Stop Doing These 6 Things to Improve Your Memory
Things like working out, sleeping well, learning new skills, getting out of your comfort zone, eating nutritious food, making lists, and reading are all beneficial for your memory.
However, those who really want to boost their brain power so they can remember more first need to stop doing the activities that are messing with their memory.
Let’s see what these bad habits are and how they are damaging your brain:
1. Worrying too much
Chronic stress is a real thing and the consequences can be scary. Most people these days worry about every little thing, even if they can’t change it. Over time, that becomes a constant state of mind and their cortisol levels are always high. That’s bad for your body and brain in many ways and it definitely affects your ability to retrieve memories effectively.
The first thing you should work on is to bring some mindfulness to your daily life.
That will help you notice when you’re worrying and realize it’s pointless. You can then come back to the present moment, take a few deep breaths and let go of the stress and anxiety.
2. Not getting enough sunlight
One of the effects of vitamin D deficiency is cognitive decline. While sunlight might not always be easy to access depending on how busy you are, what country you live in or what time of the year it is, make sure you spend enough time outside when the weather is good.
Additionally, you can take more vitamins to make up for the lack of enough sunlight or you can replace vitamin D with a supplement.
3. Bad social life
All your organs, including your brain, can benefit from regular socialization. We all crave human contact regularly, need to feel like we belong and are part of a community and like meeting new people and forming relationships. But sometimes social anxiety or other factors can stand in the way.
Don’t let them. Keep in mind that together with all the other bad sides such as loneliness and decreased levels of happiness, bad memory is yet another effect of having no social life.
Whether you’re working from home and don’t meet new people regularly or haven’t found your group of like-minded people yet, keep trying. Be outside and in public more, go to events, introduce yourself to people, and do that online as well.
4. Drinking and smoking
If you are a regular smoker and drinker, you’re probably familiar with the side effects such as heart diseases, bad skin, fatigue, liver damage, lung infections, slow metabolism, irritation, mood swings, respiratory problems, etc.
Together with that, you’re increasing the risk of brain damage and slowing down your brain function. So think of ways to limit alcohol and cigarettes in the next few weeks, before you move onto the journey to giving them up once and for all.
5. Multitasking
Multitasking is dangerous. It ruins our productivity and focus and can even damage memory and other important brain functions. Accept the fact that we just aren’t made to do many things at once.
If you want peace of mind, better memory, increased productivity and less stress, then you should work on one task at a time and give it your undivided attention.
6. Being lazy
While exercising is a must for anyone who cares about their general well-being, leading an active lifestyle is a different thing. It means trying new things, being outside, ditching the car and walking instead, skipping the elevator and taking the stairs, stretching in the morning and during your breaks at work, and more.
All this promotes the blood supply in your brain that carries oxygen. And the more oxygen that enters, the more your memory will improve.
Stop these 6 negative behaviors and you will see a significant improvement in your memory and brain power in just a few weeks.
