7 Science-Backed Strategies to Improve Your Memory

Small memory lapses, like forgetting an acquaintance’s name or why you walked into a room, are incredibly common. They may not be anything to worry about, but if you’re wondering how to improve your memory and keep your brain sharp, keep reading. We tapped experts to explain why people generally get more forgetful as they age and what you can do about it.

“Many of our cognitive skills, like multitasking and processing speed, peak around age 30 and then tend to decline very subtly with age,” says Joel Kramer, Psy.D., a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and the director of the University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Neuropsychology program.

Meet the Experts: Joel Kramer, Psy.D., a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and the director of the University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Neuropsychology program; Sara Mednick, Ph.D., a professor of cognitive science at the University of California, Irvine; Gary W. Small, M.D., director of behavioral health breakthrough therapies at Hackensack Meridian Health and the author of 2 Weeks to a Younger Brain; Laura Vanderkam, time management expert and author of Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance; Susan Albers-Bowling, Psy.D., psychologist at Cleveland Clinic and author of Hanger Management

Luckily, keeping your brain sharp can come down to making the right lifestyle choices. For starters, experts say you should eat well, sleep consistently, and maintain an active social life. Ahead, pros explain the science-backed ways to improve your memory and focus.

Try to remember before Googling

The internet is great for telling you the name of that actor whose name won’t budge from the tip of your tongue. But it’s fueling a modern-day condition called digital amnesia—forgetting information because you trust a computerized device to remember it for you. It’s the reason half of us can’t phone our children or office without using our contacts list, according to a survey by Internet security company Kaspersky Lab.

“The brain is a use-it-or-lose-it machine,” says Sara Mednick, Ph.D., a professor of cognitive science at the University of California, Irvine. When we learn new things and then recall them later, we activate the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, areas of the brain intimately involved with memory. But when we rely on external sources, like our phones or the Internet, to remember for us, those regions of the brain can weaken.

The next time you’re struggling to name an actor, challenge yourself not to look it up. “Work through it and trust that your brain knows the answer—you just need to find it in there,” Mednick says. Similarly, try to make your way to a new address without using Google Maps—or if that’s too daunting, take a new route home from work. “It’s all about not living in automatic mode,” Mednick says. “The more you think things through or try novel approaches, the more you engage your brain to keep it healthier longer.”

Take a nap

Quality restful sleep is non­negotiable when it comes to thinking fast on your feet. As we progress from slow-wave sleep in the first part of the night to REM sleep in the early morning hours, our memories transform the material we learned throughout the day into actual working knowledge.

There’s no substitute for getting those seven to eight hours. But a strategically timed nap can come surprisingly close, says Mednick. “When we nap in the middle of the day, our time in each stage is more efficient,” she says. “In a 90-minute nap, you cycle through both slow-wave and REM sleep, but you do it in the same proportion as it occurs across a whole night of sleep.” Because of this, “a 90-minute nap can rival what you’d get overnight in terms of memory consolidation, creativity, and productivity.” Too tricky to fit 90 minutes into your schedule? A 30-minute nap can help lock in information too.

Get exercise every day

Any time you move in a way that gets your blood pumping, you give your brain a boost. “Blood is filled with oxygen and nutrients that feed our brains,” says Gary W. Small, M.D., director of behavioral health breakthrough therapies at Hackensack Meridian Health and the author of 2 Weeks to a Younger Brain. Exercise also spurs the body to produce a protein that “acts like fertilizer for the brain, stimulating neurons to sprout branches so they can communicate more effectively,” says Dr. Small. When University of Illinois researchers asked 120 adults between 55 and 80 to spend 40 minutes three days per week either walking briskly or stretching and toning, they found that after one year, a memory center (the hippo­campus) of the walkers’ brains was 2% bigger than in the stretching and toning group. That percentage may sound small, but it’s “enough to essentially reverse the brain shrinkage that naturally occurs with aging in the same period of time,” Dr. Small notes.

Even a single workout could be enough to give you an immediate cognitive boost. A small but promising 2019 study found that people who did 30 minutes of stationary cycling had better ability to recall names than others who simply rested.

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Don't multitask so much

Multitasking makes us feel productive, but the opposite is actually true. “The brain is not designed to focus on several tasks at once,” Dr. Small says. As a result, our brains feel stressed when we multi­task, “and we make more errors, which has the ultimate effect of making us less efficient.” (A four-second interruption—the time it takes to glance at your phone—can triple your chances of making a mistake during a task.)

That stress, perceived or not, also triggers the release of hormones that interfere with short-term memory. That’s why if the phone rings when you’re in the midst of a conversation with someone, it can be tricky to remember what you were saying after you hang up.

Instead of attempting to juggle your entire to-do list simultaneously, work smarter and monotask. First, place your phone out of sight; the brain’s ability to hold and process data is compromised whenever a smartphone is within reach, even if it’s powered off. Dr. Small says that designating specific times to answer email every day may squash the compulsion to check your inbox constantly. If the lure of email or social media is too tempting, use a digital time management program like Time Doctor or RescueTime to block access to specific sites.

Some people also find success with a technique called batching, in which you group similar tasks, then tackle them during a specific time period. “Schedule a time each day for small administrative tasks—ideally a time when you’re low on energy, like mid-afternoon,” says time-management expert Laura Vanderkam. This will let you focus on deeper work at other times—and you’ll be more efficient and sharper overall.

Eat for your brain

Nutrition has a striking impact on your day-to-day memory and focus, shaping your ability to retain information and more. Experts often recommend the MIND diet, which experts have found can significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. In addition to eating plenty of whole grains, leafy greens, and fatty fish, try these three science-based recommendations:

Berries and beets. Naturally occurring free radicals are constantly forming in the brain over the course of day-to-day living. If allowed to linger, “they act like rust, causing your neurons to age faster,” says Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D., director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Berries are bursting with anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds with a unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning things in those raspberries actually enter your brain, grab free radicals, and escort them out “like police officers trapping the bad guys,” Mosconi says. Even small amounts can help. Beets are rich in nitrate, which is converted to nitric oxide in the blood. Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels throughout the body, enhancing blood flow. The more blood that reaches your brain, the sharper you’ll be.

Turmeric. This spice is rich in curcumin, a potent anti-inflammatory substance. In a small study, people without dementia who took 90 mg of it twice a day showed better memory and attention compared with those who took a placebo. “Curcumin might be one reason why people who eat a lot of Indian food or spicy curries tend to perform better on cognitive tests than those who don’t, and why rates of Alzheimer’s are lower in India than in the U.S.,” says Dr. Small, who led the study. Take a supplement (check with your doctor first) or try to cook with the spice twice a week. The oil used in cooking increases absorption, so you may not need to eat as much as you’d get in a supplement.

Another important thing to remember, when it comes to eating: Try not to let yourself get hangry—that cranky feeling that comes over you when you’re ravenous (hungry + angry), sabotaging more than your mood. “If you go too long without eating, your blood sugar levels drop, and that impairs your focus and decision-making,” says Cleveland Clinic psychologist Susan Albers-Bowling, Psy.D., author of Hanger Management. That’s because your brain runs on glucose, or sugar, and for that you need food. The amount of time it takes for “hanger” to hit varies from person to person, so the key is to know your own limit, then strive to stay one step ahead of your hunger throughout the day. Try noshing on something that offers protein and healthy fats for staying power, such as nuts, puffed chickpea snacks, or protein bars.

Make time to catch up with friends

According to research published in 2026, reducing social isolation has a protective effect on cognitive function. Making time to catch up with friends and family, volunteering in your community, and finding other ways to engage socially can keep your memory sharp and stave off cognitive decline.

Pick up a new hobby

A hobby isn’t just a way to pass the time. Certain hobbies, like learning to play a musical instrument or creating art, have been shown to improve memory and reduce cognitive impairment. So pick up a paintbrush or that guitar that’s been gathering dust and tap into your creative side. Crossword puzzles and Sudoku can also boost your brain health, according to studies.

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