Have you been forgetting a lot of things lately? This is something that must be expected when people start aging. There are different reasons for this. As a person ages, the system also degenerates. Some people experience a lot of changes in their physical and mental stage as they approach senior age. As your vision and skin changes, so will the mental functioning.

A psychiatrist from John Hopkins University School of Medicine noted that people who are over 50 experience difficulty in recalling. They may have difficulty recalling names, movies and even book titles they just read. This is a common experience among people who are aging. This is not really something that is related to a serious health problem. But if you are already forgetting familiar places and people, you may need to see your physician.

To help you boost your memory, here are some techniques you can consider:

Meditate

It has been proven that your emotions can affect your physical and mental health. One of the things that cause memory loss is stress. This is why experts are prescribing meditation as part of an older adult’s regular activities. There are different ways on how you can meditate. As you age, you have to maintain a healthy mind and body connection. This is something that you can do not only to maintain a strong memory but also to strengthen your immune system.

During this stage in your life, your mental well-being is very important. To be able to have an active and positive state of mind must be one of your priorities. You can join a yoga class or just do any activity that will help quiet your mind. This is how you can improve your mood, mental and cognitive well-being, and your emotional resilience.

Mental Exercise

When you are awake, mental activity also takes place. Every day, you will be able to train your brain. This is one way on how you can boost your cognitive ability. There are different techniques that you can do to be able to exercise your brain. Here are some of the mental exercises that are proven effective:

• Play crossword puzzles or play board games like chess
• Learn to play a musical instrument or take music lessons
• Read aloud and listen to yourself
• Look for a foreign language that you think is interesting and try to learn it
• Try to memorize phone numbers
• Consider a craft hobby like painting, drawing, knitting and others

Focus on Brain Food

What you eat can also affect your memory. If your diet is composed of fried foods, foods that are rich in trans fats and high cholesterol, you may experience some long term effects. If you want to reduce the risk of memory loss, you need to look into your diet. As an older adult, you have to focus on eating fruits, nuts, fish and oil, vegetables and other foods that contain good cholesterol. This will help you in preventing clogs in the blood vessels. This way, you will be far from the risk of stroke and memory loss.

Keep Challenging Yourself

You have to stimulate your brain. If you are only focusing on what you already know, you are not giving your brain enough challenge that it needs. This is why you have to be open in learning new things. There are exercises for the brain that you may want to try. This way, you will be able to introduce a new challenge to yourself.

As an older adult, you can enhance your memory by looking for hobbies and activities that you can engage in. Look for those that are interesting and those that can help you build new skills. You can start cooking meals, doing research or playing a new musical instrument. Get out of your comfort zone and do something that is completely different. Here is a list of foods that are good for your brain:

• Cherries and berries
• Dark chocolate
• Coffee
• Dark leafy greens including spinach and kale
• Walnuts and almonds

Stay Social

Memory decline can also result from social isolation. Remember that a human being is designed in such a way that they need to socialize. We need to communicate and build relationships. This is why you also need to spend time with your family and friends. Being with these people on a regular basis is good for your mental health. Whenever you spend time with people and do fun activities, you are also getting some cognitive benefits. Here are some other ways on how you can enhance your social circle:

• Join classes and organizations with people whose interest is the same as yours
• Attend or host creative parties
• Travel with your friends or go for some exciting outings
• Volunteer and help people
• Join sports or play games

Get Seven Hours of Sleep

Your sleep pattern is another important factor that can help enhance your brain. Lack of sleep is connected with difficulty in remembering things. This is why you also need to prioritize your sleep. Make sure that you are getting seven hours of sleep and make it a habit. If you are experiencing difficulty in sleeping, here are some of the things that you can do:

• Design your bedroom in a way that it will be more comfortable, cooler and darker
• Have a sleep schedule and stick to it
• Reduce your intake of coffee during afternoon and early evening
• If you are a light sleeper, you can wear earplugs
• Turn off the TV or computer an hour before you go to bed
• Lessen your exposure to devices and screen after dinner
• Relax and always find time to free your mind of worries before you go to bed

Cognitive functions are very important. Forgetting things may occur as a result of some outside factors such as stress but you can always do something about it. Above all the reminders that are given here, one should be able to recognize the importance of relaxation and happy thoughts.