Memory is simply recalling things that have happened previously. To stay sharp and alert, and to be able to recall both short-term and long-term memories, it's necessary to keep your memory healthy. One way to do this is to use brain teasers and riddles.
What Are Short-term and Long-term Memory?
According to HelpGuide.org, a non-profit website, short-term memory helps retain information for just a few seconds or a few minutes because the human brain is not designed to retain every phone number or fact forever. Long-term memory helps recall memory that is important or might be needed again later, such as childhood memories, work-related procedures, or emotional reactions such as personal experiences that make a personal impact.
How the Brain Gathers and Stores Information
The human brain may not be as efficient at gathering and storing information, according to HelpGuide. The stages of memory include the following:
- Acquisition: Obtaining the data requires concentration to retain this new information.
- Consolidation: Concentration helps the brain remember something new in tandem with the importance of this new data, which might have made an emotional impact.
- Retrieval: The brain follows the same path to retrieve the information as it did to store it, so recalling the new data often helps retrieval easier.
Improve Brain Memory with Exercises
Simple mental exercises that challenge the brain in a new way create new pathways that weren't being used previously. HelpGuide recommends brushing teeth with the other hand or showering with your eyes closed to create new brain pathways.
Solving brain teasers and riddles can be great ways to try out new ways of thinking, too. In turn, memory is enhanced. The way to use brain teasers and riddles to actually improve memory is to use clever tricks to retain information. One such trick is mnemonics. An example is first-letter mnemonics, where an acronym stands for other words. It is the trick itself that opens up the new pathways for retention.
Find Online Sources of Brain Teasers and Riddles
The Internet is packed with websites featuring brain teasers and riddles that exercise the brain and improve brain memory. A search for "brain teasers," "memory games," and "riddles" will bring up enough word puzzles, matching games, and problem-solving games to keep anyone busy for years. Some popular websites include:
- agameaday.com
- ClubBing.com
- social networking sites, like FaceBook and MySpace
Keep the Brain Healthy
According to HelpGuide.org, ways to keep the brain and memory healthy in addition to brain teasers and riddles follow:
- getting enough sleep to be refreshed to be able to concentrate
- eating healthy foods that contain B vitamins and antioxidants
- not smoking so the risk of stroke and other brain disorders are minimized
- regularly exercising to increase oxygen to the brain as well as maintain good health
- managing stress because cortisol is the stress hormone and can damage the memory portion of the brain if stress is unrelieved
A Healthy Brain is a Happy Brain
Engaging the brain every day keeps it active, alert, and ready for change. By following the steps listed above, the physical part of brain health are covered. By playing word games and brain teasers, the mental part of the brain gets exercise.
Peggy Hazelwood - Peggy Hazelwood+ is a word nerd who has worked as a reporter, proofreader, technical editor, freelance copy editor, and freelance writer ...
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