How to improve memory: useful exercises

Experts say the amount of memory is unlimited. But we do not always use it correctly. Mechanical memorization, which is practiced in educational institutions, is not an ideal method of improving memory. It consists of three components: natural potential, condition and fitness. This means that memory can be affected and today there are many ways to improve it.

Causes of Deterioration

The following factors lead to memory loss:

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

Strengthen memory at home

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

Exercises

1. Let's start our discussion of this method with an exercise called "associations". An implementation assistant is required. Ask him to read aloud several words that have a semantic connection to each other. For example, "notebook pen", "winter - snow", "book - study". Your task is to remember the maximum number of words. Then the assistant must read the first words, the second must be reproduced independently.
2. The second exercise involves improving your visual imagination. You must close your eyes and imagine in detail any object, natural phenomenon or animal. It can be an oasis in the middle of the desert, a cat drinking milk, lightning in the sky. A wide range of options are possible. Then take a sheet of paper and describe the images presented on it in reverse order.
3. The third exercise is to improve your listening and remembering information. Someone needs to read a set of words aloud. For example, "table, sky, computer, elephant, autumn, river, tree". Repeat these words first in the same order and then in the opposite direction. If there is no one nearby, you can do the exercise yourself. To do this, take a book and read the first words of each line aloud.

4. The fourth exercise allows you to train your memory while doing housework. Before you go to the store, write a list of the products you need to buy on the sheet. Read it several times. You can do this loud or quiet as you like. Then leave the magazine at home and go to the store without it. Repeat this exercise every time you need to shop.
5. Exercises aimed at activating the cerebral hemispheres also help to improve memory. The simplest of these is to change hands when performing an action. For example, comb your hair or hold the cup with your left hand (if you are left-handed, then with your right). You can also go on site. It is necessary to perform the exercise at a fast pace. When you lower the knee, a wave is made by the hand so that it rises above the head. The exercise must be repeated several times.

Games

Cards are laid face down on the table. More people can join the game. Each of them turns over two cards again. If they match, the participant takes them.

Playing with questions also helps train your memory. The subject does not matter. Each player asks questions to the rest of the participants. For a correct answer, five points are added, for an incorrect one, two points are deducted. Solving crossword puzzles helps to achieve concrete results.

Memory Enhancement Menu

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

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

2. Sprouted grains contain elements that provide energy to the brain and normalize its function. These are selenium, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. Vitamins B9, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.
3. Eggs are rich in amino acids. They include glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They supply protein to the body that is easily digested.
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. Consumption of these products replenishes the content of the essential Omega 3 acid, the deficiency of which causes degenerative diseases of the brain. This element has a direct impact on the development of intelligence, memory and cognitive functions.
6. Avocado improves blood flow to the brain due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
7. Dark chocolate contains flavonol, an element that prevents brain oxidation and normalizes blood circulation. Cocoa destroys 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, helps 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, it is enough to eat 5 nuts a day.
11. A handful of pumpkin seeds will give your body a daily need for zinc.
12. Wild berries blueberries and blackcurrants are rich in vitamin C. Lemon also has this function.
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 necessary for the brain to function properly.

Introducing a salad made from the following ingredients in the diet helps maintain memory:

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

Grate the ingredients on a coarse grater, season with oil, pour over with lemon juice and a little salt. Then stir the salad well and enjoy the healthy, tasty food.

Poems and music

Another effective way to help develop memory is to remember poetry. There are several guidelines for achieving the desired result:

1. Learn from stanzas, not lines. Many people make this mistake. If you repeat one line many times and then move on to another, you end up getting confused in stanza. Short-term memory is able to perceive approx. 7 blocks. In order not to overload it, divide the verse into the same number of parts. Do 5 seconds between blocks.
2. First read the whole poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to visualize the work of the plot. Now read again and you will find that you have already remembered some lines. In this way we try to learn the whole verse.
3. Do not use quatrains to teach him. The work falls into fragments and it will be problematic to reproduce it completely.

Listening to music is also one of the methods for improving memory. But these have to be classic pieces. Music creates vibrations in the air that promote relaxation and have a positive effect on the brain. The works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel possess this ability.

Other Ways

Lead an active lifestyle, exercise and go for a 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 get enough sleep. The lack of rest is immediately reflected in the state of health.

The efficiency of the brain increases during the deep sleep phase.

Stress is a direct danger to memory. It has a devastating effect on brain cells and the hippocampus, the area responsible for creating new memories and reproducing old ones. Therefore, it is necessary to fight with it. This can be done with the help of physical exercises, where the release of endorphins - the hormone of pleasure - occurs.

Drawing and reading are some of the techniques for balancing the emotional state. In the picture of negative emotions on paper, you can look at the problem from the outside. In the reading process, attention is transferred to the book's plot. This relieves psychological stress.

There are also recommendations for improving memory in traditional medicine. Let's look at a few recipes:

1. Grate horseradish and 3 lemons. Add 3 tablespoons of honey to the resulting mass. Store in the refrigerator for 3 weeks. Take 1 teaspoon twice daily with meals.
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 similar amount of sage with two glasses of boiled water. Insist for 12 hours. Then strain and take 50 ml 4 times a day, half an hour before meals.
4. 1 tablespoon mountain ash bark, pour 250 ml of water and cook for 10 minutes. The mixture should be infused for 6 hours, then strain it and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

It is possible to influence the state of memory with the help of medication.

If this is your choice, do not self-medicate. Medication is taken only after consultation with a doctor.

Express Methods

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

1. Concentrate first. Concentrate and direct it to what needs to be remembered. Do not let your attention shift to other objects.
2. The next step is to create associations. Associate with something the object you are trying to remember. Here you can completely rely on imagination.
3. Now let's move on to the third stage. The association must be repeated several times. This method helps you remember any event or information without remembering anything.

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

1. Inhale deeply first and hold the air for five seconds. In this case, the palms should be tied to a fist.
2. Then slowly pull out and open your hands.
3. After this exercise you will feel relaxed, it will improve your concentration.

A familiar object must be used when creating associations. Memory activity is arranged in such a way that the best result is achieved if new facts are added to the perceived sensations and emotions.

Many people know the situation when the memory at the right moment begins to fail. It is not only the elderly who are facing this. Everyone can master the methods to improve the ability to remember. For a better result, an integrated approach is recommended. You will notice the effect already at the beginning of the lesson.