(2)Take ginseng
The herb ginseng has been found to seriously improve memory – especially for women in their late-50s. Ginseng has also been found to boost brain function in both sexes following a stroke. You can find it at your local pharmacy or health food store.

(3)Try something new
I’m always encouraging people to try something different, such as learning a new language, as it gets the mind working hard.
Our brain is wired to respond to new things – meeting new people, doing activities you haven’t tried before, taking trips to strange places or just talking about a different subject all stimulate the frontal lobes – the ones most susceptible to ageing.
Even simple tricks like using the other hand to apply eyeliner or taking a different route to work can have beneficial effects.

(4)Have fun pottering about
Older people often feel guilty about pottering without serious intent but it’s great for your brain.
Weeding in the garden is good, while many men enjoy tinkering with an old engine in the garage.
Both activities require thought and problem-solving skills such as “which plant should I pull up?” or “what tool should I use?” – and, crucially, they both involve being on your feet, which has been found to make you live longer.

(5)Be more active
Exercise can have a huge impact on boosting your memory, whatever your age. The good news is it doesn’t have to be anything too extreme – it’s doing the job as
long as it increases your heart rate. Try a brisk walk, cycle or swim three or four times a week for 45 minutes at a time.

(6)Make time to sleep easy
Have you ever tried to take a test or do the crossword after a sleepless night? It becomes 10 times harder, so it’s no surprise that a good night’s sleep significantly improves brain functions such as memory and attention. It’s worth going to bed early at least twice a week.

(7)Have a power nap
I know a quick nap can really boost your mental faculties. I often have a doze in the back of the car between meetings. You don’t need a lot of time – in fact, the shorter the better or you can wake up groggy. Sometimes I don’t sleep but go into what I call my “twilight zone”, where I think of nothing and zone out for two or three minutes. It’s enough to refresh me.

(8)Enjoy a cuppa
I’m a tea addict and drink a minimum of six cups a day. I have to drink at least a pint to really get going in the morning. When you drink green tea, or even ordinary builders’ tea, antioxidant levels in your blood soar, revving up your brain. Studies show that tea can help prevent age-related memory loss and keep dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, at bay.

(9)Put more fish on the menu
Fish is an amazing brain booster. It’s been found that healthy middle-aged people who regularly eat oily fish such as salmon, fresh tuna or mackerel have a much lower risk of memory loss and stroke.
Brains of people who eat fish also show far less ageing – probably because the omega-3 fats in oily fish have a protective effect. Eat two portions a week for maximum benefits. However, if you really don’t like the taste, a daily dose of good old-fashioned cod liver oil will do the trick.

(10)Exercise the old grey matter
Puzzles such as sudoku can help keep the brain active but activities where you have to interact with other people are even better – for example, playing cards with a friend.
I think electronic brain-training games are a waste of money – I bought one and found
it far too easy.
Using a mobile or BlackBerry to text is much better, as you have to think on your toes. I used to text with one thumb until I noticed that teenagers used both thumbs, so I became determined to learn this way. It took me two weeks and was hard going – but I got there and my text speed is now twice as fast. I think everyone over 50 should text at least once a day to ward off dementia.

Thanks for adding your thoughts to this

@Stephen: Thanks for the encouragement.
I think walnuts are great for your brain. Besides the Omega-3 in them, somebody once told me that the inside of a walnut even looks like a brain, so it is surely supposed to help

really awesome post. great collection of tips and summaries. i went through a phase where i was researching memory like crazy and a summary like this would have been really helpful.

not sure if i agree that some people are born with sharper memories as much as they’re exposed to things at a young age that develop that kind of thinking. like plays with toys involving mathematical type thinking and so they have a propensity to be good at maths type thing. seems like there’s no difference but the nurture versus nature argument provides a lot of space – the space given by the fact that people with sharp memories developed them – and they can be developed at any time.

your first tip is amazing. prolly one of the most beneficial habits i have – and study techniques – is to write down everything. helps the memory re-lay the pathways and they get stronger, and so your memory gets sharper.

your mnemonic suggestions were also amazing. i used to play around with them loads (even hookt up “mega memory” course which is really just a good summary of the kind of stuff here and elsewhere online)… and although they really really helped, i’m inclined to say that it’s more that you invest in them and spend a lot of time using them and all that time that you use to apply, you’re again cementing the memory pathways. same thing though and it really works.

one thing i think you really left out though – probably the one thing most responsible for my being able to study like a do for exams (very little and remember it all really well – and not always, only recently since i’ve overhauled various aspects of my life) is the idea of deciding to remember it. believing that your memory is perfect already. might be delusional but at the moment when you’re about to remember something, you think to yourself, “of course i’m going to remember this”. a proactive abundance mindset. versus, “oh i hope i remember this”.

inspiring stuff
gave it a stumble

talk to you soon
alex – unleash reality

Thanks for sharing!