Want to improve your memory? Mindfulness exercises for the brain.

The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Memory Improvement

A study published in 2015 in the scientific journal Psychological Science found that practicing mindfulness primarily reduces stress, anxiety, and pain, and helps improve overall well-being.

Additionally, researchers believed that mindfulness could help improve source memory accuracy. When a person stops analyzing the thoughts running through their mind, it becomes harder to distinguish between real events and those that did not occur.

To verify this, the researchers conducted a small experiment targeting several participants. They presented 15 words, each set describing something without naming it directly, such as: glass, aluminum, handle. These words describe the word “window,” which was not included in the list.

Results showed that 25-30% of participants claimed they heard the word “window” among the words. Here comes the role of mindfulness in improving memory and helping differentiate between real and unreal events.

The researchers also noted that mindfulness helps create a moment in time that allows people to reduce the evaluation of new information and things they receive, thus reducing the amount of thoughts about them, which lowers stress and improves memory.

Practicing Mindfulness to Improve Memory

So, after learning about mindfulness’s role in improving memory, it is important to try practicing it.

To simplify, here are some easy steps to help you practice mindfulness for better memory and enjoy its many related health benefits:

• Sit in a quiet room with dim lighting, on a special cushion on the floor, keeping your back straight.
• You may close your eyes or lower your gaze toward the ground.
• Try to distinguish the thoughts in your mind: this thought is reality, this thought is imagination.
• Try to reduce past or future thoughts and focus on those in the present.
• Use breathing techniques to help, by breathing deeply and calmly.
• Try now to clear your mind of any thoughts by focusing only on the breathing process.

Practicing mindfulness at first may be difficult, so it is recommended to start at home, then gradually practice it anywhere and anytime to enjoy its benefits.

If you face difficulties practicing mindfulness, you can register at a specialized center and join sessions that help you, or use the Tawaazon app, which guides you step by step.