Are you beginning to realize that you do not remember where you put your keys or again forget about important meetings, you can not concentrate on important and distracted things all the time, do not remember new material well or can not remembernewly approved material? If so, then it is necessary to think about how to improve memory and attention in adults and regain their condition.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create a diary, or an online calendar with reminders not to miss important events and appointments. But what to do with information that needs to be remembered and transferred to long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not so easy. While there are many options, pill forms, and a variety of supplements and medications, there is currently not much scientific evidence to show that they actually improve brain activity and thought processes. And testing a $ 50 drug that promises to strengthen nerve connections in the brain in just a few weeks does not sound very tempting, especially if the appointment is made by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In the 21st century information technology, to cover the entire volume or even prepare for exams, does not just have to spend time to complete it. The core of the problem is often just poor memorization, poor memory and a wrong approach in the learning process.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective methods to improve memory and ways to improve brain function, both in the short and long term at home, and even make your exam preparation easier. Below we will consider each separately.
Try meditation to increase focus
Attention is one of the main components of memory. In order for data to move from short-term memory to long-term memory, it is necessary to focus on specific materials. Try to do important things from distractions such as TV, music, telephone, chat room, and other entertainment.
It is not always easy to do this, especially if you are surrounded by noisy neighbors or children. Try to spend time for yourself when nothing is blocking you so you can focus on your job.
Memory and focus are located approximately in the same area of the brain. It has been shown that with increasing concentration of attention through meditation, it leads to an increase in brain performance and the process of remembering adults.
Meditation helps improve and expand working memory, which temporarily stores the data you need throughout the day. In short, at a given time there are 7 pieces of information in the brain, when a new part arrives, it replaces the old one, which may or may not be recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps to get the information you need in a certain amount of time faster.
How long it takes to see positive results is unknown. Generally, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effect of meditation increases the ability to overcome mental disorders (disorders) and focus on the things you need to know at one time or another.
Here are some more great ways:
- Turn off all notifications while studying.
- Try to isolate yourself from people you know while studying. Go to the library or cafe where you will not be disturbed.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoid doing too many tasks and frequently switch to other materials.
Do not clutter
In order to process this information or information adequately, it must be studied in several approaches. Studies show that those who often learn a particular material memorize it much better than those who study it all at once.
Organize and organize your data
The researchers found that information is organized in the brain in interconnected "clusters". This brain's ability to organize data can be used in daily life. Try combining the same ideas and terms, or make notes or collect material from different books, this will make it easier for you to remember and highlight the information you want from various sources.
Use mnemonics and abbreviations
Mnemonics is a memorization technique often used by students to retrieve data from the brain faster. In other words, an easy way to remember complex information. For example, you can associate a term you want to remember by associating it with a subject you know. The best mnemonics are those related to positive imagery or humor. You can produce poems, songs, or jokes to remember specific segments of material.
Acronyms are the most commonly used technique for memorizing shortlistings or sequences.
In everyday life, we are so used to acronyms that we do not even realize it and do not think about what words it makes.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own abbreviations.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you have passed
To remember information, you first need to make it understandable to the brain, and then repeat everything learned again, then the information will surely fall into long-term memory. For example, read the definition of the main term, study the definition of the term, and then read a more detailed description of the meaning of the term. By repeating this process several times, you will probably find that you remember this term more easily and quickly over time.
To review the material under study, it is also recommended to divide it into three categories of difficulty. For each, choose the amount of time you spend and the days of the week.
Review the material, if you remember it well, then repeat only once a week.
If you are having difficulty reproducing information, then read it again in a few hours or every day.
And if you do not remember anything, then review the material for 10 minutes. After the entire cycle is repeated, you rearrange the information in the way you remember it and allocate your time for repetition and filling in the gaps.
Visualize information
Information visualization often helps people remember material better because some people have more visual perception. Note the pictures, graphics and tables in the same tutorial, for example. You can create your own diagrams, diagrams and pictures, using notes on the edges or colored markers to remember important things and find things you need quickly.
Link new information with known information
While researching unfamiliar material, take the time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. Once you find this relationship, it will be easier for you to remember the information you just received.
Read aloud
Research shows that reading aloud makes it easier to remember information. Teachers also support this concept and apply it in practice when they ask their students to teach new material to their own classmates. You can also use this approach and learn new material with your friends.
Spend more time on complex information
What information is easiest to remember at the beginning or end? The researchers found that the sequence of data examined played an important role in how quickly the brain picks up and releases that information. And the material is best remembered at the beginning of the book and at the end.
Information in the middle is often lost, but this problem can be solved by repeating it several times. Another strategy is to try to elevate what you have learned with your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change the normal environment
Another good way to improve memorization is to change the learning environment. Change places in the classroom or daily time to study the material. By adding new elements to your learning activities, you can increase the efficiency of the effort spent and memorize information.
Remember before you write
Teachers often ask you to write something before you start teaching it so that the material can be remembered better.
Mentally remember and rewrite what you write, and do not just rewrite without thinking.
This process will not be difficult as the information will remain in the short-term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And after mentally removing this information, you will transfer it to long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and don't forget to take a nap if you can
A large number of students try to spend more time studying and forgetting to sleep. But this only makes the situation worse, as lack of sleep affects memorization as well as other cognitive abilities.
The relationship between sleep and memory has been confirmed by many studies, as many people know that memory consolidation occurs during sleep. This indicates that the quality of sleep is directly related to the clarity of memories. If the quality of your sleep is disturbed, then you will immediately realize that the memory is gone from you. On the other hand, getting enough sleep from 8+ hours, remembering certain moments is much easier and faster.
Research also shows that nap can improve memory performance. One well-known study in this area shows that REM sleep (only half an hour or so) improves the brain's ability to store information. The researchers asked two groups of people to memorize a group of pictures with different pictures, and then after about 40 minutes showed another set of cards. One of the groups managed to take a nap in the 40 minutes.
Results:groups that sleep briefly store more information about the picture (85%) than those who do not sleep at all (60%).
The reason, again, is to consolidate memory - the brain needs sleep in order for this process to work properly, so a little sleep will only be beneficial.
Take It Home:If you want to make the most of your memory storage, give your body enough sleep.
Train
Exercise is well known for improving cognition, concentration, and blood circulation in the brain through the flow of oxygen to cells and their moods.
Exercise also triggers the release of cathepsin B protein in the brain. This stimulates the growth of neurons (brain cells) and creates additional connections in the hippocampus, the 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 discuss it first. In one of them, it is shown that just a few minutes of light exercise causes an increase in memory in an instant. Participants in the experiments performed exercises with varying intensity, while scientists at the time observed changes in brain activity.
The results show that during this exercise, the relationship between the areas of the brain responsible for creating new episodic memory (autobiographical memory, remembering in accordance with the principle of "who, what, where and when") improves, as do the teeth. kuda nil.
So, in just a few minutes or even an hour of training, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or walk as a start, and most people can.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain booster. In large quantities, it is unhealthy and even harmful, but there is no doubt that it improves memory.
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 a caffeine supplement of 200 mg 5 minutes after being asked to look at the pictures. The next day they were shown more pictures, some of them similar to the past or similar in some ways, some even new.
Groups that take caffeine the day before are much better at identifying which picture is similar to the original picture, and can even distinguish between the pictures.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amounts of caffeine, in addition, they have many other benefits, such as the presence of antioxidants. Try to get your caffeine from natural tea and coffee from sugary carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black tea contain components that improve memory. It is recommended to drink it throughout the day, but preferably not before bedtime.
Eat Flavonoid Rich Foods
Foods that contain saturated fats and trans fats (red meat, butter) are not good for memory. And in preparation for exams, students often eat a lot of snacks, which is even worse for the brain.
Many studies show that these foods can even cause Alzheimer's and dementia in the future, which can lead to irreversible damage to brain health and cause memory loss.
To improve memory, it is recommended to eat foods that are good for the brain, more fish, olive oil, grains, walnuts, blueberries.
In the long run, foods rich in flavonoids will help improve memory, especially dark-colored berries and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that improve cardiovascular health. Several studies have also proven to be excellent anti-cancer agents, and taking blueberries for several weeks slows memory loss.
Other studies have found that taking blueberries regularly for 12 weeks improves spatial memory. The first signs of improvement already appear in the third week of the trial.
Dark chocolate that contains 70% or more cocoa is also known to improve brain function.
Medications and Supplements
If you want to improve brain function through supplements, then omega-3 fatty acids are best.
When choosing supplements and before taking any tablets, note the label, omega-3 fats should be obtained from very fine fish oil, better than fish found in cold waters, because they contain mercury. They improve memory, especially in the elderly, and other cognitive functions.