WARNING: These Bad Habits Increase Memory Lapses

Memory lapses can sabotage your chances of CELPIP success. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to avoid them and enhance your short- and long-term memory. Start by dropping the following habits.

        1.    Using your digital devices before bed 

Research suggests that spending two hours or more using your mobile phone brings down your body’s natural sleep hormones. As a result, you’ll find it more difficult to fall asleep. There’s a huge chance that you’ll end up sleep-deprived, which has severe repercussions on your cognitive abilities. 

        2.    Staying up late 

Sleep deprivation hampers your mental processes. It diminishes your energy reserves and impairs your ability to filter, analyze, and retain information. So, make sure you get adequate rest throughout your CELPIP preparation exam period. Take cat naps if you failed to get eight hours of sleep.

        3.    Being a couch potato  

Leading a sedentary or inactive lifestyle has a negative impact on your physical and mental health. It puts you at a higher risk to develop various health conditions (e.g., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc.) and experience anxiety and depression. It also puts the areas of your brain that are responsible for information processing and retention on “rest mode.” So, integrate exercise into your CELPIP review routine. Get your blood pumping at least once a day to keep your cognitive faculties in top condition.

       4.    Having an unhealthy diet 

Do you want to keep your mind in top condition? Limit your intake of fatty and sugary food. Studies show that frequent consumption of these types of food increases the risk of experiencing memory lapses, mental blocks, and brain fogs. And, you certainly do not want to experience any of these when you take the exam. So, adopt a healthy diet. Don’t skip meals and stick to nutritious food during your CELPIP preparation exam period.

       5.    Smoking

Cancer sticks are health hazards. Using them frequently not only wrecks your physical health, it also impairs your cognitive faculties—especially your ability to remember information. Using cigarettes negatively affects your brain’s blood supply, limiting the amount of oxygen in the areas involved in processing and retaining memories.

       6.    Drinking

Is drinking one of your go-to ways to unwind after a long day? If so, make sure you drink responsibly. Avoid heavy drinking and don’t consume alcohol the night before a CELPIP training session. Here’s why: Even if your alcohol level has normalized and you didn’t suffer from a hangover after a night of light drinking, it’s still highly likely that you’ll experience impaired retention and delayed recognition the following day.

Don’t let weeks of CELPIP preparation exam go to waste. Avoid these habits to reduce or eliminate your chances of experiencing memory lapses.

References:

Neurosurgery. “Habits That Can Negatively Affect Your Brain.” Share UPMC. December 29, 2014. Accessed October 23, 2018. https://share.upmc.com/2014/12/habits-can-negatively-affect-brain/

Steber, Carorlyn. “11 Bad Habits That Can Mess With Your Memory, Because Your Lifestyle Has a Bigger Impact Than You Think.” Bustle. February 15, 2017. Accessed October 23, 2018.  https://www.bustle.com/p/11-bad-habits-that-can-mess-with-your-memory-because-your-lifestyle-has-a-bigger-impact-than-you-think-38303