Three Morning Habits to Increase Memory
Increasing our memory can increase our ability to recall important information, encourage better focus and decision making, and allow us to think faster and work smarter. What if we could supercharge our day with three easy morning habits that not only improve our memory but our entire day overall? Here are three morning habits that can jumpstart our memory.
1. Drink water.
Starting the day with a big glass of high-quality water is a great way to get those neurons communicating. One way of thinking about it is our brain function and memory are based on our neurons transmitting nerve impulses through electric current. We may recall that electric current travels very fast through water so having more water in our brain cells keeps those communicating neurons firing efficiently. Alternatively, studies show that a dehydrated brain has difficulty focusing, has impaired short-term memory, and even less happiness. When we wake up, we may not have given our cells any water for many hours, so it is a great time to get ahead on our daily water intake.
2. Get outside
Getting ourselves outside in the morning is a great habit to jumpstart our cognitive function and memory. Outside there is purer, fresher oxygen which is essential for our memory and recall abilities. Also, sunlight provides vitamin D. Studies show that getting the recommended daily dose of vitamin D improves memory and learning capabilities, while an insufficiency of vitamin D is associated with significant decline of executive function and episodic memory. Getting some fresh air in the sun at the beginning of our day can jumpstart our functional memory.
3. Do something mundane
Often, first thing in the morning, we are overloaded with to-do lists, rushing around getting ready for the day, planning out our next moves, and making sure we have everything organized. The seemingly easiest thing to do is to allow our brain to let go and wander freely, but it is often almost impossible when we are so trained to list our upcoming tasks mentally. Taking some time to do something mundane such as taking a shower or doing a repetitive exercise like on a treadmill or stationary bicycle, can do wonders for our memory. During moments of having a restful brain allows our brain to consolidate information, often resulting in better focus and decision making as well as increased short- and long-term memory building. Just letting go of the tasks ahead while in the shower or being more strategic by doing a meditation-like activity gives our mind a chance to fuse our ideas and thoughts into retrievable memory.
Conclusion
No matter where we are starting from, these three simple morning habits can go a long way to increasing our memory. Simply by starting with a glass of water can help get our brains’ neurons communicating effectively allowing us to think smarter at the beginning of our day. Getting some sunlight and fresh air can similarly jumpstart our memory capability with essential oxygen and vitamin D. Making sure to give our brain a break by doing something mundane in the morning can help our memory consolidation and decision making so we are more prepared to face all those tasks ahead.
