Bulk Up Your Brainpower

Mental muscle matters, too. There’s a lot of research on what makes your brain work – and work better. Science writer Emily Willingham, author of The Tailored Brain, plots how much of a pay-off you can really get with different efforts

Pique Your Interest

Curiosity may offer memory benefits, especially when wondering why a piece of information seems weird or why you might be wrong about things. Searching for and finding information revs your brain’s reward circuits, satisfying your curiosity and creating a memory.

Dose Wisely

Taking microdoses of psychedelics such as psilocybin – the active compound in ‘magic mushrooms’ – has been shown, in clinical trials, to benefit those with certain mental health concerns. Less is known about its impact on cognition and memory. It’s illegal to possess or prescribe in the UK... for now, at least.

See What Your Brain Is Doing

It’s not a DIY thing – hence its higher difficulty rating above. But you can work with a neurofeedback or biofeedback expert, who will hook you up to electrodes and a visual readout. Then you carry out different activities to target the brain waves that enhance memory.

Get Present

Mindfulness practices in many forms – from a moment of focus on your breath to longer exercises – can help your mind work better. They may increase connections between neural networks and boost brain waves related to working memory, possibly by helping to eliminate rumination and stress.