Have you started to notice that you can not remember where to put the keys or again you forgot an important meeting, you can not focus on important issues and be distracted all the time, do not remember well the material ofnew or can not remember the material recently passed? If so, then 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 to not miss important events and meetings. But what about information that needs to be remembered and transferred to long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not so simple. Despite the variety of choices, tablet formulations, and variety 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 nerve connections in the brain in just a few weeks does not sound very tempting, especially if the appointment was made by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In the 21st century of information technology, in order to cover the entire volume or even prepare for the exam, it is necessary not only to spend time in it. The core of the problem is often just poor memorization, impaired 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 in the short and long term at home, and even make it easier to prepare for your exam. Below we will examine each of them separately.
Try meditation to improve concentration
Attention is one of the key components of memory. To transfer data 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 television, music, phones, conversations, and other entertainment.
It is not always easy to do this, especially if you are surrounded by noisy neighbors or children. Try to find time for yourself when no one is bothering you, in order to focus on your work.
Memory and concentration are located in approximately the same region of the brain. Beenshte proved that with an increase in concentration 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 any given time there are 7 pieces of information in the brain, when a new piece arrives, it displaces the old one, which is or is not recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps to get that information that is needed in a certain period of time faster.
How long it will take 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 one point or another.
Here are some more powerful ways:
- Disable all notifications when you learn.
- Try to isolate yourself from people you know while studying. Go to the library or cafe where you will not worry.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoiding too many tasks and frequent switching to other material.
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In order to adequately process this or that information, it must be studied in several approaches. Studies have shown that those who regularly learn a particular piece of material memorize it much better than those who learn it all at once.
Structure and organize your data
Researchers have discovered that information is organized in the brain into interconnected "groups". This ability of the brain to structure data can be used in everyday life. Try combining similar ideas and terms together, or sketching notes or grouping materials from different books, this will make it easier to remember and highlight the information you want from different sources.
Use memonics and abbreviations
Mnemonics is a memorization technique often used by students to retrieve data from the brain faster. In other words, it is a simple way to remember complex information. For example, you might associate a term you want to remember by associating it with a topic you are familiar with. The best mnemonics are those that are accompanied by positive images or humor. You can create a rhyme, song or joke to recall a specific segment of the material.
Acronyms are the most widely used technique for accompanying memorization of shortlists or sequences.
In everyday life, we are already accustomed to so many abbreviations that we neither notice nor think about what words they are made of.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own shortcuts.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you went through
To remember information, you must first make it comprehensible to the brain, and then repeat everything 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 this term, and then read a more detailed description of the meaning of the term. By repeating this process several times, you will surely 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, choose the amount of time you spend and the days of the week.
Review the material again, if you remember correctly, then repeat only once a week.
If you have difficulty reproducing the information, then read it again for a few hours or every other day.
And if you do not remember anything, then study the material again for 10 minutes. After the whole cycle is repeated, you again sort the information according to how you remember it and set your time to repeat and fill in the blanks.
Visualize the information
Visualizing information often helps people remember material better because some people have more visual perception. Pay attention to the figures, graphs, and tables in the same instructions, for example. You can create your own diagrams, diagrams and drawings, use border notes or colored markers in order to remember meaningful points and find what you need quickly.
Link new information to known information
When researching unfamiliar material, take the time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. Once you have found this relationship, it will be easier for you to remember the information you received recently.
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 materials to their classmates. You can also use this approach and study new material with your friend.
Spend more time on complex information
Which information is easier to remember at the beginning or the end? The researchers found that the order in which the data is examined plays an important role in how quickly the brain gets to the test and extracts that information. And the material is best remembered at the beginning of the book and at the end.
Information in between 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 usual environment
Another great way to improve memorization is to change the learning environment. Change the place in the classroom or the time of day to study the material. By adding an element of innovation to your learning activities, you can increase the efficiency of the effort expended and the memorization of information.
Remember before writing
Teachers often tell you to write things down before you start learning them so that the material is better remembered.
Remember and mentally repeat what you write, not just rewrite it without thinking.
This process will not be difficult because the information will remain in short-term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And by mentally directing this information in 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 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 numerous studies, as many people know that memory consolidation occurs during sleep. It follows that the quality of sleep is directly related to the clarity of memories. If the quality of your sleep suffers, then you will soon notice that the memories are leaving you. Conversely, with enough sleep from 8+ hours, remembering certain moments is much easier and faster.
Research has also shown that napping can improve memory performance. One of the most popular studies in this area has shown that REM sleep (only half an hour or more) increases the brain's ability to hold information. The researchers asked two groups of people to memorize a series of photographs with different images and then after about 40 minutes showed another series of letters. One of the groups managed to take a nap in those 40 minutes.
Results:The snooze group retained significantly more information about the pictures (85%) than those who did not sleep at all (60%).
The reason, again, is to consolidate memory - the brain needs 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, give your body enough sleep.
Train
Exercise is known to improve cognition, concentration and blood circulation to the brain through the flow of oxygen to its cells and mood.
Exercise also triggers the release of catechin B proteins 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 memory and long-term retention.
Exercise has been proven to improve brain function in a number of studies, so let’s talk about that first. In one of them, it was shown that only a few minutes of light exercise lead to an immediate improvement in memory. Participants in the experiment performed exercises of varying intensity, while the scientists at that point noticed changes in brain activity.
The results showed that during these exercises, improving the connection between regions of the brain responsible for creating new episodic memories (autobiographical memory, which remembers according to the principle "who, what, where and when"), as well as in the gyrusserrated and hippocampus.
Therefore, in just a few minutes or even an hour of exercise, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or walk for starters, 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 caffeinated foods at all, and a second group was given an extra 200 mg of caffeine 5 minutes after being asked to look at photos. The next day, they were shown even more pictures, some of them were identical to the past or similar in some way, there were also new ones.
The group that took the caffeine the day before did a much better job at identifying photos that were similar to the original ones and were even able to show the difference between them.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amount of caffeine, in addition, they have many other benefits, the presence of antioxidants, for example. Try to get your caffeine from natural teas and coffee, not from sugary fizzy energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black tea contain ingredients that improve memory. It is recommended to drink throughout the day, but preferably not before bedtime.
Eat Flavonoid Rich Foods
Foods that contain saturated fat and trans fat (red meat, butter) are harmful to 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, which causes irreparable damage to brain health and causes memory loss.
To improve memory, it is recommended to eat good foods for the brain, more fish, olive oil, cereals, nuts, cranberries.
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 cancer prevention agent and consuming blueberries for a few weeks slows down memory loss.
Another study found that consuming blueberries regularly for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement appeared already in the third week of the experiment.
Dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa is also known to improve brain function.
Medications and supplements
If you are looking to improve brain function through supplementation, then omega-3 fatty acids are 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.