5 Surprising ways your style can spruce up your memory
“Crossword puzzles, foreign languages, brain games and…fashion?”
When we think of ways to improve memory, style and appearances are not likely topics that cross our pliable minds. Improving memory through learning new concepts, beefing up our social lives and perhaps with exercise and a healthy diet are commonly known lifestyle strategies for a stronger memory. Style or fashion, on the other hand, might seem at first glance to be a somewhat shallow endeavor that, while fun for some, might soften the mind instead of strengthening memory and brain health.
Think—and dress—again!
We can all generally agree that there are times when appearances matter. Presenting ourselves “appropriately” at special events, looking professional and respectful when the occasion calls for it, and generally showing up in the world in a way that establishes that we care about our appearance speaks to other aspects of our personality as well. The “right” outfit for an interview can make a great impression to a potential employer, while a flattering style or dynamite outfit when out on a date or with friends allows us to feel like we look our best. Paying attention to the clothes we wear also presents a chance for us to display our personality or lifestyle in a way we simply can’t with words or actions.
“Fashion is very important. It is life-enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well.”
The exciting news about style is that it can (and does) go so much deeper than appearances. By paying attention to the clothes we wear every day, regardless of the occasion, we also style ourselves with a better memory — both in the moment and over time.
Below are five important ways that fashion and style can improve your memory. This does not this mean you need to spend a fortune on new clothes or dramatically change the way you dress. Nor does it not mean you need to get eccentric about clothes and appearances. These memory tips in no way require you to procure a new wardrobe or change the general type of clothing you wear — you can get creative with what you already have hanging, folded, or even shoved to the back of your closet. We’ll illustrate why and how paying attention to your attire can be the perfect accessory to your best memory.
Here are a handful of well-dressed reasons that style should be a key focus for a fit mind:
1. How we dress attracts conversations
We make friends by talking to strangers…
Conversations lead to friends, and friends are good for your memory. We make friends by talking to strangers. Research indicates that among mature adults with robust social networks, memory loss related to Alzheimer’s and Dementia is reduced by as much as 50%. Not only do our ties with friends and family improve the health of our memory over the long-haul, but daily social interactions (like short casual conversations) also improve our ability to remember in the moment.
“A recent study among college students showed that those who had brief conversations with a stranger immediately before taking a memory test had significantly better scores than those who did not.”
Socialization is a healthy (if not vital) aspect of our memories. It’s the conversations and interactions we have with people on a daily basis along with the more global social networks we build over time — the friends, family and a support system we have to lean on– that are important factors. So how, exactly, does what we wear fit into the equation? How can style support socialization?
There are as many ways that style can be used to solicit, nurture or inspire social interactions and relationships as there are different hairstyles, shoe styles, and hem lengths. How many times have you started a conversation with someone else based on an item of clothing or piece of jewelry they were wearing? Can you think of a few times this week that you noticed and complimented someone else, or received a compliment or comment yourself, on a haircut or unique garment or accessory?
Do a quick mental review of the things you wear and how you wear them through the course of a typical week. Consider ways you could alter a typical outfit to make yourself more engaging to another person. Try new combinations of clothing, using accessories if you typically do not (or omitting them if you do), and adding color to a regularly neutral wardrobe are all ways to be more engaging through style. Wearing your hair in a new style, getting a little more gussied up than usual, or tucking in a usually un-tucked shirt are a few simple and quite useful options.
2. Style is a creative outlet
Being creative with hobbies and projects is good for our mind and memory. It’s not just the mind bending intellectual hobbies that create new neural connections in the brain, it is anything that commands our attention and requires us to focus on a given task.
Creative endeavors and hobbies need not be uncomfortable or challenging, they just need to present new and different perspectives to provide a memorable benefit!
When it comes to fashion and style, it does not matter whether or not we are “good” at styling ourselves for the endeavor to benefit our minds. Every day we have an opportunity to get creative by putting together a new and different image through our attire. Creating unique combinations of clothing and accessories (and maybe even a new way of combing our hair) engages our creative thoughts and presents a new opportunity to challenge our minds each day.
Challenge yourself to create a few unique outfits or combinations of clothing and accessories this week! Some fun challenges include seeing how many different ways you can use a single article of clothing, or incorporating items you rarely wear. Make a mental note of how you feel and the conversations you engage in each time you wear a new ensemble; your creative style will most certainly lead to new memorable connections and positive feelings.
3. We can accessorize with reminders.
Ever worn a rubber band around your wrist as a reminder? The string around the finger cliché is one we don’t need to actually employ, but there are other fun and creative ways we can use style and accessories as reminders that don’t involve twine and our phalanges. Not only can our attire help us to remember the things we tend to forget on a regular basis, but it can also help stimulate our minds in a way that can boost the health of our brain and memory in the long term.
Consider some of the things that you have trouble remembering to do or not to do on a daily basis. Whether or not you have taken your vitamins, remembering to call a friend on their birthday, or maybe being reminded not to eat sugar are some useful examples. Consider putting on a bracelet every morning and removing it when you take your medication or accomplish another “forgettable” task as a way to wear around an important “to do” reminder. By looking at your wrist and seeing that the bracelet is gone, you will be reminded that yes – you DID take your pills (feed the dog, turn off the oven…).
Wearing an item that reminds you of a friend or family member on their birthday or anniversary, will serve as a reminder to think of them and call them on their special day. Try an item of clothing or jewelry they gave you or once complimented you on, or even their favorite color or scent.
Wearing something noticeable can serve as a reminder of something not to do as effectively as it can remind you of something you need to do. Using the sugar example, wearing a bright pair of socks, a snug-fitting belt, or some dangly earrings can serve as a constant reminder of a resolution to avoid the sugar waiting for you in the break room, or to avoid the second or third (let’s be real maybe the fourth) cup of coffee.
Articles that stimulate our memory through our senses, like attention-grabbing colors and special scents, are style upgrades and additions that bolster our brain not just through the course of a day as reminders, but also strengthen our memory over time. They are aspects of our style that enhance how our mind works through the stimulation of our senses.
We’ve all had that experience of a certain scent, maybe of a special flower, our grandmothers perfume or the aroma of a specific family meal, that catapulted our minds back to a time in our childhood. Wearing essential oils, a special aftershave, or even using a new laundry detergent are tiny things we can do that stimulate our minds through our delicate sense of smell through the course of a day. A bright orange pair of socks or patterned scarf or tie are accessories that constantly grab our attention and retrieve our focus from the past or present and bring it back to the here and now.
4. What we wear can make us feel good.
How we dress can improve our emotional state of mind.
When we feel positive emotions, our amygdala is fired up and assists our brains in digesting experiences and encoding them into long-term memories. It’s been well documented that positive thoughts and feelings are associated with better memory, both in the moment and over time.
Scents, accessories, and items that have emotional currency, like the silly socks your sister put in your stocking last year or the scarf that your daughter picked out for you, are all great ways to brighten your emotional climate through your style. Challenge yourself to put at least one thing on your body every day that makes you smile. Do your emotional health (and your memory) the biggest favor by paying your emotional bankroll forward and complimenting someone else on their attire – or their smile – today!
5. Our style makes us memorable.
“For it is in giving that we receive”
It is commonly said that the best way to get what you want out of life is to give it away to someone else. By dressing in a way that helps us to remember, we are also helping others through being memorable. While it may sound silly or just downright superficial to imply that we are giving the “gift” of our appearance or style to another person, let us consider a few particulars.
Whether meeting new people or talking to friends or coworkers, it is often a challenge to remember specifics like names or details of conversations and interactions. In order for the human brain to create a memory, we must be mindfully engaged and paying attention. In dressing in a way that is visually appealing or engaging, we assist another person by helping them pay attention to the interaction and to be present in the moment.
Our physical appearance offers memorable visual cues for another person to consciously or subconsciously use in the process of receiving information and encoding experiences into memory. A noticeable tie, a unique pattern, or a new way of combing our hair are visual details that are attention grabbing and can serve as memorable gifts to others. These elements are helpful to others in remembering our names, the content of our conversations, and even in encoding the broader memory of the day. Simply put, our style and attire can help others to remember us and the moment.
By looking our best, we are giving others a silent compliment saying that we find them worthy of our best selves and our best effort. In the same way that our attire can make us feel good, how we dress has the ability to make another person feel good. And remember what positive emotion does for the brain?! When we show up for an appointment, a social event or just another day at the office, a put together appearance relays respect for that person and the importance we place on our interaction with them.
Finally, by dressing in a way that helps us to be memorable to others, we leave our positive impression in the minds of others and give rise to our living legacy. The mark we leave on this world is housed in the minds and memories of those we walk this planet with. While the clothes we wear in no way impact the quality of our character or the true nature of our soul, the clothes we put on tomorrow just might play a part in the new souls we encounter and the characters we meet.