You begin to notice that you cannot remember where you put your keys or once again forget an important meeting, you cannot focus on important issues and are always distracted, Don't remember a new document carefully or can't remember a recently passed document? If so, it is worth thinking about how to improve memory and attention in adults and regain their old state.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create an online diary or calendar with reminders so you don't miss out on important events and appointments. But what to do with information that needs to be remembered and transferred into long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not that simple. Although there are many choices, pill formulations, and many supplemental drugs, there is currently not much scientific evidence that they actually improve brain function and thinking processes. And testing a $ 50 drug that promises to boost nerve connections in the brain in just a few weeks doesn't sound very appealing, especially if the appointment is made by a doctor as part of a promotion. forever.
In the 21st century of information technology, to be able to cover the entire volume or even prepare for an exam, don't just take the time for it. The core of the problem is often just poor memory, weak memory and the wrong approach to learning.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective memory enhancement methods and ways to improve brain function, both short and long term at home, and even making exam preparation easy. easier. Below we will review each of them separately.
Try meditation to improve your concentration
Note is one of the main components of memory. For data to move from short-term to long-term, you need to focus on this particular section of the documentation. Try to do important things away from distractions like TV, music, phone, chat room, and other entertainment activities.
It's not always easy to do this, especially if you are surrounded by noisy neighbors or children. Try to set aside some time for yourself when no one is in the way so you can focus on your work.
Memory and concentration reside in almost the same area of the brain. It has been shown that with increased concentration of attention through meditation, it leads to improved brain performance and memory processes in adults.
Meditation improves and develops working memory, temporarily storing the data you need throughout the day. Simply put, at a certain point in the brain there are 7 pieces of information, when a new part appears, it replaces the old part, which has or has not been recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps you get the information you need in a given amount of time faster.
Not sure how long it will take to see a positive result. Generally, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effect of meditation increases your ability to overcome mental noise (distraction) and focus on what you need to know at one point or another.
Here are some more effective ways:
- Turn off all learning notifications.
- Try to isolate yourself from people you know while studying. Go to a library or cafe where you won't be disturbed.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoid multitasking and frequently switch to other documents.
Don't cram
In order to fully process this or that information, it needs to be studied in a variety of approaches. Studies have shown that people who regularly study a particular material in parts memorize it much better than those who learn everything at once.
The structure and organization of your data
Researchers have found that information is organized in the brain into linked "clusters". This data structure capacity of the brain can be used in everyday life. Try putting similar ideas and terms together, or sketching out notes or groups of documents from different books, which will make it easier to remember and highlight the information you want from sources. different.
Use memorization and abbreviation
Mnemonics is a memory technique commonly used by students to get data from the brain faster. In other words, it's an easy way to remember complex information. For example, you can associate a term you want to remember by linking it to a topic you're familiar with. The best memory skills are those associated with positive visuals or humor. You can think of a rhyme, song or joke to memorize a particular segment of a document.
Abbreviations are the most commonly used technique for memorizing linking short lists or strings.
In everyday life, we are so used to acronyms that we don't even notice them and don't think about what words they are made up of.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own abbreviations.
Analyze the detailed document and repeat what you passed
To memorize information, you first need to make your brain understandable, then repeat everything you learned again, and the information will fall into long-term memory. . For example, read the definition of a major term, study its definition, then read a more detailed description of what that term means. By repeating this process a few times, you will likely find that you remember the term easier and faster over time.
To review your research, you should also divide it into three difficulty categories. For each of them, choose the amount of time you spend and the number of days of the week.
Review the document again, if you remember it, just repeat it once a week.
If you are having difficulty reproducing the information, read it again every few hours or every other day.
And if you don't remember anything, study the material again in 10 minutes. After the whole cycle repeats, you rearrange the information the way you remember it and allocate your time to repeat and fill the gaps.
Information visualization
Visualizing information often helps people remember material better because some people have more visual perception. For example, pay attention to pictures, graphs, and tables in similar instructions. You can create your own diagrams, diagrams and drawings, use margin notes or a colored marker to remember important points, and quickly find what you need.
Associating new information with known information
When researching unfamiliar material, take some time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. When you find this relationship, it will be easier for you to remember information recently received.
Read aloud
Research has shown that reading aloud makes it easier to remember information. Teachers also support this concept and put it into practice when they ask their students to teach new material to their classmates. You can also use this method and research new material with your friend.
Spend more time on complex information
What is the easiest piece of information to remember at the beginning or the end? The researchers found that the order in which the data was examined plays an important role in how quickly the brain is sampled and exported. And the document is best remembered at the beginning and end of the book.
The information in between is often lost, but this problem can be solved by repeating it over and over again. Another strategy is to try to rephrase what you have learned in your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change the normal environment
Another great way to improve memory is to change the learning environment. Change places in class or time of day to study material. By adding a new element to your learning activities, you can increase the effectiveness of your efforts and your ability to remember information.
Remember before you write
Teachers often ask you to write it down before you start teaching so that the material can be remembered better.
Remember and repeat what you write, not just rewrite without thinking.
This process will not be difficult because the information will be saved in short term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And when the mind turns this information back into your mind, you move it into long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and don't forget to take a nap if you can
Most students try to spend more time studying and completely forget about sleep. But this only makes the situation worse, because lack of sleep affects the ability to remember as well as some other cognitive abilities.
The link between sleep and memory has been confirmed by many studies, as many people know that memory consolidation occurs during sleep. Accordingly, the quality of sleep is directly related to the clarity of memories. If the quality of your sleep is affected, you'll soon find that memories are slipping away from you. In contrast, with 8 hours or more of sleep, it is much easier and quicker to recall certain moments.
Research has also shown that napping can improve memory performance. One of the most famous studies in this area has shown that REM sleep (just half an hour or so) increases the brain's ability to retain information. The researchers asked two groups of people to memorize a set of pictures with different pictures, and then for about 40 minutes presented another set of cards. One of the groups took a nap during those 40 minutes.
Result:the napping group retained more information about the image (85%) than the group that did not sleep (60%).
Again, the reason is memory consolidation - the brain needs sleep for this to go well, so a little sleep will only benefit.
Conclusion:If you want to make the most of your memory reserves, give your body enough sleep.
Ship
Exercise is known to improve cognition, concentration and blood circulation in the brain through the flow of oxygen to its cells and mood.
Exercise also activates the release of the protein cathepsin B in the brain. This stimulates the growth of nerve cells (brain cells) and creates additional connections in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for long-term memory and retention.
Exercise has been shown to improve brain function in several studies, so let's talk about that first. Among them, it has been shown that just a few minutes of light exercise can instantly improve memory. The experiment participants performed exercises of varying intensity, while the scientists at that time observed changes in brain activity.
The results show that in these exercises, the connections between the brain regions responsible for the creation of new phased memories (autobiographical memories, the "who, what, where and when "), and also in the gyroscope improved dentures. and walrus.
Therefore, in just a few minutes or even an hour of exercise, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or a walk to get started, and most people can.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain enhancer. In large quantities, it is harmful to health and even dangerous, but it certainly improves memory.
In a study by Johns Hopkins, one group of volunteers were asked not to consume caffeinated foods and the other to receive 200 mg of caffeine 5 minutes after being asked to view a photo. The next day, they were shown even more pictures, some that were identical in the past or similar in some way, and also new.
The caffeine team the day before did a much better job of determining which photos are similar to the original and were even able to discern the differences between them.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amounts of caffeine, and they also have many other benefits, such as antioxidants. Try to get caffeine from natural teas and coffees, not sugary carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black teas contain ingredients that help improve memory. They should be taken all day, but it's best not to drink them before bed.
Eat flavonoid-rich foods
Saturated and trans fats (red meat, butter) foods are not good for memory. And just to prepare for exams, students often eat a lot of unhealthy foods that even harm the brain.
Many studies have shown that these foods may even lead to Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the future, causing irreversible damage to brain health and memory loss. .
To improve your memory, eat brain foods, fish, olive oil, whole grains, walnuts, blueberries.
In the long run, foods high in flavonoids will improve memory, especially dark berries and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that help improve heart health. Several studies have also shown to be an excellent cancer prevention agent, and consuming blueberries for several weeks slows down dementia.
Another study found that regular blueberry consumption for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement appeared in the third week of the test.
Dark chocolate containing 70% or more cocoa is also known to improve brain function.
Medicines and Supplements
If you are looking to improve brain function through supplementation, then omega-3 fatty acids are best.
When choosing a supplement and before taking any pills pay attention to the label, omega-3 fats should be obtained from highly refined fish oil, preferably from fish found in cold watersbecause they contain less mercury. They improve memory, especially in the elderly, and other cognitive functions.