How Do You Make Yourself Remember?

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Rohan walked into the room full of people, and paused. He was suddenly blank - what had he come here for?

Meenu couldn't recall the name of the shopping mall they used to visit a year back. She thought and thought, but the name wouldn't come to her.

The boss was shouting at poor Jatin again. He had forgotten to make the entries in the system - a work his boss had reminded him the day before as very important.

Zakir brought the groceries and put them on the table. Saira was dismayed that half the things she had asked for were missing!

Is this something from your life?

Are you forgetting things, or struggling to recall simple tasks or information?

Do you feel confused or fuzzy when asked to remember something simple that you simply can't put your finger at?

As you grow in years, your memory power starts dwindling. However, in today's times, one can become forgetful or unmindful even in their twenties. 

You guessed right! Being on the smartphone most of the time, scrolling through social media feeds, doesn't actually make us smart. Rather, quite the opposite. Our brains become to used to being in the passive mode, just registering information, that tasks that require a little exercise seem tedious.

A typical urbanite spends 4-5 hours surfing on social media or binging on viewing platforms at an average. During that time, the brain is mainly in hibernate mode. 

As any physician will tell you, the more you use the brain, challenge it and keep it active, the better mental alertness you will have.

Now, since we can't chuck off social media scrolling neither can we suddenly develop crossword or Sudoku solving habits, let's see how we can keep the brain active and increase memory retention.

• Read something daily. Either the newspaper, or some magazine or journal, or even better, any book. Reading engages the brain actively.
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep. Yes, its stating the obvious, but good sleep is like oxygen to the brain.
  Sleep time is when the brain is doing its spring cleaning - shedding off waste, replenishing its cells, rejuvenating. Lack of proper rest messes up the brain like no other.
• Soak a few almonds overnight and have daily. Or have walnuts. Almonds and walnuts have Omega 3 that helps memory retention. Oily fish like salmon, carp, bhetki are also extremely rich in Omega 3.
• Try to do some exercise of the brain everyday - whether it's memory games, or solving puzzles, or mental math. 
• When you go to a new place, observe 5 things around you. Close your eyes and try to recall these
• Do simple calculations in the mind rather than using the calculator, similarly, look up information in books rather than on internet. 
• Take part in quizzes when possible. 
• Learn a new skill or a language or an art 

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  Talk to people, initiate conversations with co-passengers in public transport, or chat with your delivery boy or domestic helper. Loneliness is worse than smoking - it kills the spirit. Mix with people, or talk to your loved ones or friends. Humans are social creatures - isolating yourself can be deadly.
  
  
• Get some fresh air and exercise. Don't stay cooped indoors all the time with your device. The brain needs food and fresh air too! Meditation helps in calming the mind, and increasing mindfulness. Be in the moment, rather than constantly recreating the past or imagining the future.

Keeping your brain in shape will pay off in the long run. With age-related diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer's on the rise like never before, letting our grey cells rust is not a risk worth taking, at all!

Work to make your brain remember!

#ForgettingThings

#Alzheimers

#WhyDoWeForget

#Dementia