How to Boost Your Memory Development?





Memories are formed by neurons that fire in our brains that create or change the networks of connections. Our memory system keeps on developing from being a baby to a teenager and into early adulthood. 

We know that our brains are not fully developed at the time of birth and grows with time and age and so does our memory. Memories aren’t just stored in one part of the brain.

We are programmed with different kinds of memories and these memories have various specialized interconnected parts in our brain. 

Journey of Memory from Infancy to Adolescence

Our memories from our early days are not there in our minds. No matter how hard we try to jog our memories we just can’t remember how our first birthday was or the first time we walked. But why? When we are born, we have a brain size which is three-quarters of the size of the adult brain.

It still has to develop. The major kind of memories that we recollect are the episodic memories. Episodic memories are the memories of events that happened to us and are stored in hippocampus, a part of brain embedded deep into the temporal lobe. During our growth, many parts of our brain keep changing and developing but it is the hippocampus (one of few regions) that keep on producing new neurons in adulthood.

In our early ages, the production of these neurons is at a great rate. Even though, this production continues into adulthood, the rate of activity is slower. Scientists think that this rapid rate of production of neurons might be the cause of or contributes to higher forgetfulness in our early ages. But how?

This is caused because the new formation of memory circuits form, the masses of these new neurons may disrupt the existing networks of the already formed memories in the early ages. 

Development During Adolescence

Many people think that our brains stop developing once we hit puberty and adolescence but it’s not true. Our brain keeps on developing during this time especially our prefrontal cortex. 

If you ask an adult over the age of 30 about the memories that they can recollect, they’ll be able to recollect more memories from their adolescence and early adulthood than from any other time in their lives, before or after. This phenomenon is known as the ‘reminiscence bump’. 

This usually happens because we start forming our self-identity. It is a time when we develop ourselves and emerge a stable and enduring self. Such phases in life are strong and so is the power to remember it. Our brains work in a rather intelligent way.

Memory Strategies for Teenagers

Teenage years are the most crucial years for memory development. If directed in the right way, memory developing can be shaped as well. Hence, the teenagers should practice to remember better. This is where memory strategies come in play.

It would help the teenager to process the information better and enhance it at the same time. Some of the important things that can help are:

  • Organization: It helps to organize the information in order access the necessary information easily.
  • Understanding: If understanding of an information is well, it is easily recalled and remembered.

Memory boosters can help teenagers to develop good-memory. It would help them to understand, organize and recollect information easily. Some of the food that a teenager can add to their diet are:

  • Berries of any color.
  • Beetroots
  • Crab and other pink and orange seafood.

Along with these, adding breathing exercises and calming exercises can also help them to boost their memory and improve it.


Written By - Farheen Firoz

Edited By - Nidhi Verma