No doubt you’ll agree that the ability to remember is very important. Having a good memory can give you an advantage in school, on your job and in other areas. There are many things you can do to improve your memory and to give you that edge. Read this article to get some suggestions.

Stop telling yourself you have a weak memory. When you say these things you begin to plant the thought in your mind and it becomes a reality. Remind yourself constantly that you have a great memory and you can remember anything as long as you put your mind to the task. You will see an improvement in your recall ability.

In order to improve your memory, it is important that you pay attention. Your mind will never learn how to memorize things if it is distracted by other things. For example, if you are studying or working, do so in a room with no television or other things that could attract you.

Eat more onions to improve your memory. A few studies have isolated fisetin to be of great benefit in improving the long term memory. You can find beneficial levels of fisetin in onions, strawberries, mangos and other plants. It also is a strong antioxidant so it will deliver other benefits to your body as well.

Try to stay away from pills that promise to help improve your memory. Most of the time, these pills are not effective and could cause you physical problems. Instead, you may want to look into supplements like Niacin, Thiamine, and Vitamin B-6. They all help to improve the part of the brain that deals with memory.

If you are trying to remember a large list of items, try placing them in categories. For instance, if you are headed to the grocery store and have a number of items that you want to get while are there, mentally group them into categories such as meat, dairy, produce and grains. Breaking down big lists into smaller subcategories makes them far easier to remember.

You can re-charge your memory while studying by switching to a new environment. This type of change can rejuvenate your mind, and improve your memory skills. It does this through waking up your brain. When there are any changes to your routine, it makes your brain more alert. When your brain is more alert, is can absorb, retain, and recall more information.

The best way to keep your memory sharp is to make sure that you stay mentally active. Physical exercise keeps your body in shape, and mental exercise keeps your mind in shape. Doing crossword puzzles, reading complicated passages, playing board games, or learning a musical instrument can all help you keep your mental edge.

In order to engage your memory and keep it working as well as it can, you need to stay socially active. Social activity keeps your mind alert, and improves your outlook on life. If you stay at home alone all the time, you brain will not be engaged and stimulated. It is while you are having energizing conversations with those around you that your mind receives the stimulation that it needs, and this can increase your memory facilities.

Exercise your body – exercise your brain. By exercising regularly, you increase the amount of oxygen that gets to your brain, and reduce the risk of illnesses that can contribute to memory loss, such as heart disease and diabetes. Exercise can also increase the effects of certain chemicals that help the brain to function at its best.

When trying to commit information into your long-term memory, make sure you are in a location with zero distractions. It takes real attention to move information from short-term to long-term memory, and a distracting environment can make the task nearly impossible. Steer clear of areas where there are televisions, radios, crowds or lots of visual stimuli.

A well-nourished brain will definitely perform better in terms of memory. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Also, drink a lot of water. You should drink up to 8 glasses daily. Other ways to improve your diet is to limit the amount of saturated fat, but eat fish or supplements for omega-3 fatty acids (which improves brain function and fights against Alzheimer’s).

Try not to keep memories in your head that are unneeded, such as information that you know you will never lose. It has been medically proven that getting rid of useless information frees up space in the brain for information that you are actually going to get use out of.

Draw a picture! If you are having trouble remembering something – try doodling! Drawing relaxes your mind, opens it up. It doesn’t matter if you are a terrible artist. Just scribbling on a piece of scrap paper will do. Your thoughts will feel more organized and memories will come to you much easier.

If you have a list of words that you need to remember, try putting them in alphabetical order. Our society has already categorized many common items into alphabetical lists, so it is a pattern that your brain is familiar with. As a result, when you alphabetize a list of words, your brain recognizes the well-known familiar pattern and has an easier time recalling them at a later date.

If you want to improve your brain’s ability to create and retain memories, one way of doing this is to often recount stories. Story telling is a way of practicing having the brain recall a memory in as much detail as possible, which is similar to working out a muscle group. It’s also fun!

If you have forgotten something important that you need to remember, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Try breathing exercises by holding your breath in for a few seconds and releasing it. After doing this a few times, go back to trying to remember what you have forgotten.

When you have a good memory, you have both a better control of your life, and a better quality of life. Apply some of these suggestions as often as you can, and you will see a difference.