A very high proportion of adults of all ages would jump at the chance to improve their current memory levels, because their memory just is not as good as they would like it to be, or as good as it was in the past. This is not a recent phenomenon, of course - it has always been true, though it used to be mainly associated with aging or diseases such as alzheimers.



In the past, people believed that a person's mind could just get too 'crowded' as he or she grew older and learnt more things. Because the space in which information is believed to be stored was regarded as finite, the theory made sense - as you get older, your brain becomes more and more full of information, so there is little or no room to put in any more. This would actually seems like a disincentive to improve one's own memory!

Nowadays, we know from science that the human brain has an almost unlimited capacity to acquire and attain information, or more than anyone could ever need in one lifetime. Of course, there are a finite number of brain cells, but there are so many that they might as well go on forever! In short, acquiring information is not considered the major problem - it actually never has been. The problem is accessing the information that we have already aquired quickly. That is what requires the power of memory - something some of us do not always feel we have enough of.

The good news is this - the more you exercise your memory muscles by learning new information and performing brain stimulating activities, and playing games and doing work that require some sort of intellectual skill, the more your memory will improve and strenghten. It is also not always true that memory deteriorates as you get older. Many older adults have found some very effective ways to improve memory.

You might feel that you have better and more important things to do than to take measures to improve your memory - but have you considered how important memory is in all aspects of your daily life? A good memory can make work much quicker and so much more efficient. This leaves more time for leisure and rest - the latter also being another good way to improve memory. All of us become more forgetful when we are tired, so getting enough sleep is essential to improving memory. In fact, studies show that even the hour of sleep lost when daylight saving time is implemented is enough to impair memory to some degree!

No matter what your current age is, it is always worth your while to try and improve memory. The payoff and reward is great - even as an older adult, you will be able to participate in conversations, social life, and work. It is not inevitable that older people become forgetful - in fact, if you start now, you have an excellent chance of keeping this from happening to you in the future.