You started to realize that you can't remember where you put the keys or once again you forgot an important meeting, you can't focus on important matters and you get distracted all the time, you don't remember new material well or notcan you remember the material recently passed? In this case, it is worth thinking about how to improve memory and attention in adults and recover the previous state.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create an online diary or calendar with reminders not to miss important events and meetings. But what about the information that must be remembered and transferred to long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not so simple. Despite the variety of options, pill forms and variety of supplements and medications, there is currently little 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 seem too tempting, especially if the appointment was made by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In the 21st century of information technology, to cover the entire volume or even prepare for an exam, it is not necessary to just devote time to it. The crux of the problem is often just poor memory, weakened memory and the wrong approach to the learning process.
Fortunately, there are effective scientifically proven methods for improving memory and ways to improve brain function, both short and long term at home, and even to facilitate exam preparation. Next, we will consider each one 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, it is necessary to focus on this specific material. Try to do important things away from distractions, such as TV, music, telephones, chat rooms and other entertainment.
It is not always easy to do this, especially if there are noisy neighbors or children around you. Try to make time for yourself when no one is getting in the way, so you can concentrate on work.
Memory and concentration are located in approximately the same region of the brain. It has been proven that with an increased concentration of attention through meditation, this leads to an improvement in the performance of the brain and the process of remembering an adult.
Meditation helps to improve and develop working memory, which temporarily stores the necessary data throughout the day. Simply put, at a given moment there are 7 pieces of information in the brain, when a new part arrives, it displaces the old part, which is or is not recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps you get that information needed over a period of time more quickly.
It is uncertain how long it will take to see positive results. In general, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effect of meditation increases your ability to overcome mental noise (distractions) and focus on what you need to know at one point or another.
Here are some more powerful ways:
- Disable all notifications during learning.
- Try to isolate yourself from the people you know while studying. Go to the library or cafe where you will not be disturbed.
- Work on just one topic at a time, avoid multitasking and frequently switch to other material.
Don't push
To properly process this or that information, it must be studied in various approaches. Studies have shown that those who regularly learn a certain material in parts memorize it much better than those who learn everything at once.
Structure and organize your data
The researchers 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 terms, or sketch notes or group materials from different books, it will 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 brain data more quickly. In other words, it is an easy way to remember complex information. For example, you can associate a term that you want to remember by associating it with a subject with which you are familiar. The best mnemonics are those associated with positive moods or images. You can make up a rhyme, song or joke to remember a specific 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 don't even notice and think about what words are made of.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own abbreviations.
Review the material in detail and repeat what you went through
To remember the information, you first need to make it understandable to the brain and then repeat everything that has been learned again, then the information will definitely fall 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 what the term means. By repeating this process several times, you will probably find that you remember the term more easily and quickly over time.
To review the material studied, it is also recommended to divide it into three categories of difficulty. For each of them, select the amount of time you spend and the days per week.
Review the material again, if you remember it well, then repeat it only once a week.
If you have difficulty reproducing the information, reread it every few hours or every other day
And if you don't remember anything, study the material again for 10 minutes. After the whole cycle is repeated, you sort the information again according to how you remember it and allocate your time for repetition and filling in the gaps.
View information
Viewing information usually helps people to remember the material better because some people have a more visual perception. Pay attention to photos, graphs and tables in the same tutorials, for example. You can create your own diagrams, diagrams and drawings, use notes in the fields or colored markers to remember the significant points and find what you need quickly.
Link new information to known information
When researching unknown material, take the time to think about how that information relates to what you already know. Having found that relationship, it will be easier for you to remember the information you recently 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 colleagues. You can also use this approach and study new material with your friend.
Spend more time on complex information
What information is easier to remember at the beginning or at the end? The researchers found that the order in which the data is examined plays a significant role in how quickly the brain is sampled and sent. And the material is most remembered at the beginning and end of the book.
Intermediate information is often lost, but this problem can be solved by repeating it several times. Another strategy is to try to paraphrase what you have learned in your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change the normal environment
Another great way to improve memorization is to change the learning environment. Change the classroom location or time of day to study the material. By adding an element of novelty to your learning activities, you can improve the efficiency of the effort spent and the memorization of information.
Remember before writing
Teachers often tell you to write things down before you start teaching them, so that the material is better remembered.
Remember and mentally repeat what you write, don't just rewrite without thinking.
This process will not be difficult because the information will remain in short-term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And, having mentally banished that information from your head, you will 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. But that only makes the situation worse, because lack of sleep affects memorization, as well as some other cognitive skills.
The link between sleep and memory has been confirmed by several studies, as many people know that memory consolidation occurs during sleep. It is concluded that the quality of sleep is directly related to the clarity of memories. If the quality of your sleep worsens, you will soon realize that the memories are running away from you. On the other hand, with enough sleep for more than 8 hours, remembering certain moments is much easier and faster.
Research has also shown that naps can improve memory performance. One of the best-known studies in this area has shown that REM sleep (just half an hour or more) increases the brain's ability to retain information. The researchers asked two groups of people to memorize a set of photos with different images and, after about 40 minutes, showed another set of letters. 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 photos (85%) compared to those who did not sleep (60%).
The reason, again, is the consolidation of memory - the brain needs to sleep for this process to go well, so a little sleep will only be beneficial.
Conclusion:If you want to make the most of your memory reserves, give your body enough sleep.
Train
Exercises are known to improve cognition, concentration and blood circulation in the brain through the flow of oxygen to cells and mood.
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, an 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 talk about that first. In one, it was proven that just a few minutes of light exercise leads to an instant improvement in memory. Experiment participants performed exercises of varying intensity, while scientists at that time observed changes in brain activity.
The results showed that during these exercises, the connection between the regions of the brain responsible for creating new episodic memories (autobiographical memory, which recalls according to the principle of "who, what, where and when"), andit also improved in the toothed rotation. and the hippocampus.
So in just a few minutes or even an hour of exercise, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or walk for a start, and most people can.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain stimulator. In large quantities, it is unhealthy and even dangerous, but it certainly improves memory.
In a Johns Hopkins study, a group of volunteers were asked not to consume any caffeinated food, and the other was given a 200 mg caffeine supplement 5 minutes after being asked to view the photos. The next day, even more photos were shown, some of them identical to the past or similar in some way, there were also new ones.
The group that drank caffeine the day before did a much better job of identifying which photos were similar to the originals and even managed to distinguish between them.
Tea and coffee are the ones that contain the greatest amount of caffeine, in addition, they have many other benefits, the presence of antioxidants, for example. Try to get caffeine from natural teas and coffees, not from sugary carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black teas contain components that improve memory. It is recommended to drink throughout the day, but preferably not before bedtime.
Eat foods rich in flavonoids
Foods that contain saturated fat and trans fat (red meat, butter) are bad for memory. And just in preparation for exams, students often eat many 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, which causes irreparable damage to brain health and memory loss.
To improve memory, it is recommended to eat foods that are good for the brain, more fish, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, blueberries.
In the long run, foods rich in flavonoids will help improve memory, especially berries and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that improve cardiovascular health. Some studies have also proven to be an excellent cancer preventive, and consuming blueberries for several weeks decreases memory loss.
Another study found that consuming blueberries regularly for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement 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 are looking to improve brain function by supplementation, omega-3 fatty acids are the best.
When choosing supplements and before taking any pills, pay attention to the label, omega-3 fats should be obtained from highly refined fish oil, preferably from fish that are in cold water, as they contain less mercury. They improve memory, especially in the elderly, and other cognitive functions.