Everyone should always be looking to better their brain power, but doing so isn’t as simple as just going on regular runs or finding ways to defuse stress. Ideally, you’d train all the different parts of your mind, exercise your core systems, and perform upkeep tasks to ensure that everything’s running as well as it can. (Cover Photo Credit: Freepik)
Memory is a peculiar thing to think about as a part of an exercise routine. After all, you can’t just eat a certain kind of food or hit the gym to enhance your memory directly. Yet, as perhaps our most important brain function, it needs to be preserved and enhanced where possible. Along with some ways to help you do this, we’re looking into how the topic of memory has been blossoming across LA of late.
Memory theme popping up in LA
Across art and media, there have been a fair few high-profile pieces and productions that have had the central theme of memory, and, in particular, memory loss and how it can fade. Most recently, there was a particularly poignant piece by Todd Balf of the Los Angeles Times that explores their memory lapses of events occurring mere seconds ago while also still being able to write full essays. They were described here as memory glitches rather than losses.
You could also see Norman M. Klein’s dive into the history of Los Angeles and what he describes as “the erasure of memory” in the city, particularly when it comes to how it’s changed and how districts have been forgotten since. There was also the return to theatres in January of Eternal Memory. The MTV Documentary Films earned critical acclaim in its initial 2023 run and was welcomed back to the Laemmle Glendale and Monica Film Center.
In another 2024 event, Frieze LA 2024, the art festival saw two very impressive galleries delve into the memory angle. The Nazarian/Curcio gallery demonstrated the Haitian photographer’s portraits of fading family members. Some were cast in shadow, and others blended into the features, making for an intriguing interpretation of fuzzy memory reconstruction. Anthony Meier’s set also played into his love of memory through salvaged wood.
Working on memories
While we often think of memory as a way to recollect the good times and pressing information, it’s also a key component to founding our personalities and behavior. Keeping our memories sharp means keeping ourselves sharp. Many recommend taking on new activities so that you exercise them through learning and recollection. For some, a fun way to do this is to go through the process of learning strategies for games.
This could be for the complex game of chess or for the more straightforward game of blackjack. When playing at online blackjack tables, you can use basic strategy to try to reduce that house edge. Learning basic strategy and then recalling it to make the ideal plays taps into these exercises that bolster your memory. However, when learning, it’s also essential to take a step back from all information feeds for about ten minutes every hour to reset.
Most importantly, you need the right mindset. You need to believe in yourself and that you’re capable of enhancing your memory. Some lose out of the gate because they think memory just degrades over time. It doesn’t – especially if you put some work in. From there, keep up your exercise routine as all forms of exercise – bar ones that smack you around the head – better your brain’s ability to learn, think, and recall.
Memory is a precious tool and resource, and it’s well worth targeting it in your routine. Doing so isn’t overly trying but will yield you substantial benefits.
