brain health · Jun 06, 2025

How to Improve Your Working Memory

man meditating while sitting in lotus position with hands positioned on knees

Written by Abby McCoy, RN BSN

Do you ever feel like your brain is spinning 16 plates at once? That’s your working memory in action. Whenever you do a math problem in your head, follow a list of directions, or run through your packing list as you fill a suitcase, you use working memory to keep your thoughts in line and get things done.

But what if you drop one of those spinning plates midway through your task? When that happens, you may wonder how to improve working memory. In this article, we’ll share how you can give your brain all the tools it needs to keep your working memory in great shape.

What Is Working Memory?

Working memory keeps information at the front of your mind temporarily so you can access and manipulate it to complete a task [1, 2]. A strong working memory uses regions of the brain like the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, and the thalamus to help you learn new skills, make decisions, and stay focused [3, 4].

“Think of working memory as your brain’s ‘sticky note,' where you hold small bits of information for a short period,” says Edmond Hakimi, DO, a dual-board-certified internal medicine physician and the medical director at Wellbridge.

Different types of memory, like long-term and short-term memory, have different uses and distinctions from working memory. Long-term memory is unlimited and almost permanent, meaning you can store information there for many years. That’s why you can remember the time you fell on the playground, or went on your first date [5].

Unlike its long-term cousin, short-term memory is a temporary storage space that holds information for only a few seconds or minutes. Some experts use “short-term” and “working” memory interchangeably, but they have some differences [5].

Both short-term and working memory offer temporary information storage. But working memory allows you to manipulate (change) information to help you learn and understand something [6].

So, where you might keep a phone number or a name on your short-term “sticky note,” your working memory can move information around, letting you do math in your head, follow multi-step instructions, or weigh the pros and cons of a decision.

When Do We Use Working Memory?

We use working memory every day to accomplish tasks at work, home, or school. You may use this memory type to store several variables at once, whether you’re comparing the details of two phones while shopping online, following the steps of a recipe, or remembering directions to a friend’s new house.

Working memory is crucial for multitasking in most workplaces. For example, it allows you to listen to a colleague’s or customer’s problem while simultaneously planning your response; retain new information during meetings; and read and digest reports all at once.

Taking notes also requires working memory, so you can write down the last point while staying engaged and listening to the lecture or presentation. And even conversations require working memory to remember details of the discussion while it’s still happening.

What Affects Working Memory?

Several factors can affect your working memory, both in the short-term and longer. For example, older adults often have trouble keeping the same number of details in their working memory as younger adults or children [7].

“Being hungry or dehydrated can also make it harder to think clearly, and not getting enough sleep is a big one,” says Hakimi, who adds that heavy or frequent use of alcohol can impact parts of the brain involved in focus and memory.

“Another significant factor is stress,” Hakimi continues. “When you are overwhelmed or anxious, it becomes more difficult for your brain to process and retain information.” Overall, your brain functions optimally when your body is well-rested, well-nourished, and not overly stressed [8].

Concussions, brain injuries, and CTE

Traumatic brain injuries like concussions can interfere with important areas of the brain (like the hippocampus) which help memory and thinking [9, 10]. “After a concussion, it is common to experience trouble focusing, remembering things, or keeping up with conversations. Your brain has been through a shock and needs time to recover,” says Hakimi.

Multiple concussions can lead to more lasting memory complications, Hakimi adds, like slower thinking, lower attention span, and challenges with multitasking [11, 12]. Repeated blows to the head can even cause Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease that can cause memory loss, unsteady gait, and speech difficulties [13].

Neurodegenerative disorders (dementia and Alzheimer’s)

Neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or dementia can affect all memory types. Alzheimer’s, in particular, often targets working memory, and the first brain cells (neurons) damaged are those responsible for memory, language, and thinking [14, 15].

This damage happens when certain proteins (beta-amyloids) break down and collect between neurons in your brain. These “leftovers” can clump together like a snowball and form what’s called amyloid plaques, which can stop cells nearby from working correctly. Tau tangles are another form of abnormal protein buildup, causing a kind of traffic jam inside your brain cells and interfering with communication between neurons. [16]

When you have one of these conditions, you may find it more challenging to retain new information, stay organized in your thoughts, or switch between tasks.

How to Improve Working Memory

You can incorporate simple habits to your lifestyle to support and improve working memory.

In general, do not underestimate the value of routines and tools like making lists, using reminders, and breaking down big tasks into smaller steps to alleviate pressure on your memory and keep you focused [36].

1. Try mental exercises and brain training

Train your brain with mental workouts to improve working memory, like puzzles, memory exercises, and games. Here are some examples:

Mnemonic devices: These are clues that help you recall something, like remembering the colors of the rainbow with ROYGBIV [17].
Visualization techniques: In the morning, try visualization techniques that involve your five senses, like using a vision board to assign sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste to your goals or tasks [18, 19].
Puzzles: Crosswords, sudoku, chess, and brain-training apps have been shown to improve working memory in individuals with mild cognitive impairment [20, 21].
Memory games: Card matching games, shopping list games, trivia quizzes, and other memory games may support a healthy working memory [22, 23].

2. Practice habits that support working memory

Healthy lifestyle habits like daily exercise and excellent sleep can also help support your memory.

Get consistent exercise. Both short- and long-term exercise, especially walking or swimming, helps boost blood flow to the brain and improve memory [24].
Prioritize sleep. During sleep, your brain solidifies your memories of the day, which boosts your working memory, plus problem-solving, creative, and emotional regulation. [25, 26].
Manage stress. Lower stress means better working memory, and you can keep the stress at bay with mindfulness techniques and all the other techniques listed above used to help memory [27, 28].
Stay social. Isolation and loneliness have a negative effect on thinking, and eventually lead to issues with working memory, so staying in contact with others can boost your brain power [29].

3. Eat a healthy diet

Your brain uses a lot of energy, and it needs plenty of fuel in the form of nutritious foods and drinks. It is recommended to include plenty of foods rich in omega-3 fats, leafy greens, and berries for optimal brain health.

Omega-3-rich foods support the structure of brain cells, such as [30]:

Salmon and tuna
Walnuts
Canola oil
Edamame
Kidney beans

Foods packed with antioxidants combat oxidative stress, which can flare inflammation and wear down brain cells [31]. You can find antioxidants in [32]:

Olive oil
Fish
Red wine
Berries
Dark leafy greens

4. Supplement smartly

If you’ve ever considered taking a vitamin for memory, you’re not alone — research shows some micronutrients can improve this cognitive ability. For an extra dose of memory-preserving nutrients, consider supplements (like Nouro) that contain ingredients known to support cognitive health, like:

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) [32]
Berberine [33]
Paraxanthine [34]
Alpha GPC [35]

Using Nouro to Improve Working Memory

Nouro, a brain health supplement, contains the memory-boosting ingredients above. Developed alongside Duke Health for nearly a decade, Nouro has been carefully designed to:

Improve memory
Boost cognitive health
Soften the impact of repeated concussions

Its formula of natural ingredients can protect the hippocampus, reduce amyloid plaque buildup, and improve neuroplasticity. Not only can it provide fast results, it offers long-term neurological protection. In fact, clinical studies on mice indicate that Nouro may help reduce hippocampal shrinkage by 35%, improve brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by 35%, and prevent the formation of amyloid plaques.

Takeaways

Working memory holds information temporarily, which you can use and manipulate to solve a problem or do a task.
This memory type uses brain regions like the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, parietal cortex, and thalamus to hold multiple variables in your head at once.
You use working memory every day, whether taking notes during a class or presentation, following a list of directions to a new location, or doing math in your head.
Concussions, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s can negatively affect your working memory capabilities.
You can improve working memory through cognitive training, doing puzzles, and playing memory games.
Healthy lifestyle choices can also boost working memory, including a nutritious diet, great sleep, regular exercise, and stress management.
Supplements like Nouro can give your working memory another lift through its combination of natural ingredients that promote cognitive health and protect against brain injury.

References:

Abby McCoy is an experienced RN who has worked with adults and pediatric patients encompassing trauma, orthopedics, home care, transplant, and case management. She has practiced nursing all over the world from San Francisco, CA to Tharaka, Kenya, and now writes health content for trusted health outlets like Everyday Health and Next Avenue. Abby is a married mother of four living in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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