Tips to get the most from your memory

As you’ve gotten older, have you noticed that you often find yourself marching around the house in a huff, searching for misplaced car keys or eyeglasses, or that you just cannot remember the name of that new neighbor you met when walking the dog? It’s frustrating, to be sure, but not inevitable — and there are things you can do to help keep your memory sharp.

“Most people get a little more forgetful with aging, but there are some simple things you can do to prevent memory slips and help your brain to learn and remember better,” says Dr. Anne Fabiny, chief of geriatrics at Cambridge Health Alliance and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Fabiny suggests the following  memory boosting tips and tricks:

• Follow routines, such as leaving your car keys, glasses, and cell phone in the same place every day, so that finding them becomes easy.
• Slow down and pay attention to what you are doing to give your brain’s memory systems enough time to create an enduring memory.
• Avoid multitasking and distracting or noisy environments, two major memory busters in today’s fast-paced society. 
• Get enough sleep, reduce stress, and check with your doctor to see if any of your medications could affect your memory — all three are potential memory spoilers.