Have you started noticing where you can't remember where you put the keys, or once again forgot about an important meeting, can't focus on important things, and are constantly distracted, don't remember new material well, or don't remember recently submitted material? If so, it is worth thinking about how to improve memory and attention in adults and regain the previous state.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create a diary or online calendar with reminders so you don't miss important events and meetings. But what about information that should be remembered and transferred to long-term memory?
Sorry, it's not that simple. Despite the wide variety of choices, tablet formulations, and various supplements and medications, there is currently little scientific evidence that they actually improve brain function and thought processes. And testing $ 50, which promises to strengthen nerve 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, information technology requires more than just time to cover an entire volume or even prepare for an exam. At the heart of the problem is often just poor memorization, impaired memory and a wrong approach to learning.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective methods for improving memory and ways to improve brain function in both the short and long term at home, and even make it easier to prepare for the exam. We will consider each of them separately below.
Try meditation to improve concentration
Attention is one of the main components of memory. To transfer data from short-term memory to long-term memory, you need to focus on that particular piece of material. Try to keep important things away from distractions such as TV, music, phones, chat rooms and other entertainment.
This isn't always easy to do, especially if you're surrounded by noisy neighbors or children. Try to take time for yourself when no one is bothering you so you can focus on your work.
Memory and concentration are in about the same region of the brain. Increased concentration through meditation has been shown to improve brain function and adult memory.
Meditation helps to improve and develop working memory, which temporarily stores the necessary data throughout the day. Simply put, at any time, the brain has 7 parts of information, when a new part arrives, it displaces the old, whether or not it is stored in long-term memory. Meditation helps you get the information you need more quickly.
It is not known how long it will take to see positive results. This can usually 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:
- Turn off all notifications while learning.
- Try to isolate yourself from the people you know while studying. Go to a library or cafe where you won't be disturbed.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoid multitasking and frequent switching to another material.
Do not compress
In order to process this or other information properly, it needs to be explored 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 in the brain is organized into interconnected "clusters. "This ability of the brain to structure data can be used in daily life. Try to combine similar ideas and terms, or sketch notes or group materials from different books, this will make it easier to remember and highlight the information you want from different sources.
Use mnemonics and abbreviations
Mnemonics are memorization techniques 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 relate a term you want to remember by relating it to a topic that you are familiar with. The best mnemonics are those associated with a positive image or humor. You can come up with a rhyme, song, or joke to remember a specific segment of material.
Acronyms are the most common method of associative memorization of shortlists or sequences.
Everyday, we're so used to abbreviations that you don't even notice them and don't think about what words they are made of.
You can create your own abbreviations as you learn new knowledge.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you've passed
To remember information, you must first make it understandable to the brain and then repeat what you have learned, then the information will definitely be in long-term memory. For example, read the definition of a key term, explore the definition of that term, and then read a more detailed description of what that term means. By repeating this process several times, you may find that you remember the term more easily and quickly over time.
To review the research material, it is also recommended to divide it into three difficulty categories. Select the time and days of the week for each of them.
Review the material again, if you remember well, repeat it only once a week.
If you're having trouble reproducing information, read it again in a few hours or every other day.
And if you don't remember anything, research the material again for 10 minutes. After the whole cycle repeats, you re-arrange the information according to how you remember it and give you time to repeat and fill in the gaps.
Visualize information
Visualizing information often helps people remember the material better, as some people have a greater visual perception. Pay attention to photos, charts, and tables, for example, in the same tutorials. You can create your own charts, diagrams and drawings, use notes on the edges or colored markers to remember important points and quickly find what you need.
Associate new information with known information
When researching unfamiliar material, take the time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. Finding this relationship will make it easier for you to remember recent information.
Read aloud
Research shows that reading aloud makes it easier to remember information. Teachers also support this concept and use it in practice when they ask their students to teach new material to their classmates. You can also use this approach and explore new material with a 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 is checked plays an important role in how quickly the brain reads and outputs this information. And the material is best remembered at the beginning and end of the book.
Information in the middle is often lost, but this problem can be solved by repeating it several times. Another strategy is to try to paraphrase what has been learned in your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change your normal 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 a novelty element to learning activities, you can improve the efficiency of memorizing the effort and information spent.
Remember before you write
Teachers often write down things before you start teaching them so that the material is better remembered.
Remember and mentally repeat what you write down, not just rewrite without thinking.
This process will not be complicated, as the information will be stored in short-term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And by spiritually driving this information, you will transfer it to long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and, if possible, don't forget to fall asleep
Most students try to spend more time studying and completely forget about sleep. But it only makes the situation worse, because lack of sleep affects memorization, as well as some other cognitive abilities.
The link between sleep and memory has been confirmed by many 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 memory. If your sleep quality suffers, you will soon notice that memories are slipping away from you. Conversely, if you sleep enough from 8+ hours, recalling individual moments is much easier and faster.
Studies have also shown that sleep can improve memory performance. One of the best-known studies in this area has shown that REM sleep (only half an hour or more) increases the brain's ability to store information. The researchers asked two groups of people to memorize a set of pictures with different pictures and showed another set of cards after about 40 minutes. One of the groups managed to fall asleep during these 40 minutes.
Results:The group that fell asleep retained significantly more information about the images (85%) than those who did not sleep at all (60%).
Again, the reason is memory consolidation - 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 brain cognition, concentration, and blood circulation through the flow of oxygen to cells and mood.
Exercise also causes the release of cathepsin B protein in the brain. It stimulates the growth of neurons (brain cells) and creates additional connections in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for long-term memory and preservation.
Several studies have shown that exercise improves brain function, so let's talk about it first. One of them showed that just a few minutes of light exercise allows you to immediately improve memory. The participants of the experiment performed exercises of different intensities, while scientists at that time observed changes in brain function.
The results showed that during these exercises, the connection between the areas of the brain responsible for creating new episodic memories (autobiographical memory that remembers on a "what, what, where and when") and dental gyrus improved. and hippocampus.
So you can improve your memory in a few minutes or even hours of exercise. You can try a treadmill or a walk at first, and most people can.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain enhancer. In large quantities, it is unhealthy and even dangerous, but there is no doubt that it improves memory.
In one Johns Hopkins study, one group of volunteers was asked not to eat caffeinated foods at all, while the other group was given 200 mg of caffeine 5 minutes after being asked to view images. The next day they were shown even more pictures, some of them identical to the past or somehow similar, also new.
The group that used caffeine the day before did a much better job of determining which images were similar to the originals and even being able to distinguish them.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amount of caffeine, in addition to which they have many other benefits, such as the presence of antioxidants. Try to get caffeine from natural teas and coffees, not sweet carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black tea contain components that improve memory. It is recommended to drink them throughout the day, but preferably not at bedtime.
Eat foods rich in flavonoids
Foods high in saturated fat and trans fat (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.
Many studies have shown that these foods may even cause Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the future, causing irreversible damage to brain health and memory loss.
To improve memory, it is recommended to eat good food 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 berries and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that improve cardiovascular health. Some studies have also shown it to be an excellent cancer prevention tool, and using blueberries for several weeks slows down memory loss.
Another study found that regular use of blueberries for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement appeared already in the third week of the experiment.
Dark chocolate, which contains 70% or more cocoa, also improves brain function.
Medicines and supplements
If you want to improve your brain function with supplements, 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 in cold waters, as they contain less mercury. They improve memory, especially in the elderly, and other cognitive functions.