You have a natural genius and an amazing capacity to remember things. If you're not already enjoying the fruits of your wondrous memory, perhaps you feel you need a memory upgrade. In addition to using the right 'fuel' as discussed in part 2, there are some other areas where you could give your body and mind some additional support to improve your memory. Here are some additional highly beneficial things you can do for your memory.

For most students, often one of the most neglected areas is sleep. Are you so busy studying (or working) that you are not getting all the Zzz's you need? Most adults need 7-8 consecutive hours of sleep each night; children and adolescents need quite a bit more. If you aren't getting enough quality sleep, your memory is one of the first things to suffer.

You need sleep to create important memory links and connections. When you first learn something, that information is fragile; the imprint on your brain is very delicate. When you sleep your brain reviews that information and forges stronger pathways so it becomes a more solid part of your knowledge base. In other words, if you don't get enough sleep, you will have memory trouble. If you have been sleep deprived, then getting enough sleep is one of the easiest and fastest ways to improve your memory.

Another area that is essential to support your superb brain function, including memory, is regular exercise. Many students who spend all their time studying, or balancing between work and studying, neglect exercise and miss out on one of the essential components to keeping the brain and the memory working at it's highest level. Regular exercise improves your circulation, and brings oxygen rich blood to your brain, helps relieve stress and depression, and helps keep your body in balance. You may not want to hear it, but physical exercise is essential to keep your brain at its best.

If your schedule is already overloaded with work, school and family, you might think that yet another activity or expense is going to be the straw that could break the camel's back - but it doesn't have to be. And the benefits to you if you approach exercise intelligently far outweigh the small investment of time.

For example, walking is great exercise and it is something that nearly everyone can do. If you build it into your daily routine, then you are set. If walking is not practical for you, you might consider using exercise videos and exercising at home. If you prefer the company of others, there are probably a large variety of classes at your college or university that offer a healthful amount of exercise that you could join. Choose something that is fun for you so you look forward to doing it rather than seeing it as another chore.

When you consistently get enough sleep and you exercise, you will be astonished at how easy it is to remember things, and how quickly your memory improves.

Here's to your success!

Copyright 2005-2006 by Teresa Bolen. All rights reserved.