Have you been experiencing those “old age moments”? Well, you might be wondering what an ‘old age moment’ means?! So, let me ask you this ‘have you ever gone into a room to get something, only to forget what you actually intended to do there? Or perhaps you just couldn’t recall a very familiar song no matter how hard you’ve tried. These memory lapses are quite often called ‘senior or old moments,’ but don’t be misled by the terminology because they are in no way associated with actual aging.
Obviously, aging does affect our memory function, but the cognitive decline has various other reasons as well. Even in aging adults, the primary cause of memory deficits is not ‘aging’; instead, the memory decline happens because of a neurological condition or organic disorder, or brain injury. However, the good news is that you can actually do something about this memory decline and prevent or delay its progression. Below we have some research-backed suggestions for boosting your mental performance.
1. Have Faith In Yourself
It is a fact that myths and commonly circulated opinions affect a lot. It is commonly observed that because the popular myth goes that middle-aged or older learners usually perform badly on tasks related to memory recall, such individuals would actually struggle a lot compared to others. We’re fortunate enough to live in times where we have amazing avenues and solutions to help us do better for ourselves and really hone in our mental focus. You’ll find that more and more people are using qualia mind premium nootropic for mental performance, and this is because we’re becoming more informed about how effective nootropics can be when it comes to focusing. This, in turn, helps us to understand what matters more in our lives. Such beliefs also work in a self-fulfilling prophecy manner because the more someone believes that they are going to struggle with memory tasks, the less likely they would be to try to excel at those tasks, and eventually, they will end up struggling. Hence this whole cycle starts with the belief and ends up endorsing the belief. However, if you truly believe that you can improve your memory, then you will be able to act upon that belief set and then have a much better chance of staying sharp.
2. Keep The Thirst Of Knowledge Alive
In order to stay cognitively active, one great way is to keep your passion for learning alive. Higher education levels are linked with enhanced mental functioning, even in old age. The general speculation about this is that higher education assists in building strong memory by keeping the person in the habit of dwelling within the mental activity. When someone keeps challenging their brain and indulges in regular mental exercises, they activate various processes that assist them in maintaining the brain cells and offering more stimulation for them to communicate. A lot of people have mentally active job roles, while for others, it is recommended to pursue a hobby (trying to learn a new skill or language) as a great and personally fulfilling way to stay sharp and cognitively fit.
3. Involve All the Senses
The more you get in the habit of using all your senses while learning something, the more active your brain will be, and you will be able to retain that memory for longer. Another advantage of involving all your senses in an experience is that you get to have a holistic experience, and it compliments your learning style. This is because some people are visual learners, while others respond to tactile input better. When you are stimulating all your senses, you are giving a whole different series of challenges and a unique experience to your brain.
4. Give Priority To Challenging Your Brain
You have to make it a priority to challenge your brain or put the mental energy to use if you want to improve it. So, start simply by trying to recall where you placed the car keys or the details of your grandmothers’ house. All of these small exercises will help you stay fresh and keep your memory sharp.
5. Repeat To Retain
In order to retain or remember something, you have to repeat or rehearse it (sometimes, rehearsing loudly and multiple times helps). A lot of people may either find it too obvious or way too simple that they often doubt its efficacy. But this is an effective way to reinforce your cognitive skills and strengthen the connection or memory.
6. Time It Properly
If you want to stay mentally active or boost your mental performance, then you have to time the learning tools properly. Rehearsing or repeating something is a great way to accomplish this goal. However, you should not be rehearsing something without giving a brief gap between two revision slots. In other words, avoid cramming for exams and divide your energy into short time chunks for revision. With spaced-out study time periods, your brain will be better able to grasp the meaning, and you will feel more active than ever before.
The above suggestions are only meant to help you get started on this journey. However, it is highly recommended that you keep adding to this list and come up with your own unique activities and ideas for boosting your mental performance.
