We’ve all been there: You get to the grocery store and completely blank on what you need to buy, or maybe you forget the names of people you know you’ve met a dozen times. If you want to learn how to improve your memory and avoid these situations, these five tips can help.

1. Get enough exercise and sleep. Physical activity increases oxygen to the brain, which enhances its activity. When you’re sleep deprived, your brain doesn’t operate at full capacity. Get a full eight hours to improve your memory.
2. Hang out with friends. While many people think that completing a complicated puzzle improves your brain’s capacity for memory, this isn’t entirely true. Our brains want to remember things that make us happy, such as spending time with friends.
3. Decrease stress. Chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus, both of which are necessary for memory. Check with a doctor to see if anti-anxiety medication may benefit you.
4. Improve your diet. Certain nutrients in food can help to improve memory, including omega 3s in fish, vitamins in fruits and veggies, and antioxidants in green tea.
5. Try new things. Stimulating your brain with activities that are out of the ordinary keeps it growing and developing. Read a difficult book, start an art project, or learn an instrument to help improve your memory.

How to Improve Your Memory [Help Guide]
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Memory [Discovery]
7 Tricks to Improve Your Memory [Health]

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