Like the muscles in your body, your brain needs to be exercised and trained in order to function at maximum capacity. When you begin to forget small things, such as where you put the keys, or an acquaintance's name, activities for improving memory can help you to retain information better. In fact, a study performed by the American Academy of Neurology and published in a 2009 issue of Neurology found cognitive activities can slow the decline of memory function in patients with diagnosed dementia.
Switch Hands
The Neurobics program, a form of brain exercise developed by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., recommends that in order to improve your memory, you should exercise your brain by changing some portion of your daily routine. When you do the same things day in and out, your brain can go on "autopilot" and cause you to forget things that aren't part of the routine. It could be a small as changing the hand you brush your teeth with or controlling the computer mouse with your non-dominant hand to challenge your brain.
Involve Senses
When you complete activities that use only one of your senses, you are only engaging a portion of your brain. Engaging as many senses as possible while doing an activity uses more of your brain, giving it better exercises and memory function. Instead of just reading a book, read a book aloud with music playing. Before you taste your food, enjoy viewing and smelling it. These will help to engage different parts of your brain and allow you to memorize with all of your senses, instead of just one, says HelpGuide.org.
Brain Teasers
Have you heard the one about the farmer trying to get a goose, a wolf and sack of grain across the river? Brain teasers and riddles are centuries old, but they can help to improve your memory function by causing you to think of the solution to a problem. Simple memory games, such as flipping cards over to find matches and video games that use problem-solving skills can help to exercise your brain and practice remembering small details, notes HealthGuidance.org.
Skill Set
Learning a new skill that makes you think can help your memory function, says the Franklin Institute. Challenging yourself with a new task will have you learning to remember rules, details and skills that are outside of your current skill set. Consider activities like geocaching, where you use GPS coordinates to find a hidden item, t'ai chi, yoga, art, dance or a new sport. Any number of things will get you out of your daily rut that has your memory lying dormant.
