Title: Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes | HowStuffWorks
Headings: Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes
Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes
To learn more about the various aspects of memory, see:
Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Stress and Memory
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Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Exercise and Memory
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Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Sleep and Memory
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Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Diet and Memory
B Vitamins
Vitamins C & E
Vitamins C & E
Magnesium
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Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Alcohol and Smoking and Memory
Alcohol
Smoking
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Inhalants
Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Supplements and Memory
Ginkgo Biloba
Coenzyme Q10
Huperzine A
Phosphatidylserine (PS)
Pregnenolone
Vinpocetine
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Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Head Injuries and Memory
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Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes, Medications and Memory
Anticholinergic Drugs (scopolamine, atropine, glycopyrrolate)
Anti-epilepsy Drugs (phenytoin/Dilantin)
Opiates (heroin, morphine, codeine)
Psychoactive Drugs
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Content: And it's not just major, life-changing stress that affects learning and memory. Most of us never realize how much of a toll the day-to-day irritations, hassles, and annoyances can take. Whether you're a single parent, a young mom, a middle-aged dad involved in business and your son's sports team, or an established professional nearing retirement age, just getting through the day can present you with endless minor frustrations that can mount up exponentially. Whether the alarm doesn't go off...you can't find your best pair of pants...the children are fighting over the last waffle...you forget to refill the gas tank...your secretary calls in sick...the dog throws up on your expensive new rug...all of these seemingly minor problems trigger stress. How many of them there are, and how you react to them, can determine how they will ultimately affect your ability to concentrate and remember. Oddly enough, short-term, mild-to-moderate stress can actually improve cognitive performance and enhance memory. The body's immediate reaction to a sudden stressor includes the release of hormones and other chemicals, including epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine, that trigger the body's so-called fight or flight response and, in the short term, make you more alert and focused. To maintain this reaction beyond a few seconds, the body also releases glucocorticoid hormones (such as cortisol). A slightly elevated level of glucocorticoids appears to assist in the laying down of new memories. Major or prolonged stress that goes untempered, on the other hand, can have a negative impact on memory and concentration.