Short term memory stores information that is held for up to 20 seconds, then is either discarded or transferred to long term memory. Short term memory begins to decline during the aging process, and also because of a variety of conditions including depression, anxiety, stress and hormonal imbalances. Memory should be exercised like other parts of the body. The more you stimulate your brain, the better you can process and remember information. By keeping the mind busy with memory exercises, you can diminish short term memory loss.
Meditation
As little as 15 minutes of meditation per day may be enough to reap substantial memory rewards. Meditation reduces the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which inhibits cognitive abilities such as memory recall.
Social Interaction
You may not think interacting with other people is exercise for the brain. However, humans are highly social animals who have fine-tuned themselves to the intricacies of social interaction. Social relationships can stimulate the brain and reduce the decline of mental health, including memory. According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, isolation can cause depression, which leads to a higher rate of dementia and memory loss. Activities where you can engage with others including charity work, book clubs and bridge clubs. Socialization is an effective form of brain exercise to prevent memory loss.
Neurobic Exercise
Novelty and sensory stimulation are the foundations of brain exercise. If you break your routine in a challenging way, you’re recruiting new sensory associations important enough to engage the circuitry required to really exercise your brain and enhance neurotrophin production. This process is called Neurobic Exercise and can be done in three ways: Involve one or more of your senses in a novel context, for example, playing an instrument with your eyes closed, or combine two or more senses in unexpected ways like touching something soft while reading a book.
Engage your attention by doing something enjoyable that is different from an everyday activity, such as going to an amusement park for the day.
Break a routine activity in an unexpected way--brush your teeth with the opposite hand, or rearrange your bedroom furniture.
Learn Something New
Your brain requires continuous learning to remodel itself. Gaining new knowledge is an effective exercise to prevent short term memory loss. The operative word is “new.” Take a course in a subject you don’t know much about. Learn a new game of strategy, or a new dance step or sport. All these new activities build more connections and pathways between neural synapses to improve short term memory.
Physical Exercise
Physical exercise, such as running, swimming and weight training, can improve your short term memory. Exercise is increases oxygen to your brain. Physical exercise reduces the risk of disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, physical exercise may enhance the effects of helpful brain chemicals and protect the brain cells.
