Contrary to popular belief, memory’s not a slice of anatomical geography, a special place in the brain where we go to make deposits and withdrawals and suffer unexplained losses.

“Memory is the process of maintaining information over a short or long period of time. Many older adults have forgetfulness and lapses in their memories and worry about these incidents. It’s important to think about your memory in multiple ways since cognitive function is a much broader idea than just memory. “It includes aspects such as attending, judging, learning, perceiving, problem solving, reacting, socializing and thinking,” says Dr. Graham Mcdougall, associate professor at the University of Texas in Austin where he’s conducting a major study of strategies for memory improvement.

We remember in three ways — verbally, by word recognition, visually, how something looks and kinesthetically, through feel or range of activity. Through the process of memory we register incoming information in the nervous system, retaining it and retrieving it — or not. You can expect to forget almost half of whatever you read in the first 24 hours and more than 80% disappears within a month.

“Age, depression, multiple medications, living alone are risk factors for cognitive impairment,” says Dr. Mcdougall. “Stress or anxiety can make you more forgetful. Hearing loss, poor diet and excessive alcohol may cause memory problems. Such forgetfulness is usually temporary.”

Attitude is important. Studies indicate you can improve your memory through resolve and confidence. Deep focus and serious intent — the desire and determination to remember — appear to predispose us to good recall. And while seeming indifference may be an effective dating strategy, reactive and interactive personality types who ascribe strong feelings and high interest to just about everything, tend to have better memories.

“New research findings suggest that the engagement in cognitively demanding or mentally challenging leisure activities may protect from developing dementia. A study determined that an increase in cognitive activity, reading the newspaper, for example, was associated with a 33% reduction in risk of Alzheimer’s. Additionally, mental stimulation may prevent or delay a normal decline in memory with aging,” says Dr. Mcdougall.

Tips for Improving Your Cognitive Health:

“Use it or lose it,” says Dr. Mcdougall. “The central belief of mental discipline is that the mind lies dormant until it’s exercised. The content of the learning is not as important as the process or ‘training effect’ that it has on the mind.”

• Aspire to lifelong learning and training. Courses, books, games, puzzles are invaluable tools.
• Exercise regularly for better blood flow to the brain.
• Perform daily activities, both social and solitary. Do volunteer work, knit or garden.
• Minimize stress, which can alter the structure of the brain. Try meditation and yoga.
• Get enough sleep. Poor rest can impair cognitive function.
• Eat well, especially fruits and vegetables. Blueberries and strawberries may protect against oxidative stress in the brain.

And Some Memory-Specific Techniques:

• Eliminate distraction.
• Visualize information and process it by involving all the senses. Want to remember a specific breed of dog? Look at a photo, imagine petting it, walking it; then talk about it.
• Recite and repeat — saying something out loud imparts a stronger neural trace.
• Listen attentively.
• Create rhymes. It works. Thirty days has September…
• Practice “chunking.” Learn things in segments the way you memorized the alphabet or your social security number.
• Use memory aids, such as calendars, notes, lists and physical reminders.
• Relax. A relaxed brain possesses greater clarity.

Oh and how about one more reason not to light up – smokers seem to be at greater risk for cognitive decline.