How to improve memory: useful exercises

Experts say that the amount of memory is unlimited. But we do not always use it properly. Memorizing mechanics, which is practiced in educational institutions, is not an appropriate method to improve memory. It consists of three components: natural potential, condition and fitness. This means that memory is easily affected, and today there are many ways to improve it.

Cause of deterioration

The following factors cause memory impairment:

• emotional stress;
• systematic depression;
• lack of sleep;
• infectious diseases;
• vitamin deficiency;
• drinking alcoholic beverages;
• smoking;
• brain injury;
• taking medication (antidepressants, sleeping pills);
• diseases: atherosclerosis, thyroid dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus;
• body aging.

Strengthens memory at home

The brain is a dynamic structure that responds to any influence. The right approach will help you achieve the desired results. Today, a number of techniques have been developed to improve memory.

Exercises

1. Let's start the discussion of this method with an exercise called "association". Assistants are needed for implementation. Ask him to read aloud several pairs of words that have a semantic relationship with each other. For example, "notebook - pen", "winter - snow", "book - study". Your task is to memorize the maximum number of words. Then the assistant must read the first word, the second must be republished independently.
2. The second exercise involves improving your visual imagination. You need to close your eyes and imagine in detail any object, natural phenomenon or animal. It can be an oasis in the middle of the desert, cats drinking milk, lightning in the sky. There are various options. Next, take a piece of paper and explain the picture shown on it upside down.
3. The third exercise is to improve your listening and remembering information. One has to read a group of words aloud. For example, "tables, skies, computers, elephants, autumn, rivers, trees". Repeat these words first in the same order, then in the opposite direction. If there are no people around, you can do your own exercise. To do this, you should take the book and read aloud the first word of each line.

4. The fourth exercise will give you the opportunity to train your memory and do household chores simultaneously. Before going to the store, write a list of products you need to buy on the sheet. Read it a few times. You can do it loudly or quietly, as you wish. Then leave the leaves at home and go to the store without them. Repeat this exercise every time you need to spend.
5. Exercises aimed at activating the cerebral hemisphere will also help improve memory. The easiest is to change hands while performing. For example, comb your hair or hold the cup with your left hand (if you are left-handed, then right-handed). You can also walk on site. Need to practice at a fast pace. While lowering the knees, hand waves are made upwards above the head. Exercise should be repeated several times.

Games

Cards are placed face down in a row on the table. Some people can take part in this game. Each exchanges two cards. If they match, participants take it.

Playing with questions will also help train your memory. The topic does not matter. Each player poses a question to the other participants. For the correct answer, five points are added, for the wrong one, minus two points. Solving crosswords will help achieve real results.

Menu to strengthen memory

Memory status depends on diet. Certain foods are a source of nutrients needed by the body:

1. Bananas provide the body with amino acids (carotene, methionine, tryptophan), easily digestible carbohydrates, vitamins PP, B1, B2.

2. Growing grains contain elements that give energy to the brain and normalize its function. These are selenium, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. Vitamin B9, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.
3. Eggs are rich in amino acids. They contain glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They supply protein to the body that is easily absorbed.
4. Honey is a source of carbohydrates. They can replace sugar. In its composition, honey contains well-absorbed glucose and fructose. And also 22 of the 24 trace elements found in the circulatory system.
5. Fish - salmon, trout, salmon, herring. The use of this product will replenish the essential content of Omega 3 acids, the deficiency of which causes degenerative brain disease. These elements have a direct effect on the development of intelligence, memory and cognitive functions.
6. Avocados increase the blood supply to the brain due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
7. Dark chocolate contains flavonol, an element that inhibits brain oxidation and normalizes blood circulation. Cocoa damages substances that contribute to the formation of blood clots.
8. Apples inhibit oxidative stress that can lead to memory loss.
9. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that destroys free radicals (substances that negatively affect the brain). Melatonin, which is also found in this product, will help slow down aging.
10. Walnuts containing lecithin have a positive effect on the brain by normalizing its activity. They also prevent premature aging. To feel the desired effect, just eat 5 pills a day.
11. A small amount of pumpkin seeds will provide the body with daily zinc needs.
12. Blueberries wild berries and currants are rich in vitamin C. Lemon also has this feature.
13. Tea has tonic properties. Contains caffeine and antioxidants to improve cognition. L-theanine relieves emotional stress.

Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and amino acids are needed for the brain to function properly.

Introducing salads made from the following ingredients into the diet will help maintain memory:

• carrots;
• bit;
• half a celery root;
• parsley;
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
• half a lemon.

Grate the ingredients on a coarse grater, season with oil, pour in lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Then fry the salad well and enjoy a healthy and tasty meal.

Poetry and music

Another effective method to help develop memory is to memorize poetry. There are several guidelines for achieving the desired results:

1. Learn by stanza, not line. Many people make this mistake. If you repeat one line over and over and then move on to another line, you end up confused by the byte. Short-term memory can see about 7 blocks. In order not to burden it, you need to divide the sentence into equal numbers. Do 5 seconds between blocks.
2. First read the whole poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to describe the plot of the work. Now read on and you will find that you have memorized a few lines. In this way we try to learn the whole sentence.
3. Do not use quatrains to teach it. This work will be fragmented, and it will be a problem to produce it completely.

Listening to music is also one of the methods to improve memory. But this must be a classic cut. Music creates vibrations in the air that encourage relaxation and have a positive effect on the brain. The work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel has this ability.

Other ways

Follow an active lifestyle, exercise and walk in the fresh air. During physical activity, the body releases hormones that improve brain function. Walking will help fill it with oxygen. For brain cells to regenerate, you need to sleep soundly. Lack of immediate rest is reflected in the state of health.

Brain efficiency increases during deep sleep stages.

Stress is a direct danger to memory. It has adverse effects on brain cells and the hypochampus, areas that are responsible for creating new memories and reproducing old ones. Therefore, it is necessary to fight with him. This can be done with the help of physical exercise, during which the release of endorphins - the hormone of joy - occurs.

Drawing and reading are some techniques for balancing emotional states. Describing negative emotions on paper allows you to see problems from the outside. In the process of reading, attention is turned to the plot of the book. This relieves psychological stress.

There are also suggestions for improving memory in traditional medicine. Let's look at some recipes:

1. Grate carrot root and 3 lemons. Add 3 tablespoons of honey to the resulting mass. Refrigerate for 3 weeks. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day with food.
2. 10 g of ginger, pour 250 ml of boiling water, add mint and lemon balm. Drink 1-2 cups a day.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of mint and a kind of sage with two glasses of boiled water. Insist for 12 hours. Then strain and take 50 ml 4 times a day for half an hour before meals.
4. 1 tablespoon of mountain ash, pour 250 ml of water and boil for 10 minutes. The mixture should be injected for 6 hours, then strain and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

Possible to affect memory state with the help of medication.

If this is your choice, do not self-medicate. The drug is taken only after consulting a doctor.

Express Method

If you need to fix something in memory quickly, simple exercises will help:

1. Focus first. Concentrate and point to the things to keep in mind. Do not let your attention shift to other objects.
2. The next step is to create an association. Associate it with an object you want to remember. Here you can rely entirely on imagination.
3. Now let's move on to the third level. The mixing should be repeated several times. This method will help you remember any event or information without memorizing it.

If you are unsure of your ability to concentrate, try the following exercises:

1. First, take a deep breath and hold the air for five seconds. In this case, the palms of the hands should be clenched into fists.
2. Then exhale slowly and open your hand.
3. After this exercise, you will feel relaxed, it will increase your concentration.

Common objects should be used when creating associations. Memory activities are arranged in such a way that the best results can be achieved if new facts are added to the sensations and feelings experienced.

Many are familiar with the situation when at the right time memory begins to fail. It’s not just older people who face this. Anyone can master the method to improve memorization ability. For better results, an integrated approach is recommended. You will feel the effect at the beginning of the class.