Ways To Improve Your Memory: Short Term Memory Exercises

The human brain is infinitely more sophisticated and complex than the world’s most powerful computers. One of the ways in which the human mind is so amazing and different from the computer is that it can be developed and enhanced through use of different exercises. These often simple exercises help improve the brain’s cognitive processes, allowing for greater amounts of information to be gathered and processed in much shorter periods of time. 

In a study presented in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2000 researchers reported that initial evidence of improved working memory in patients with schizophrenia following cognitive exercises. The improvements were in verbal memory but not non-verbal memory.

So what exactly is memory? The simple answer is that memory is the process of being able to recall information that you have came across in your lifetime. It is divided into two very distinct categories, long and short term. As the names suggest, short term memory is so called because the information that is kept there is retained for only a very short period of time, seconds or minutes. Long term memory on the other hand is information that you make an effort to retain.It is meaningful in some way to you and is committed to your memory for the rest of your life.

The areas of the brain that are important to the formation of memory are the hippocampus, amygdala and the cerebral cortex. In addition memory also involves the communication along the network of neurons using chemicals called neurotransmitters. Your brain must first acquire the information, which happens only when you are paying attention. Then your brain consolidates the information for storage. In the retrieval portion of memory the brain activates the same pattern of nerve cells it used to store it. The more often you retrieve information the easier it becomes.

There are several ‘tricks’ to improving your long-term and short-term memory. You can tailor the acquisition of the information to your learning style- visual, auditory or tactile. Involve as many of these senses as possible – even if you are a visual learner say or read the information out loud so it is also committed to auditory memory.

You can relate the information to data you already know. In other words the name of a new person is the same as your neighbors. Rehearse the information as often is as needed. You can activate your neurons to fire in patterns that are not triggered by procedural memory. In other words you can do things that normally you do without thinking in a way that forces the brain to work harder.Play these games to improve memory by asking the brain to work in ways it usually doesn’t. These ‘games’ include brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, showering with your eyes closed, and getting dressed in the dark. All activities that you would normally accomplish without thinking can be done in ways that make the task a bit harder thus making the neurons work harder.

You can also play games with information you want to remember by ‘attaching’ a visual image to the data, using the information in a sentence, putting the information into an acronym or rhyme or including the information in a joke. All of these games to improve short-term memory can be used to improve your cognitive skills as well. The best thing you can do is relax and have fun because stress and tension will only decrease your memory –just the opposite of what you intended!