Whether young or old, we forget things. Can’t go to the grocery because you lost your keys? Once you get there, have you forgotten what you actually needed? It can be so frustrating therefore it is important to work to keep our minds sharp. Similar to the need of physical exercise, our brain needs exercises to keep it in shape. The Memory Bible by Gary Small is a book that introduces strategies for keeping your brain young. Dr. Small is the director of the UCLA Center on Aging. He believes we can help diminish our forgetfulness with his brain fitness program.
Simple everyday basic memory skills that you should familiarize yourself with are: look, snap and connect. Studies show that our memory system works best when the new information we learn or observe has meaning to us. Look. You must observe what you want to learn. One of the most common barriers is that we, as learners, do not pay attention when information is presented to us. Daily we rely on all of our senses but vision is the first skill we use when something new is placed in front of us. Be observant to your surroundings. Snap. Develop mental snapshots of what you want to remember. Creating these vivid pictures can help with your long term memory. Details help with recalling a memory. Focus on the details of each snapshot you have. Connect. Link the images together in a related chain. Start with the first image, which is associated with the second, and in that way your images will become connected. Remember the first image must associate with something that will help you remember the chain.
This book , on such an important subject, has an incredible bout of knowledge. Dr. Small provides a list of foods that have been proven to be memory protective. With the help of this list, you could go on a “brain diet”. Also included in this book are numerous mental aerobic exercises. There is a workbook section with a weekly and daily calender so that you can start the routine of exercising your brain. It is the most important part of your body. Treat it with care. -Quinn
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