in your ability to process visual information and remember it at will.

Concentration is a function of training your brain to focus. The best way to do that is to make sure your brain is healthy and then partaking in a brain training program that teaches your brain to focus on a task without distraction.

Here's how brain training programs work. First, an assessment of your current skills and abilities is completed. By the way, these brain training programs can be done at your own pace, on your own computer, in the privacy of your home.

An assessment is basically a series of exercises designed to determine how well your memory skills are functioning. Much like the memory improvement games described above, a series of similar activities are administered. Some will focus on your visual skills, others your listening abilities, and so on.

The results of these exercises are tabulated and a course of action is outlined. You will know exactly what areas you need to improve, with an outline of what is causing your less than perfect memory.

Then, you are asked to complete these exercises in a building block approach over a ten to twelve week period. The goal is long term, sustainable memory improvement that will last a lifetime.

You will notice a marked difference in your ability to remember names, directions, places, and numbers. More importantly, you will be given a long term agenda to help keep your brain healthy, flexible, and able to accept and process new information. Reclaim Your Brain: Fight Cognitive Decline with Brain Training Programs Free Trial.

In short, the very best way to improve memory and concentration is to understand your current strengths and weaknesses in terms of processing information. Then, embarking on a specific, step by step approach to enhance your strengths and shore up your weaker areas.