7 scientifically proven ways to improve your memory in 2025

You may believe that once your memory starts to slip there's little you can do to change things.

But that's not true.

In fact, the brain is constantly changing. It has the ability to grow new cells and form new neural connections, no matter your age. It even has a name: neuroplasticity.

The catch is that you must nurture your brain and provide what it needs to stay healthy. And your daily habits influence how well your brain does or doesn't work – including your memory.

Whether you want to sustain your competitive edge at work, or stay mentally sharp as you age, having a better memory could help.

So, if you’re keen to stay sharp in 2025 and far beyond, here are some scientifically proven tips and techniques that could help you build a better memory.

1. Fuel your brain with the right foods

A picture speaks a thousand words and the diagram below is a perfect visual summary of the diet that is widely thought to be the healthiest of them all.

However you achieve it, the healthiest diets avoid processed foods, sugar and trans fats, while including healthy fats.

Some of the top foods that should feature in your regular grocery shop include:

• Avocado
• Berries
• Eggs
• Dark chocolate
• Leafy greens
• Olive oil

Primarily, sticking to a healthy diet has most positive effect on memory, but these are among the foods that are highly beneficial.

2. Stay hydrated

What and how much you drink matters too.

That's because your brain is 73% water and even mild dehydration causes measurable brain shrinkage with adverse effects on concentration, alertness, and short-term memory.

Indeed, the effects of dehydration on the brain are so pronounced that they mimic the symptoms of dementia.

Water is the best way to keep hydrated, and sticking to the “eight glasses a day rule” is a good start.

However, to understand how much water you really need to keep your brain healthy and hydrated, divide your weight in pounds by two, then turn the answer into ounces and that’s how much you really need to drink each day.

3. Keep your brain and body fit with physical exercise

If you do just one thing, prioritise physical exercise to help keep your brain in shape.

As well as building bigger muscles and a stronger heart, regular exercise also increases brain volume.

In fact, exercise has several brain benefits, including increasing:

• Levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that stimulates the formation of new brain cells and neural connections.
• The number of cells in the hippocampus, your brain’s memory centre.

Although the hippocampus shrinks with age, exercise helps to stimulate its growth.

And it needn’t be strenuous exercise.

While two hours of walking each week can measurably increase hippocampus volume, one or two 10-minute walks each day can help make a difference.

Alternatively, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong all provide significant mind-body benefits.

4. Give your brain a mental workout

As well as improving your memory, exercising your brain can help to:

• Improve your mood
• Think faster
• See and hear better
• React quicker
• Increase your focus, motivation, and productivity.

And, to save you brain cycles, here’s another list of simple ways to exercise yours:

• Turn off the satnav and engage your brain to find your way
• Listen to music
• Learn a new skill
• Take up a hobby
• Meditate

Albert Einstein said: “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”

As long as you use your brain, it doesn't much matter what you learn or where you put your focus.

5. Spend quality time with friends

If you're lucky enough to have an active social life, you're almost certainly enjoying a slower rate of memory decline.

Even a brief 10-minute conversation with a friend can result in measurable memory improvement.

So, take steps to talk more in 2025.

And that doesn’t include texting or emailing – talking on the phone, via video call, or face to face provides far more cognitive value than typing back and forth.

Whether you initiate conversations with your neighbours or pick up the phone to family and friends, ensuring you have real social interaction on a regular basis can make all the difference.

Why not set a regular date to meet a local friend for a catch up and enjoy a meal, a walk, or simply a quick coffee.

If you're an expat and haven't got a close group of friends where you live, look around for a local activity group that might provide the social nourishment you need.

6. Focus on your breath

Due to modern-life stress, chances are you breathe from your chest. The problem with this is that chest breathing reduces the amount of oxygen the brain receives.

You can maximise your oxygen intake by training yourself to breathe properly.

Breathing from your belly (or diaphragmatic breathing) is a solution that sounds easy, but takes practice to maintain.

Try this diaphragmatic breathing exercise for 5 to 10 minutes, a few times a day:

• Sit comfortably or lie down.
• Place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach.
• Slowly exhale through your mouth.
• Then slowly inhale through your nose, concentrating on keeping your chest still while expanding your stomach.

Stick with the exercise for long enough and you should find that you begin to breathe from your diaphragm naturally.

7. Aim for 8 hours of quality sleep

Getting adequate sleep is critical for your overall health and mental wellbeing.

While you are sleeping, your brain is busy consolidating memories, cleansing itself of toxins and metabolic debris, repairing and reorganising itself, and growing new brain cells.

If you don't get enough hours of quality sleep, your memory, creativity, and attention will suffer.

In fact, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles  found that starving yourself of just one night's sleep can affect your mental performance as much as being drunk.

Decisions you make throughout the day can affect your ability to get to sleep. Adapting your lifestyle and adopting healthy habits from this article can help, as can reducing screentime in the run up to your bedtime and hanging blackout curtains in your bedroom.

Get in touch

Taking good care of your brain could help you to live a longer and healthier life.

Just as important as looking after your brain is looking after your finances, so speak with our experienced financial planners to help you identify your financial goals and how much you need to achieve them.

Email enquiries@alexanderpeter.com or give us a call on +44 1689 493455.

Please note

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.