Hobbies And Interests
Online Games
People spend a great deal of time on the Internet daily, and there are several websites online that have large collections of games that help build cognitive skills. For example, Memory-Improvement-Tips offers over 100 brain building mini-games, several of which help build memory retention skills, such as 3D mazes, face recognition and matching games. Another website, Play With Your Mind, has games specifically designed to build memory skills, such as Word Order. This game gives you a list of words for a brief period of time, jumbles the list and challenges you to put it back in order. All these games are free and can be played from the comfort of your home, during a break at work and in between periods at school.
Games for Children
Children's brains develop rapidly, requiring constant stimulation and challenge. Developing good retention skills early gives youngsters a better memory for the future. Get your children to remain quiet for a minute; during that time, make or play as many animal sounds as you can. After the minute is up, ask your children to write down every animal they heard in the order the sounds were made. Take your children to the beach. Take a piece of driftwood and write as many words and symbols in the sand as you can then rub them out. Have your children repeat everything you wrote.
Memory Building Puzzles
Puzzles are wonderful for improving brain power and building memory retention. Puzzle games, such as crosswords, jig-saw puzzles and Sudoku, are excellent for memory retention because they engage our ability to recall information; for example, crosswords challenge us to recollect trivia information that may have been learned long ago. These games are relaxing and best suited for leisure time. They can be played in a group or on your own; for instance, increase the challenge of a Sudoku by racing to complete one against a friend. Solving these puzzle games, as often as you can, will exercise your brain thoroughly, and you'll soon notice improvements.
Improve Health, Improve Memory
The key to keeping your memory skills sharp isn't rooted in just exercising the brain but through taking good care of the body as well. Sleep, for example, is essential to good memory because the memory centers in the brain are recharged during the deepest, REM sleep. Getting enough sleep every night will help you reach maximum brain operation, which will make memory retention and recollection easier. Furthermore, eating a healthy, well balanced diet will supply your brain with the proper nourishment so that it can function at its best. Being well nourished and rested will increase your brain's performance which, in turn, enhances memory.