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Have you ever gone into the kitchen only to realize you can’t remember why you went in there? Or perhaps you made a mental shopping list and got to the grocery store, realizing you have no idea what you intended to buy. In an extreme situation, you can miss an appointment you set up weeks ago simply because it slipped your mind. 

It is completely normal to forget the occasional event or item, but when it starts negatively impacting your life, it is time to start doing activities that will strengthen your memory, no matter your age.

1. Space Out Repetition

Repetition is an incredibly strong learning tool to strengthen memory, but only if it is done correctly. You’re more likely to remember something if you repeat it to yourself a couple of times, but this repetition must be spaced out evenly. It’s not like you’re studying for your final exam the night before; there’s no need to try and cram everything you need to remember in at once. 

It is best to restudy or revisit what you wish to remember of a longer time, like on the hour, every couple of hours, or once a day. By spacing out the repetition, you’re training your mind to hold on to valuable information. You can practice by trying to remember a telephone number or setting alarms spaced apart evenly to remind you of an appointment. This activity helps with recall and will eventually become second nature.

2. Play Video Games

Video games seem like an unlikely memory training programme, but the right games have the potential to strengthen your cognitive functioning, including your memory. This is especially true for games that challenge your brain. 

Casino games activate the strategic thinking parts of your brain and can help with working memory. Complex gambling, like poker and blackjack, is more likely to offer this benefit, but even simpler games found on a Telegram casino can help your mental capabilities. Games that require a player to track sequences, count cards, or budget can all help to improve memory. 

Puzzle games, like Tetris or Wordle, are also great memory tools. Chess is another good option. Although these games are not nearly as exciting as Fortnite or Dota 2, they have many more benefits for your brain.

3. Do Physical Exercise

Mentally exercising your mind is all well and good, but don’t forget to do physical exercise too. Moving your body increases blood flow throughout the body, which can feed the brain with oxygen and sharpen your memory. 

Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, even just a short 10-minute walk can do wonders. Regular exercise has been linked with a reduced risk of dementia as you age, too, indicating how good it is for your mental health.

4. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep plays a vital part in memory consolidation. This is the process in your brain whereby short-term memories are transformed into long-term memories. When you are sleep deprived, you will notice a drop in your cognitive functioning, including not being able to remember things. 

Although the CDC recommends getting at least seven hours of sleep each night (for adults), women tend to need more sleep than men. 

Try to stick to a sleep schedule where you go to bed at the same time each night and also wake up at the same time in the morning. Don’t disrupt this routine, even on the weekend, and keep screens away before bed.

5. Train Your Brain

Saying you must train your brain sounds simple, but how exactly are you supposed to do it? As you became an adult, your brain formed neural pathways that are used to store, process, and recall things or do daily tasks without effort. But when you always do the same thing, you’re brain will stagnate and not develop new thinking patterns. 

A brain-training activity will have the following elements:

• You will learn something new.
• It poses a challenge.
• It is a skill you can develop. 
• You feel rewarded.

These four elements are all you need to train your brain, whether that is learning to dance, play an instrument, write a poem, or work on your running stride.

As long as you keep working your brain, you will be forming new neural pathways, which will eventually help you to recall information better and faster, thereby improving your memory.