You started noticing that you can not remember where you left your keys or once again forgot an important meeting, you can not concentrate on important matters and are distracted all the time, you can not remember newmaterial well or can not remember the material recently posted? If so, it is worth thinking about how to improve memory and attention in adults and regain their previous state.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create a diary or an online calendar with reminders so as not to miss important events and meetings. But what to do with information to be remembered and transferred to long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not that simple. Despite the many different choices, pill forms, and diversity of supplements and medications, there is currently not much scientific evidence that they actually improve brain activity and thought processes. And testing a $ 50 drug that promises to strengthen neural connections in the brain in just a few weeks doesn't sound very tempting, especially if the appointment was made by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In the 21st century of information technology, it is necessary not only to spend time on it to cover the whole volume or even prepare for an exam. The core of the problem is often only poor memorization, impaired memory and the wrong approach to the learning process.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective memory-enhancing methods and ways to improve brain function, both short-term and long-term at home, and even make exam preparation easier. Below, we will consider each of them separately.
Try meditation to improve concentration
Attention is one of the main components of memory. In order for data to move from short-term memory to long-term memory, you need to focus on this particular piece of material. Try to do important things away from distractions such as TV, music, phones, chat rooms and other entertainment.
This is not always easy to do, especially if you are surrounded by noisy neighbors or children. Try to give yourself time when no one is in the way so you can focus on your work.
Memory and concentration are located in approximately the same region of the brain. It has been proven that with an increase in concentration of attention through meditation leads to an improvement in brain performance and the process of remembering an adult.
Meditation helps improve and develop working memory that temporarily stores the data you need during the day. In short, there are at all times 7 pieces of information in the brain, when a new part arrives, it displaces the old one, which is or is not recorded in the long-term memory. Meditation helps to get the piece of information needed in a given period faster.
How long it takes to see positive results is not known for sure. Generally, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effect of meditation increases the ability to overcome mental noise (distractions) and focus on what you need to know at some point.
Here are some more effective ways:
- Turn off all messages as you learn.
- Try isolating yourself from people you know while studying. Go to the library or café where you will not be disturbed.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoiding multitasking and frequent switching to other material.
Do not stop
In order to adequately process this or that information, it should be examined in several approaches. Studies have shown that those who regularly learn a particular material in parts remember it much better than those who learn everything at once.
Structure and organize your data
Researchers have found that information is organized in the brain into interconnected "clusters". This brain's ability to structure data can be used in everyday life. Try to combine similar ideas and expressions together or sketch notes or group material from different books to make it easier to remember and highlight the information you want from different sources.
Use mnemonics and abbreviations
Mnemonics is a memorization technique often used by students to retrieve data from the brain more quickly. In other words, it's an easy way to remember complex information. For example, you can associate an expression you want to remember by associating it with a topic that you know. The best memorials are those associated with positive images or humor. You can come up with a rhyme, a song or a joke to remember a particular segment of the material.
Acronyms are the most commonly used technique for associative memorization of short lists or sequences.
In everyday life we are already so used to acronyms that we do not even notice them and do not think about what words they are made of.
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, first make it comprehensible to the brain and then repeat everything you have learned again, then the information will definitely fall into the long-term memory. For example, read the definition of a key phrase, study the definition of that phrase, and then read a more detailed description of what the phrase means. By repeating this process several times, you will probably find that you remember the expression easier and faster over time.
To review the material examined, it is also recommended to divide it into three difficulty levels. For each of them, choose the time you spend and days of the week.
Review the material again, if you remember it well, repeat it only once a week.
If you have trouble reproducing information, read it again in a few hours or every other day.
And if you can not remember anything, study the material again for 10 minutes. When the whole cycle is repeated, sort the information again according to how you remember it and set aside your time for repeating and filling in the gaps.
Visualize information
Visualization of information often helps people remember material better because some people have more visual perception. For example, pay attention to pictures, graphs and tables in the same guides. You can create your own charts, diagrams and drawings, use notes in the margins or colored markers to remember the important points and quickly find what you need.
Link new information with known information
When researching unknown material, take the time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. After finding this relationship, it will be easier for you to remember recently received information.
Read aloud
Research shows that reading aloud makes it easier to remember information. Teachers also support this concept and apply it in practice when asking their students to teach new material to their own classmates. You can also use this approach and study new material with your friend.
Spend more time on complex information
What information is easiest to remember at the beginning or end? The researchers found that the order in which the data are examined plays a significant role in how quickly samples are taken from the brain and sent out. And the material is best remembered at the beginning of the book and at the end.
Middle information is often lost, but this problem can be solved by repeating it several times. Another strategy is to try to reformulate what you have learned in your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change the usual environment
Another great way to improve memory is to change the learning environment. Change places in the classroom or at the time of day to study the material. By adding a new element to your learning activities, you can improve the effectiveness of the effort spent and remember the information.
Remember before writing
Teachers often ask you to write things down before you start learning them so that the material is better remembered.
Remember and mentally repeat what you write down, not just rewrite without thinking.
This process is not difficult because the information remains in the short-term memory for approx. 10-20 seconds. And after mentally driving this information back into your head, you thereby transfer it to long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and do not forget to take a nap if possible
Most students try to spend more time studying and forget about sleep completely. But this only makes the situation worse because lack of sleep affects memory as well as some other cognitive abilities.
The link between sleep and memory has been confirmed by several studies, as many people know that memory consolidation occurs during sleep. It follows that sleep quality is directly related to memories. If the quality of your sleep suffers, then you will soon notice that the memories slip away from you. Conversely, with enough sleep from 8+ hours, it is much easier and faster to remember certain moments.
Research has also shown that naps can improve memory performance. One of the best known studies in this area has shown that REM sleep (only half an hour or so) increases the brain's ability to retain information. The researchers asked two groups of people to remember a set of pictures with different pictures and then showed another set shortly after approx. 40 minutes. One of the groups managed to take a nap during the 40 minutes.
Results:the group that took a nap retained significantly more information about the images (85%) compared to those who did not sleep at all (60%).
The reason is again to consolidate the memory - the brain needs sleep for this process to go well, so a little sleep will only be beneficial.
Conclusion:To get the most out of your memory reserves, give your body enough sleep.
Tog
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 triggers the release of the cathepsin B protein in the brain. This stimulates the growth of neurons (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 a number of studies, so let's talk about it first. In one of them, it was shown that just a few minutes of light exercise leads to an immediate improvement in memory. The participants in the experiment performed exercises of varying intensity, while researchers at that moment observed changes in brain activity.
The results showed that the connection between the areas of the brain responsible for creating new episodic memories (autobiographical memory that remembers according to the principle of "who, what, where and when") improved during these exercises as well as in dental gyrus andhippocampus.
Therefore, in a few minutes or even an hour of training, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or go for a start and most people can do that.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain enhancer. In large quantities, it is harmful to health and even dangerous, but there is no doubt that it improves memory.
In a study by Johns Hopkins, one group of volunteers were not asked to consume caffeinated foods at all, and another group was given 200 mg of caffeinated supplements 5 minutes after being asked to view pictures. The next day they were shown even more pictures, some of them were identical with the past or similar in some way that were also new.
The group that took caffeine the day before did much better in identifying which images resembled the originals and were even able to tell the difference between them.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amount of caffeine, in addition to this they have many other benefits, such as the presence of antioxidants. Try to get your caffeine from natural tea and coffee, not sugary carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black tea contain components that improve memory. It is recommended to drink them all day, but preferably not before bedtime.
Eat flavonoid-rich foods
Foods that contain saturated fats and trans fats (red meat, butter) are bad for memory. And just in preparation for exams, students often eat a lot of unhealthy foods that are even worse for 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 causing memory loss.
To improve memory, it is recommended to eat foods that are good for the brain, more fish, olive oil, whole grains, walnuts, blueberries.
In the long run, foods high in flavonoids will help improve memory, especially dark colored berries and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that improve cardiovascular health. Some studies have also proven to be an excellent remedy for cancer, and consuming blueberries for several weeks slows down memory loss.
Another study showed that consuming blueberries regularly for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement already appeared in the third week of the experiment.
Dark chocolate containing 70% or more cocoa is also known to improve brain function.
Medicines and supplements
If you want to improve brain function through supplements, then omega-3 fatty acids are the best.
When choosing supplements and before taking tablets, pay attention to the label. Omega-3 fats should be obtained from highly refined fish oil, preferably from fish found in cold water, as they contain less mercury. They improve memory, especially in the elderly, and other cognitive functions.