You’re about to take the hardest anatomy test of your school life. Sharpening your pencil, you try to recollect the body part names you memorized just two hours ago but it’s fatuous. You’ve forgotten it all! Does this sound familiar? Don’t worry it happens to the best of us. You just need to learn some easy steps to improve your memory and you’ll pass your next anatomy test with jubilation.

Relax

Did you know that stress can cause your brain to age prematurely? Cortisol has shown to damage and kill cells in the hippocampus area which is responsible for your episodic memory. Try giving yourself a hand massage, squeeze a stress ball, dip cold water on your wrists, or brush your hair. All of those activities can help relieve stress before a test.

Exercise your Brain

When you give your brain new experiences that include physical senses like – vision, smell, touch, taste, and hearing – with some kind of emotional stimulate it can produce brain nutrients that help memory. Some exercises that you should try out are – brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, shower with your eyes closed, and eat unfamiliar foods. These are simple tricks that can have big impacts.

Eat healthy

Research suggests that what we eat can actually impact our likelihood of developing dementia as we age. Stay away from saturated and trans fats in your diet. Pick up more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil. Just some food for thought.

Use Memory Strategies

It’s way easier to memorize information when you break it up into smaller chunks. When studying history try chunking by time periods or events. Chunk foreign language by grouping them into categories. Another strategy to practice is word association. Connect a word by associating it with something an event, person, place, or thing. Rhyming words with the concept you’re studying is also a great way to memorize a topic.

Be Nice to Yourself

Memorizing new topics and terms can be recondite. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ll get there eventually with enough practice and effort. Just keep trying.