Keeping Mind & Memory Sharp

Keeping both mind and memory sharp is vital to a full life. Anyone who has misplaced glasses or forgotten the name of a familiar person knows the agony of a memory gone AWOL. In more severe cases, a slump in our mental abilities can be a sign of dementia or other serious conditions.

As we age, all of us are at risk of experiencing a gradual decline in our cognitive abilities. However, many experts believe that people who take steps to keep their brains engaged can recharge their mental batteries and prevent or delay age-related "brain drain."

Using certain memory-enhancing techniques and regularly challenging your brain may help keep your gray matter "in the pink."

Remembering Not to Forget

Memory problems are among the most common symptoms of mental decline as people grow older. The three types of memory are short-term memory (events that happened in the past few instants), recent memory (events that occurred in the past several hours) and remote memory (events that occurred long ago).

In your 20s, brain cells begin to die off and production of certain brain-boosting chemicals starts to subside. Over time, these changes start to impact your ability to remember, particularly in terms of recent memory.

To help yourself remember, try the following:

Write things down. The simple act of committing a note or idea to paper helps to fix it in your memory. Repeating the words aloud as you write may make you feel silly, but the payoff is even better memory retention. If your memory fails despite these measures, at least you'll still have a written note or list to remind you of what you are trying not to forget.
Visualize. Create a visual image by drawing a picture of what you are trying to remember. Or, simply create an image of the item in your mind's eye. For example, imagine your favorite dress hanging over your car door. Doing so may help you to remember pick up your laundry from the cleaners when you walk out to your parked vehicle at the end of the workday.
Organize. Keeping things organized in an orderly, logical fashion helps you recall important information. For example, keep your wallet and keys in the same spot on the kitchen counter every day, and you'll never have to search your home for them again. Taking a certain medication at the same time every day will keep you from forgetting to treat yourself. A small calendar tucked into your pocket or purse can be an invaluable aid to remembering appointments, phone numbers and other information.

Stretching Your Brain

In addition to using memory-enhancing techniques, most of us can benefit from engaging in activities that exercise our brains. To keep the mind sharp, try the following:

Read. Few things benefit the mind as much as curling up with a good novel or reading the paper every day over morning coffee. Reading is like a workout session for the mind. It also helps you to relax and makes you more worldly and interesting.
Play games. Working on crossword puzzles or playing word games such as Scrabble can stimulate your mind and help build a bigger vocabulary. Many games -- including chess and various card games -- are inherently social activities where you can keep your mind active through conversation and friendly debate.
Learn. Whenever you learn something new, the brain creates new connections between nerve cells, enhancing overall brain function. Almost any type of learning will do -- from studying a foreign language or enrolling in a cooking course to less vigorous undertakings, such as learning to play poker or volunteering at a soup kitchen for the first time.
Exercise. A growing body of evidence suggests that physical exercise helps keep your brain in tip-top shape. Exercise increases blood flow to all areas of the body, including the brain. It may also delay damage to brain tissue that begins in your 40s. To get the full benefit, it is important to exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week or more.

When to Call the Doctor

Our minds normally slow and our memories grow dimmer as we age. However, in some cases, cognitive decline can be signs of something more serious, such as developing dementia.

Certain symptoms may indicate potential trouble, such as struggling to remember how to perform actions you've done many times before. Other signs of potentially serious cognitive problems include repeatedly forgetting things more often in the past, experiencing difficulty learning new things and repeating yourself in the same conversation.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you are urged to consult a physician.