Ever suffered with the so-called “Brain Cramp” Moment, when
you struggled to remember the name of the person you had met in the last
house-warming party, or perhaps an old acquaintance, or when you had to flex
your brain muscles to remember where exactly you had put your grocery list, it
happens to all but women are more prone to these memory lapses.
Memories are stored in the part of the brain called Hippocampus.
The functioning of Hippocampus is adversely
affected by elevated levels of Cortisol
in bloodstream. Depression is number one cause of raised Cortisol levels
in blood as well as brain. A recent research shows that people who had suffered
from Depression, even if it was years ago, had suffered a memory loss of up to
12% to 15%.Such memory blocks may also be triggered by stress, sleep
deprivation, Iron-Deficiency Anaemia, overwork and ageing.
Here are some simple
steps to prevent them and enhance memory:
Ø Challenge your mental
faculties with mental exercises and new experiences on a daily basis. You may try
these mental exercises at home-
i.
Use
your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth, eating, combing your hair. This
simple activity builds new neural connections in your brain.
ii.
Rearrange
your files, kitchen, work place and wardrobe frequently so that your brain gets
ample exercise trying to remember the new alignment.
iii.
Count
backward beginning at 100.
iv.
Count
backward beginning at 200, subtracting 5 each time (200,195,190…)
v.
Count
backward beginning at 150, subtracting 3 each time (150,147,144…)
vi.
Word
Making is another technique to enhance your brain’s flexibility. For e.g. make
as many words as you can with the following words
EXPLORATORIUM
MEGALIVING
Ø Cultivate a habit
of taking notes whenever you receive critical information, such as
during an important office meet, information from doctor, etc.
You may pin these on a soft board, or glue
them on your refrigerator door. These may come in handy the next time you
suffer from clouding of memory.
Ø Set up a “Memory Place”. Find a box, bowl, or any container to hold your keys, glasses, cell
phone or any important object you constantly pick up and put down. Set up
your memory place near whichever entry you use most often. Cultivate a habit to constantly
place these objects in your Memory Place.
Ø Do something Out
of the Box- People tend to forget things when in a hurry especially the
routine ones, for e.g. your most likely to forget where you had placed your car
keys when in a rush, you may even forget whether you had locked the door or
turned off the lights before leaving. Do something out of the blue while you
are doing these things, such as …stomping your feet or making a strange sound,
believe me this will help you remember these usual activities.
Ø Place a pad of
sticky notes and a pen near your refrigerator or front door, whenever you remember
something you need to take with you, you can make a note of it and stick it on
your refrigerator or door to serve as a reminder.
Ø Visualize to
remember-it is often difficult to remember names or series of numbers, convert these abstract information into a relevant image ,for e.g..if you want to
remember that you have parked your car in the 13th row of B-wing of
the parking lot, then visualize a B’day cake with 13 candles on it(courtesy
Forbes) or of 13 butterflies.
Ø Cardio Workouts such as walking, jogging, for 30 minutes, 4 times a
day increase blood circulation to your brain thereby improving memory. A study
Dr Scott of National Academy of Sciences show that 3 months of vigorous aerobic
activity seemed to produce new neurons in the
Hippocampus
and also showed improvement in mental recall.
Ø Inculcate a Habit
of learning something New-Take a new hobby class, or learn some new dance moves, learning complex activities which
require physical activeness as well as mental focus stimulates your neurons to
create new neural connections, sharpening your memory.
Ø Eat colorful
fruits and veggies- They are rich in anti-oxidants and hence prevent Dementia (memory loss associated with ageing).
Ø Taking foods rich
in Omega-3 fatty acids such as fish (wild salmon, albacore tuna,
mackerel), mustard oil, cuts the risk of Dementia by about 47%.
Ø Vitamin E is especially effective in preventing Dementia,
cutting the risk by about 67%, found naturally in nuts, Olive Oil, Avocados.
Ø
Ø All Work & No
Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy- Ensure that you find time for fun and
friends even in your busiest routine. Continuous work related stress is also
related to increased levels of Cortisol, severely impairing the memory.
Ø Take Ample Rest- Find time to
relax, unwind and refresh yourself. Ensure an eight hour sound sleep, because
this is when your brain relaxes and reorganizes the horde of information it has
gathered during your waking hours.
Ø Deep Breathing
with Chanting- Ancient scribes advocated the combination of
alternate nostril breathing technique with the chanting of a mantra or “Om”. This
technique has healing powers and is proven to produce neurons. Oxygenation of
brain cells enhances memory.
T Homoeopathy Helps!Homoeopathic Medicine –Anacardium 200, once a day, if taken regularly improves memory. Besides, Homoeopathic medicines are very efficacious in treating conditions like Brain Fag due to mental overwork and prolonged hours of study in students. Homoeopathy also has specific remedies for dealing with exam fever i.e. anxiety/ panic attacks in students during exams, adversely affecting their performance. (For more info consult your nearest Homoeopath!)
( P.S.—The above mentioned Brain Games are as advocated by Mt Sinai School of
Medicine, in their Memory Enhancement Programme.)
So follow these tips for 4 weeks and stay focused and
sharp every day. Start right away!
