You have found that you cannot remember where you put your keys, forgot an important meeting again, cannot focus on important matters, and are constantly distracted, or not remembering new material wellremember the recently handed over material? If so, then it is worth thinking about how to improve memory and attention in adults and restore them to their previous state.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create a diary or online calendar with reminders so as not to miss important events and meetings. But what to do with information that is to be stored and transferred to long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not that simple. Despite the wide variety of choices, pill formulations, and myriad 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 enticing, especially if the appointment was made by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In the 21st century of information technology, it is not only necessary to spend time covering the entire volume or even preparing for an exam. The core of the problem is often just poor memorization, weakened memory, and the wrong approach to the learning process.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective ways to improve memory and ways to improve brain function at home in the short and long term, 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 switch from short-term memory to long-term memory, one has to focus on this particular material. Try to do important things outside of distractions like watching TV, music, phones, chat rooms, and other entertainment.
This is not always easy, especially when you are surrounded by noisy neighbors or children. Try to take your time when nobody is in your way so that you can focus on your work.
Memory and concentration are roughly in the same region of the brain. It has been proven that increasing the concentration of attention through meditation leads to an improvement in the performance of the brain and the memory process of an adult.
Meditation helps improve and develop working memory by temporarily storing the data you need throughout the day. Put simply, there are 7 pieces of information in the brain at any given time. When a new part arrives, it displaces the old one that may or may not be recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps to get the information that is needed in a given period of time more quickly.
How long it will take before positive results are achieved is not known for sure. In general, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effects of meditation increase your ability to overcome mental noises (distractions) and focus on what you need to know at one point or another.
Here are some more powerful options:
- Deactivate all notifications during learning.
- Try to isolate yourself from people you know while studying. Go to the library or cafe where you won't be disturbed.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoid multitasking and frequent switching to different material.
Don't overfill
In order to process this or that information appropriately, it should be examined in different approaches. Studies have shown that those who study a particular material in parts on a regular basis remember it much better than those who learn all at once.
Structure and organize your data
Researchers have found that information in the brain is organized in interconnected "clusters". This ability of the brain to structure data can be used in everyday life. Try combining similar ideas and terms, sketching notes, or grouping material from different books. This makes it easy to save and highlight the information you want from various sources.
Use mnemonics and abbreviations
Mnemonic is a storage technique often used by high school students to get data from the brain faster. In other words, it's an easy way to memorize complex information. For example, you can link a term you want to remember to a topic you are familiar with. The best mnemonics are those associated with positive imagery or humor. You can come up with a rhyme, song, or joke to help you remember a specific segment of the material.
Acronyms are the most commonly used technique for associative storage of short lists or sequences.
In everyday life we are already so used to acronyms that we don't even notice them or think about what words they consist of.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own abbreviations.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you passed
In order to memorize information, you must first make it understandable to the brain and then repeat everything that you have learned. Then the information definitely falls into long-term memory. For example, read the definition of a key term, study the definition of that term, and then read a more detailed description of the meaning of the term. If you repeat this process several times, you will likely find that over time you will remember the term more easily and quickly.
In order to check the examined material, it is also recommended to divide it into three levels of difficulty. For each of them, choose the time and days of the week.
Check the material again. If you remember it well, just repeat it once a week.
If you have trouble reproducing information, reread it in a few hours or every other day.
And if you don't remember anything, study the material again for 10 minutes. After the entire cycle repeats itself, re-sort the information based on your memory and use your time to repeat and fill in the gaps.
Visualize information
Visualizing information often helps people remember material better, as some people have better visual perception. For example, look out for pictures, graphs and tables in the same tutorials. You can make your own charts, diagrams and drawings, use notes in the margin or colored markers to remind yourself of the important points and quickly find what you need.
Link new information with known information
As you research unfamiliar material, take the time to think about how that information relates to what you already know. Once you have found this relationship, it will be easier for you to remember recently received information.
Read aloud
Research shows that reading aloud makes it easier to store information. Teachers also support and put this concept into practice when asking their students to teach their classmates new material. You can also use this approach and study new material with your friend.
Spend more time on complex information
Which information is easiest to remember at the beginning or at the end? The researchers found that the order in which the data is examined plays an important role in how quickly the brain samples and outputs 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 rephrase what you have learned in your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change the usual environment
Another great way to improve memorization is to change the learning environment. Change the classroom space or time of day to study the material. By adding a new element to your learning activities, you can improve the efficiency of effort and the storage of information.
think about this before you
WriteTeachers often ask you to write things down before you start teaching so that the material is better remembered.
Remember and mentally repeat what you write down, and don't just rewrite it without thinking.
This process is not difficult, as the information remains in short-term memory for about 10 to 20 seconds. And after you mentally banish this information in your head, you will thereby transfer it to long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and don't forget to take a nap if possible
Most students try to spend more time studying and completely forget about sleep. However, this only makes the situation worse as lack of sleep affects memorization as well as some other cognitive skills.
The link between sleep and memory has been confirmed by numerous studies, as many people know that memory consolidation takes place during sleep. It follows that the quality of sleep is directly related to the clarity of memories. When the quality of your sleep suffers, you will soon find that memories are slipping away from you. Conversely, with enough sleep from 8 hours onwards, it is much easier and faster to call up certain moments.
Research has also shown that napping can improve memory performance. One of the most famous studies in the field has shown that REM sleep (only about half an hour) increases the brain's ability to store information. The researchers asked two groups of people to memorize a set of images with different images, and then after about 40 minutes showed another set of cards. One of the groups managed to take a nap in those 40 minutes.
Results:The group that took a nap retained significantly more information about the images (85%) than those who did not sleep at all (60%).
Again, the reason is to strengthen the memory - the brain needs sleep for this process to go well, so that a little sleep is only beneficial.
Snack:If you want to make the most of your memory reserves, give your body enough sleep.
train
Exercise is known to improve awareness, focus, and blood flow to 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.
A number of studies have shown that exercise improves brain function. So let's talk about this first. In one of them it was shown that just a few minutes of light exercise resulted in an instant improvement in memory. Participants in the experiment performed exercises of varying intensity while scientists observed changes in brain activity at this point.
The results showed that during these exercises the connection between the brain regions that are responsible for the creation of new episodic memories (autobiographical memory that remembers according to the principle of "who, what, where and when") and in theThe dentate gyrus and the hippocampus improved.
Hence, in just a few minutes or even an hour of exercise, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or run first and most people can do it.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain booster. In large quantities it is unhealthy and even dangerous, but there is no doubt that it improves memory.
In a study by Johns Hopkins, one group of volunteers was asked not to consume foods containing caffeine at all and a second group was given 200 mg of caffeinated supplements 5 minutes after being asked to view pictures. The next day they were shown more pictures, some of them identical to the past or similar in some way, there were new ones too.
The group that had taken caffeine the day before were much better able to determine which images were similar to the original images and even could tell the difference between them.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amount of caffeine. In addition, they have many other benefits, such as the presence of antioxidants. Try to get your caffeine from natural teas and coffees, not sugary carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black tea also contain ingredients that improve memory. It is recommended to drink it throughout the day, but preferably not before bedtime.
Eat foods rich in flavonoid
Foods that contain saturated fat and trans fat (red meat, butter) are bad for memory. And just in preparation for exams, students often eat lots 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, irreparably damaging brain health and causing memory loss.
To improve memory, it is recommended to eat foods that are easy on the brain, more fish, olive oil, whole grains, walnuts and blueberries.
In the long term, foods high in flavonoid content help improve memory, especially dark berries and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that improve cardiovascular health. Some studies have also shown excellent cancer prevention, and consuming blueberries for several weeks slows memory loss.
Another study found that consuming blueberries regularly for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement were already evident in the third week of the experiment.
Dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa is also known to improve brain function.
Medicines and food supplements
If you want to improve brain function through supplementation, omega-3 fatty acids are the best.
When choosing dietary supplements and before taking tablets, refer to the label. Omega-3 fats must 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.