You can't remember where you put your keys, or you forget an important meeting, you can't concentrate on important issues, and you're always distracted, you don't remember the new material well, or you don't remember the recently transmitted material? If so, it is worth thinking about how to improve memory and attention in adults and restore the previous state.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create an online calendar with diaries or reminders so you don't miss important events and meetings. But what about the information that needs to be remembered and stored in long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not so simple. Despite the variety of options, tablet formulations, and the variety of supplements and medications, there is currently little scientific evidence that they improve brain function and thought processes. Trying a $ 50 drug that promises to strengthen nerve connections in the brain in just a few weeks doesn't seem appealing, especially if the appointment is prescribed by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In the 21st century of information technology, you don't have to spend time covering all the skin or preparing for an exam. At the heart of the problem is often poor memorization, impaired memory, and a misguided approach to the learning process.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective methods and ways to strengthen memory at home to improve both short-term and long-term brain function and even facilitate exam preparation. Below we will consider each of them separately.
Try to think to improve concentration
Attention is one of the most important parts of memory. You need to focus on this material in order for the data to move from short-term memory to long-term memory. Try to do important things beyond attention, such as television, music, telephones, chat rooms, and other entertainment.
It's not always easy to do this, especially if you're surrounded by noisy neighbors or children. When no one is bothering you, try to take time to focus on your work.
Memory and concentration are located in approximately the same region of the brain. Meditation has been shown to improve brain function and the process of remembering an adult by increasing concentration.
Meditation helps to develop and develop a working memory that temporarily stores the information needed during the day. Simply put, there are 7 pieces of information in the brain at any one time, and when a new part arrives, it displaces the old one, which is written or not recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps you get this information faster over a period of time.
It is unknown exactly how long the positive results will last. Generally, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effect of meditation is to eliminate mental noise (distraction) and increase your ability to focus on what you need to know at one point or another.
More powerful ways:
- Turn off all notifications while learning.
- When studying, try to isolate yourself from people you know. Go to a library or cafe where you won't have to worry.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoid too many assignments and frequent transitions to other materials.
Do not squeeze
This or that information needs to be explored in several ways to work properly. Studies have shown that those who learn a piece of material on a regular basis memorize it better than those who learn everything at once.
Build and organize your data
Researchers have found that information is organized in the brain in interconnected "groups". The brain's ability to build this information can be used in everyday life. Try to combine similar ideas and terms, or make notes, or group material from different books, which will make it easier to remember and emphasize the information you want from different sources.
Use mnemonics and abbreviations
Mnemonics is a memorization technique often used by students to retrieve information from the brain faster. In other words, it's an easy way to remember complex information. For example, you can link a term you want to remember to a topic you are familiar with. The best are those associated with mnemonics, positive imagery, or humor. You can come up with a rhyme, song or joke to remember a certain part of the material.
Abbreviations are the most commonly used technique for associative memorization of short lists or sequences.
In everyday life, we are so used to abbreviations that we don't notice them and don't think about what words they are made of.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own cuts.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you went through
To remember information, you must first explain it to the brain, then repeat everything you have learned, and then the information will be remembered for a long time. For example, read the definition of a key term, learn the definition of that term, and then describe in more detail what that term means. By repeating this process several times, you will probably find that you remember this term easier and faster over time.
It is also recommended to divide the studied material into three categories for review. Choose the time you spend for each and the days of the week.
Review the material, repeat only once a week if you remember well.
If you're having trouble copying, read it again in a few hours or every day.
And if you don't remember anything, re-learn the material for 10 minutes. After the whole cycle is repeated, you sort the information according to how you remember it, and take the time to repeat and fill in the blanks.
View information
Visualizing information often helps people remember the material better because some people have more vision. For example, look at the pictures, graphs, and tables in the same textbooks. You can create your own diagrams, charts, and descriptions, and use notes on the edges or colored markers to remember important points and quickly find what you need.
Link new information to known information
When researching memorized material, take time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. Once you find this connection, it will be easier to remember recently received information.
read aloud
Studies show that reading aloud makes it easier to remember information. Teachers also support this concept and apply it when students are asked to teach new material to their classmates. You can also use this approach and learn new material with your friend.
Spend more time on complex information
Which information is easier to remember at the beginning or end? Researchers have found that the way information is examined plays an important role in how quickly the brain is picked up and removed. And the material is best remembered at the beginning and end of the book.
The data in the middle is often lost, but this problem can be solved by repeating it several times. Another strategy is to try to re-express what you have learned in your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change the default environment
Another good way to improve memory is to change the learning environment. Change the place or time of day in the classroom to learn the material. By adding an innovation element to your training activities, you can increase the efficiency of effort and data memorization.
Remember before writing
Teachers often recommend that you write something down before you start teaching so that the material is better remembered.
Remember what you write and repeat mentally, just don't rewrite without thinking.
This process is not difficult, because the information will remain in short-term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And once you mentally store this information in your brain, you will transfer it to long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and don't forget to get some sleep if possible
Most students spend more time reading and trying to forget their dreams completely. However, this situation is exacerbated by the lack of sleep, which affects memorization and some other cognitive abilities.
The link between sleep and memory has been confirmed by numerous studies, as many people know that consolidation occurs during sleep. It follows that the quality of sleep is directly related to the clarity of memories. If the quality of your sleep suffers, you will soon see that the memories are far away from you. On the contrary, with enough sleep for 8+ hours, it becomes easier and faster to remember certain moments.
Research has also shown that sleep patterns improve memory performance. One of the most popular studies in this field has shown that REM sleep (only half an hour or more) increases the brain's ability to store information. The researchers asked the two groups of people to memorize a series of pictures with different pictures, and after about 40 minutes they showed another set of cards. One of the groups managed to get some sleep in these 40 minutes.
Results:The sleeping group retained more information about the pictures (60%) than those who did not sleep at all (60%).
The reason is again to strengthen memory - the brain needs sleep for this process to go well, so a little sleep will only be useful.
Package:If you want to get the most out of your memory, give your body enough sleep.
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Exercise is known for improving cognition, concentration, and blood circulation in the brain through the flow of oxygen to cells and mood.
Exercise also causes the release of cathepsin protein B in the brain. It stimulates the growth of neurons (brain cells) and creates additional connections in the hippocampus, an area responsible for long-term memory and retention.
A number of studies have shown that exercise improves brain function, so let's talk about it first. In one of them, only a few minutes of light exercise showed an immediate improvement in memory. Participants in the experiment performed exercises of varying intensity, and scientists observed changes in brain activity at the same time.
The results showed that during these studies, an improved dentition associated with the brain regions responsible for creating new episodic memories (autobiographical memory based on the "who, what, where, and when" principle) was created. and the hippocampus.
Therefore, you can improve your memory with just a few minutes or an hour of exercise. For a start you can try a treadmill or a walk and most people can do it.
drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain enhancer. In large quantities, it is harmful to health and even dangerous, but it undoubtedly improves memorization.
In a study by Johns Hopkins, one group of volunteers was asked not to consume caffeinated foods at all, and the second group was given 200 mg of caffeine supplements 5 minutes after being asked to look at pictures. The next day they were shown more pictures, some of them similar to the past or in some ways, and some new ones.
The group that took the caffeine the day before did a better job of determining if the pictures looked like the original pictures and even if they could tell the difference.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amount of caffeine, in addition, there are many other benefits, such as the presence of antioxidants. Try to get your caffeine from natural teas and coffees, not sugary fizzy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black tea contain components that improve memory. It is recommended to drink them all day, but preferably before bedtime.
Eat foods rich in flavonoids
Foods containing saturated fat and trans fat (red meat, fat) are harmful to memory. And just in preparation for exams, students often eat many harmful foods that are even more harmful to the brain.
Numerous studies have shown that these foods can even lead to Alzheimer's and dementia in the future, causing irreparable damage to brain health and memory loss.
To improve memory, it is recommended to eat foods that are good for the brain, especially fish, olive oil, whole grains, walnuts, blueberries.
Foods with long-lasting flavonoids, especially dark berries and cocoa, will help improve memory. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that improve cardiovascular health. Some studies have shown that it is an excellent cancer prevention agent, and consuming blueberries for a few weeks slows down memory loss.
Another study found that regular consumption of strawberries for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of development appeared in the third week of the experiment.
Dark chocolate, which contains 70% or more cocoa, is also known to improve brain function.
Medications and Supplements
If you want to improve brain function by adding, omega-3 fatty acids are best.
When choosing supplements and before taking any tablets, pay attention to the label, omega-3 fats should be obtained from highly purified fish oil, preferably from fish in cold water, because they contain it. less mercury. Improves memory and other cognitive functions, especially in the elderly.