When people think about memory, we think about it in a general term. However, we are faced with different types of memory, which perform different functions, such as long-term memory or short-term memory. Short-term memory refers to the limited capacity for temporary retention of information, which is maintained for about 30 and 40 seconds and has a limited capacity.
Factors such as age, drugs, alcohol, leading a sedentary life, lack of stimulation or malnutrition deteriorate memory and produce alterations in it. For this reason, it is important to know how to improve short term memory. If you want to learn how to increase your memory, keep reading this Psychology-Online article.
Improve your concentration
Concentration is a cognitive skill that can be trained and allows you to focus on carrying out a single task. So, if you want to improve your short-term memory, try focus your attention on a specific task and avoid being aware of the other stimuli that surround you.
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Exercises to improve short-term memory
The best way to work on short-term memory is to practice. Next, we propose 5 exercises that will help you improve it.
1. Memorize digits
If your goal is to improve short-term memory, a simple exercise to achieve this is to perform tasks that activate its functioning, such as memorizing digits or lists of objects or ingredients.
So, an effective way to increase your short-term memory is try to learn the phone numbers in your phonebook or different sequences of numbers by repeating digits. Start from the first row to the last, reading the digits once and repeating them later as far as you remember:
546
5676
35894
137598
2479643
23457965
132443267
23425436136
2. Remember images or stimuli
One of the most effective exercises to improve short-term memory involves working on visual memory. Specifically, it consists of looking for an image in which different objects, characters or situations can be observed. Once located, observe it for a minute and then try to describe everything you remember her.
Likewise, if you want to boost your short-term memory, you can also stimulate the rest of your senses. For example, try to remember what smells you smell when you go shopping at the market, what sounds you hear at the station when the train is arriving, or what songs play on the radio when you are on your way home from work.
In short, put your senses to work and try to be aware of what they perceive at every moment of the day.
3. Shopping list
You should look at the following shopping list for half a minute. ¡Let’s see how many ingredients you can remember after 20 minutes!
- Coffee
- Apples
- Milk
- Peppers
- Garbage bags
- Yogurts
- Salmon
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Lettuce
- Avocado
- Jewish
4. Colorful animals
Exercises to improve short-term memory can be very varied. In this you must read the following list of animals with their respective characteristics three times and then describe the ones you remember.
- Angry yellow dog
- Hungry red cat
- Fat violet hamster
- Long orange giraffe
- Happy pink crocodile
5. Form pairs
Put all the picture cards face down on a table and then try to find the even drawings within the set of turned cards.
Eat a balanced diet
To improve short-term memory, it is also important that you follow a balanced diet rich in Omega-3 and 6 fatty acidsessential to stimulate brain activity.
Therefore, it is crucial to eat foods that stimulate cognitive functions. In this sense, nuts are a great source of Omega-3, as well as oily fish such as salmon and sardines. Furthermore, the intake of fruits and vegetables It is essential to stop cognitive deterioration and enhance the proper functioning of short-term memory.
Read books that you like
If you want to increase your short-term memory, reading is another habit that will help you achieve this. Among its many benefits, it is worth highlighting that increases the ability to concentrate and stimulates sense perception, in addition to increasing emotional intelligence and developing imagination.
Giving yourself space to read within your busy routine will also help you reduce the stress caused by your other obligations.
Sleep well
Another factor that affects the functioning of short-term memory is the quality of sleep. In this sense, it is important sleep between 7 and 8 hours to promote the proper functioning of your cognitive abilities.
A good sleep habit to improve your brain activity is to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. In short, follow a healthy sleep routine.
Have an active social life
To avoid short-term memory loss, memory problems must be prevented with healthy habits such as having an active social life, which improves both mental and physical health.
Specifically, socializing helps improve short-term memory and reduce the risk of dementia. Additionally, it improves self-confidence and increases the feeling of well-beingreducing the risk of suffering from anxiety or depression disorders.
Practice physical exercise
If we talk about exercises to improve short-term memory, exercising the body is one of the most important. Physical exercise helps oxygenate the brain and keeps brain activity linked to memorization active.
Some of the most recommended physical activities to train and increase memory are walking, running, swimming, cycling and dancing.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Aguado-Aguilar, L. (2001). Learning and memory. Rev. Neurolo, 32, 372-381.
- Gontier, J. (2004). Working Memory and Aging. Journal of Psychology of the University of Chile, 2, 111-124.
- Ostrosky-Solís, F. & Lozano, A. (2003). Memory rehabilitation in normal and pathological conditions. Advances in Latin American Clinical Psychology, 21, 39-51.
- Parker, A. et al. (2013). Effects of Saccadic Bilateral Eye Movements on Episodic and Semantic Autobiographical Memory Fluency. Front Hum Neurosci; 7, 630.
- Turrillo, M. (2014). Relationship of short-term memory in academic performance in primary education. UNIR: International University of La Rioja.