Take a second and contemplate the sheer power of your iPhone or other modern smartphone. They hold volumes of information, play and capture high resolution multimedia, and seamlessly run several processes at once.
Now, sit back and imagine the fact that your very own human brain can hold more information than more than 4,000 of those phones.
Your brain will perform better for you when you work it out and take care of it, just like you would your body. Here’s how you can improve your memory recall through cognitive training.
Learn and Play Chess
Chess is a strategy game that humans have played since ancient times. It’s known as one of the most challenging and productive games for thinking and memory.
You’ll need to keep track of the board and understand how all of your pieces move, while protecting your most crucial assets and remembering your opponent’s moves, while predicting future moves and creating a strategy to beat them.
Most computers come with a chess game that you can play and there are plenty of free smartphone apps you can use to learn and play chess, both against AI and human opponents.
Learn the different strategies that apply and play regularly so that you can train your cognitive function.
Take Nootropic Supplements
You need to feed your brain the fuel that it needs to work at high levels. That’s where nootropics come into play.
Nootropic supplements can help you with cognitive enhancement and memory recall. This classification of supplements refers to any substances that enhance your brain’s ability to perform.
Some examples of excellent nootropic supplements you can use include:
- Coffee, tea, and other forms of caffeine
- Panax, American, Himalayan, and other types of ginseng
- Reishi, cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, and other types of mushrooms
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Herbs like ginkgo biloba, rhodiola, and Bacopa Monnieri
You can take these nootropic substances regularly as part of your dietary and supplementary intake. Make sure to drink plenty of water so that the components circulate through your bloodstream.
Maximize Your Sleep Schedule and Quality
Sleep and recuperation is another big part of brain care. This lets your brain recover, develop new cells, and work through its natural processes correctly and optimally.
Take the time to sleep for at least 7 hours so that you’re always resetting after a long day and getting the cognitive performance that you need. Set a bedtime that you can stick to every night, along with a winding down routine that will help you drift off peacefully.
Your sleeping arrangement should also be conducive to better quality. This means keeping the room as dark as possible while you sleep, and can include blackout blinds that help you get full sleep cycles and plenty of melatonin release.
Train Your Brain With Meditation
Meditation is more than just a spiritual exercise – it’s a brain exercise.
Regularly meditating helps you strengthen your frontal lobe and your reticular activating system (RAS). It promotes peace and calm, and can help with your memory and recall.
Practicing meditation with as little as 8 minutes per day can help you get the best brain benefits, and can enhance your other forms of training.
Exercise Your Body Regularly
Never forget that exercising your body also exercises your brain. It increases oxygen circulation throughout your lungs and bloodstream, increases your heart rate, and pumps euphoric brain chemicals.
When you exercise regularly, you will also improve your memory and will have more focus and better brain activity. Figure out what type of physical exercise you like most so that you can stick to your workouts.
This can include things like weight training, running, martial arts, swimming, yoga, and dance. Start working out at least four times every week and you will experience remarkable improvements to your memory and your brain as a whole.
Play Brain Games
There are plenty of brain games you can play every single day. These games push and strengthen your memory and help you make mental connections.
You can play these games either on paper in the form of a workbook, or via online websites or mobile apps. Neuroscientists have created some brain games that are specifically suited for and proven to improve your memory and spark more cognitive responses.
Some classic brain games you can play regularly include:
- Sudoku
- Crossword Puzzles
- Word searches
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Latin Squares
Doctors often suggest that people play these games to prevent the development and progression of cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s.
Run Through Some Memory Exercises
You can also put yourself through the paces by conducting your own memory exercises. This can include choosing to remember things that you’re seeing in front of your eyes, memory-based pictures that require you to remember as many items as possible, and using 52 playing cards face down.
Drill these exercises on a regular basis so that you can start to see marked improvements in your memory.
Read for Understanding and Memory Recall
Few things are better for your memory than good old fashioned reading. Start reading every day, and always have a new book that you’re working on.
Build your reading list and make sure that you’re taking your time and reading for understanding. You might even choose to take tests and quizzes, or participate in book clubs and reading groups that discuss the literature.
Build a Better Brain
These tips and exercises will help you out with your memory recall. If you want your brain to work for you throughout the years, you can’t go wrong working on your memory as often as possible.
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