Your short term memory is good for more than just cramming for tests, or preparing a speech or presentation. Developing your memory will help reduce your risk of mental degeneration as you age, and work to delay problems like Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Here is a quick guide on how to help prep your brain to remember everything you want to remember.

The first rule for improving your memory skills is to pay attention to the task at hand. Attempting to block out anything that can distract you will increase your focusing abilities and make learning easier. Televisions, loud music and a hectic environment will only complicate the memory process, causing your brain’s processing speed to go down. You need to focus, blocking out distractions.

It just takes a little practice, but it’s possible for you to remember just about anything you want. And remember, the harder the task, the more concentration you’ll need.

Another way to improve short-term memory is to use a variety of physiological cues, whether it be visual, auditory, or even linking a certain memory to a similar experience. If you have trouble remembering names, try to find an association of something or someone familiar to you. Who do they remind you of? Do they look like someone or someone that you already know , like a celebrity, or a relative? Perhaps the sound of their voice reminds you of something. If none of those are working, try using repetition by repeating their information. This helps create a specific neurological pathway in the brain that makes information easier to recall.

A great way to improve short term memory is by association. This can be applied to names, places, vocabulary, and a variety of other things. If you have trouble locating your car in a large parking lot, try to associate the aisle number with something that is familiar to you. Look around and see if there is anything in the immediate area that is recognizable. And, if all else fails, take a picture of the aisle and row location with your camera phone! Numbers can be especially hard to remember, but there are even tricks to lock those into your brain. For instance, you can turn the rhythm of the spoken numbers into a jingle or a rhyme to help you remember. If your social security number is the same number of syllables as the words in a tune you like, sing the numbers to that tune. You’ll never forget them!

As we get older, repetition and focus becomes more important. The processing speed of your brain begins to slow down. As we age our “working memory” which is mostly short-term memory, is never fully stored and never becomes a part of our permanent memory making it easily replaced by another bit of information that takes the same pathway as the first. Because our brain size decreases, we lose the efficiency of our brain functions, and facts that were easy to remember when we were younger, take more effort, and practice. Simple tasks such as the placement of keys, or the name of a new acquaintance take extra effort. Just as exercising the body make you physically stronger, exercising the mind will make you mentally stronger.

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Research has shown that there are four main cornerstones to healthy brain function: physical exercise, mental exercise, healthy nutrition, and proper stress management.

1. Physical Exercise

Physical exercise can be a difficult cornerstone to work on, especially since it can be overwhelming if you are not currently living an active lifestyle. If you are not currently partaking in an exercise program, be certain to speak with your doctor about whether or not it is safe for you partake in regular exercise. Once you have received the approval from your doctor, do not turn into a weekend warrior. Instead, start setting small, manageable goals, such as taking a 15 minute walk. Do exercise that you enjoy. Focus on cardiovascular exercise during times when you cannot do both cardiovascular and strength training exercises.

2. Mental Exercise

Exercising your brain can be a lot of fun, especially if you let your curiosity pave the road. Learn a new fact or try a new activity at least once a day. Ensure that you partake in activities that you enjoy so that you will stick with them. Do not worry about whether or not you are good at them. The idea is to challenge your mind, not to win a contest. If you enjoy playing games, try out crossword puzzles, sudoku, and chess. These are great games to challenge your mind.

3. Healthy Nutrition

Healthy nutrition is the cornerstone not only to the health of your body, but also to the health of your brain. The best thing you can do to work on eating properly is to add in lots of leafy green vegetables to your diet. Plan your meal around your vegetables. After you have chosen which vegetables you will be eating, choose your fruit, protein, dairy and grains. Be certain, though, that you learn what a proper portion size is to ensure that you are not overeating. It can be easy to eat a whole chicken breast, when in reality, a portion is only 3 ounces and is about the size of a deck of cards. Also, add in cold water fish to ensure that you are getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. Tuna, halibut, sardines, salmon, mackerel, and herring are excellent sources of this fatty acid. Lastly, focus on eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. If it comes in a box, bag, or shrink wrapped, try not to eat it. This will make it easy to choose foods with a low glycemic index and packed full of vitamins and minerals.

4. Stress Management

Managing stress is easier said than done. However, there are things you can do to make managing stress a little bit easier. For starters, get plenty of restful sleep each night. Also, be certain that you maintain your social connections by keeping in touch with your friends and family, even if you only send a quick e-mail. Yoga and meditation are calming activities for some people, while others prefer to soak in a tub and read a good book. Make sure that you spend some time each week relaxing in whatever method works best for you.

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Instead of wishing for a better memory and improved cognitive function, start to do something about it and improve the health of your brain with these tips.

1. Eat some brain food.

Dark chocolate is brain food, so eat a portion of it on a regular basis. Dark chocolate has been shown to increase the dopamine in the brain, thereby improving memory.

2. Write an outline of your last outing.

Go on a guided tour of a park, museum, or other place that you find to be interesting. When you get home, try to write an outline of what you experienced. Be as detailed as possible. This memory activity will train your brain to remember more.

3. Memorize some lyrics.

Listen to a song that you have not previously memorized and try to memorize the lyrics. Play the song over and over until you have successfully memorized all of the words. This will help your brain to listen better and will improve your memory by releasing acetylcholine.

4. Work on your peripheral vision.

Stare right ahead into the distance and try to memorize everything that you see, including what you see in your peripheral vision. After this exercise, make a list of everything that you saw. If possible, stare at the same things again and try to notice anything that you were not previously aware of and add it to your list. This exercise will increase acetylcholine, thereby improving your memory.

5. Pick up a musical instrument.

Lots of people intend to learn to play a musical instrument, but life gets so busy that it is not usually a priority. Now is the time to make learning to play a musical instrument a priority because it will help to strengthen your brain.

6. Put some puzzles together.

Jigsaw puzzles are good for more than a social evening. Jigsaw puzzles that are at least 500 pieces can exercise your brain, improve your cognitive function, and increase the accuracy of your visual judgments.

7. Turn down the volume.

Keep the volume of the radio and television at a conversational level. You may be tempted to raise the volume to make the words easier to hear, but keep the volume down so improve your brain’s ability to interpret sound. Once you are able to make out all of the words that are spoken at this level without any problems, turn the volume down even lower. This exercise will not only help your brain function, but will make you a better conversational listener.

8. Toss a ball.

Keep your brain healthy by challenging your coordination and visual acuity. This task is easily accomplished by tossing a ball and catching it. Once you can do this easily with one ball, add another ball and start to learn to juggle.

9. Be competitive with yourself.

Take an activity that you enjoy to a higher level, such as knitting, putting together jigsaw puzzles, or completing crossword puzzles. Get competitive with yourself to see how quickly you can accomplish the task or how accurately you can work. This will keep your brain constantly in a learning mode.

10. Become ambidextrous.

Start learning to use your non-dominant hand. Be certain that you only perform safe tasks, such as brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand or using the mouse with your non-dominant hand. Do not perform dangerous activities, such as driving or using a steak knife with your non-dominant hand until you are truly ambidextrous.

11. Make fish the new white meat.

Add fatty fish, such as salmon, to your diet. Eat it regularly to obtain enough of the fish oil to improve your brain’s cognitive function.

12. Exercise your body.

If you want to have a healthy brain, you must also have a healthy body. Keeping your body healthy will improve overall circulation, including circulation to your brain. This can help your brain to stay healthy and create new brain cells.

13. Opt to walk on uneven surfaces.

Walking on uneven surfaces challenges your brain’s equilibrium and will improve your balance. Be careful when you first start with this exercise and ensure that you are always taking proper safety precautions.

14. Get adequate sleep.

The body needs rest to repair itself. This is also true of the brain. People that do not sleep enough tend to have trouble with their memory and learning new information, so get a good night of sleep before you start your day to keep your brain at its peak performance.

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Whether you are a consistent morning person, or a person who would normally wake up at a later time but are trying to train yourself to get going earlier in the day, there are certain tried and true tips that will get you moving in the morning. Here are 17 tips that will help you become the morning person you truly want to be!

1. Make sure that you have a really good reason to wake up early. This is the most important thing when it comes to rising at an early hour. If there is no motivating factor, you would probably just stay in bed. Make sure your reason is a good one. It helps to make a list.

2. Get stuff done in the AM. Make sure that you give yourself specific tasks to accomplish. If you don’t accomplish your tasks, you will be less likely to get up early next time. Make sure that you use your time effectively.

3. Make sure that you catch enough ZZZ’s the night before. If you are tired during the day, then getting up early may be causing more problems than it is fixing. Make sure that you get a full night’s rest. Go to sleep earlier, so then you can wake up early and feel rested!

4. Calculate how much sleep you will need. Make sure that you give yourself enough time to begin to get ready for bed so that you can wind down properly and still get enough sleep. Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, find what works for you!

5. Sleep Better. Many people need to sleep “better,” not just longer. Make sure that you have a high quality pillow and a relaxing environment.

6. Don’t hit snooze! Make sure that you put your clock far enough away so you have to get up. Don’t listen to the voice in your head that tells you to sleep in! Get up when you plan on to.

7. Get straight out of bed! When that alarm sounds, get a move on! The longer you stay in bed, the more likely it is that you will sleep in.

8. Use an alarm clock. Make your alarm loud, annoying and hard to turn off!

9. Get yourself on a good routine. Get your morning routine down pat. Make sure that you stick to early rising, even on the weekends.

10. Reward yourself. Give yourself a small incentive in the morning. Some time to relax or have a cup of coffee and have a quiet moment is always a good place to start.

11. Know what you lose by sleeping late. Make sure you understand why you are waking up early and what will happen negatively (less personal time, staying late at the office) if you sleep in.

12. Don’t allow yourself to sleep in. Schedule important things early in the morning so you have to be up and at ‘em.

13. Have an early wake up buddy. Develop a friend support system. If all of you vow to wake up early, you can help each other stick to the goal.

14. Create a reward for achieving this goal. A reward creates confidence and motivation.

15. Keep records. Mark down how many times you choose to sleep in to help you realize that it’s not “just this one time”.

16. Applaud yourself for everything you got done. You deserve it!

17. Try to avoid the stimulants that affect your sleep schedule, namely caffeine and alcohol, which completely destroys your sleep and quality of your sleep, which actually touches on your waking time.

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