How to improve memory: useful exercises

Experts say that the amount of memory is unlimited. But we don't always use them properly. Mechanical memorization, which is practiced in educational institutions, is not an ideal method for improving memory. It consists of three components: natural potential, condition and fitness. This means that memory is susceptible to influence, and there are currently many ways to improve it.

Reasons for deterioration

The following factors cause memory errors:

• emotional stress;
• systematic depression;
• sleep deprivation;
• infectious diseases;
• lack of vitamins;
• drinking alcoholic beverages;
• smoking;
• brain injury;
• taking medication (antidepressants, sleeping pills);
• disease: atherosclerosis, thyroid dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus;
• aging body.

Strengthens home memory

The brain is a dynamic structure that reacts to any influence. The right approach will help you achieve the desired results. Today, a sufficient number of techniques have been developed to improve memory.

Exercise

1. Let's begin our discussion of this method with an exercise called "association". An assistant is required for implementation. Ask him or her to read aloud several pairs of words that have semantic relationships to one another. For example, "notebook - pen", "winter - snow", "book - study". Your job is to memorize the maximum number of words. Then the assistant must read the first word, the second word must be reproduced independently.
2. The second exercise involves increasing your visual imagination. You need to close your eyes and imagine in detail any object, natural phenomenon or animal. It could be an oasis in the middle of the desert, cats drinking milk, lightning in the sky. A wide variety of options are possible. Next, take a sheet of paper and describe the image presented on it in reverse order.
3. The third exercise is to improve your listening and memorizing information. One needs to read a set of words aloud. For example, "table, sky, computer, elephant, autumn, river, tree". Repeat these words first in the same order, then in the opposite direction. If no one is around, you can do the exercises yourself. To do this, you must pick up a book and read aloud the first words of each line.

4. The fourth exercise will give you the opportunity to train your memory as well as do household chores. Before going to the store, write a list of the products you need to buy on the sheet. Read it several times. You can do this aloud or silently, as you like. Then leave the leaves at home and go to the shop without them. Repeat this exercise every time you need to shop.
5. Exercises that aim to activate the hemispheres of the brain will also help improve memory. The simplest is to change hands while performing an action. For example, comb your hair or hold the cup with your left hand (if you are left-handed, then with your right). You can also walk on the spot. It is important to do the exercises at a fast pace. When lowering the knee, make a wave of the hand so that it rises above the head. This exercise must be repeated several times.

Game

Cards are placed face down in a row on the table. Multiple people can take part in the game. Each take turns flipping two cards. If it fits, the participants take it.

Playing with questions will also help train your memory. The topic is not important. Each player asks the other participants a question. For correct answers, five points are added, for wrong answers, two points are deducted. Solving crossword puzzles will help achieve tangible results.

Menu to strengthen memory

Memory status is diet dependent. Certain foods are sources of substances that the body needs:

1. Bananas provide the body with amino acids (carotene, methionine, tryptophan), easy to digest carbohydrates, vitamins PP, B1, B2.

2. Sprouted grains contain elements that provide energy to the brain and normalize its function. These are selenium, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. Vitamins B9, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.
3. Eggs are rich in amino acids. They contain glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They supply protein to the body which is easily absorbed.
4. Honey is a great source of carbohydrates. They can replace sugar. In its composition, honey contains glucose and fructose which are well absorbed. And also 22 of the 24 trace elements found in the circulatory system.
5. Fish - salmon, trout, salmon, herring. Consumption of this product will replenish the essential Omega 3 acids, the deficiency of which causes degenerative brain disease. This element has a direct impact on the development of intelligence, memory and cognitive function.
6. Avocados increase the blood supply to the brain due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
7. Dark chocolate contains flavonols, elements that prevent brain oxidation and normalize blood circulation. Cocoa destroys substances that contribute to blood clot formation.
8. Apples inhibit the development of oxidative stress that causes memory loss.
9. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that destroys free radicals (substances that have a negative impact on the brain). Melatonin, which is also found in this product, will help slow down aging.
10. Walnuts containing lecithin have a positive effect on the brain by normalizing its activity. They also prevent premature aging. To feel the desired effect, it is enough to eat 5 nuts a day.
11. A handful of pumpkin seeds will meet the body's daily zinc needs.
12. Blueberries and wild currant berries are high in vitamin C. Lemons also have this feature.
13. Tea has tonic properties. Contains caffeine and antioxidants to improve cognition. L-theanine reduces emotional stress.

The brain needs carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and amino acids to function properly.

Introducing salads made of the following ingredients into your diet will help preserve memory:

• carrots;
• bit;
• half celery root;
• parsley;
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• half a lemon.

Grate the ingredients on a coarse grater, season with oil, pour lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Then stir the salad well and enjoy a healthy and delicious meal.

Poetry and music

Another effective way to help develop memory is memorizing poetry. There are several guidelines for achieving the desired result:

1. Learn with couplets, not by lines. Many people make this mistake. If you repeat a line over and over and then move on to another line, you will end up confused in verse. Short term memory is capable of seeing about 7 blocks. In order not to be overwhelming, you need to divide the verse into sections. Perform 5 seconds between blocks.
2. First read the entire poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to visualize the plot of the work. Now read again and you will find that you have memorized a few lines. This way we try to study the whole verse.
3. Don't use rhymes to teach him. The work would fall into fragments, and reproducing it completely would be problematic.

Listening to music is also a method of increasing memory. But it must be a classic. Music creates vibrations in the air that promote relaxation and have a positive effect on the brain. The works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel have this ability.

Other methods

Live an active lifestyle, exercise, and walk in the fresh air. During physical activity, the body releases hormones that improve brain function. Walking will help fill it with oxygen. In order for brain cells to regenerate, you need adequate sleep. Lack of immediate rest is reflected in health conditions.

The efficiency of the brain increases during the deep sleep stage.

Stress is an immediate hazard to memory. It has a devastating effect on brain cells and the hippocampus, the areas responsible for creating new memories and reproducing old ones. Therefore, it is necessary to fight it. This can be done with the help of physical exercise, during which the release of endorphins - the excitement hormone - occurs.

Drawing and reading are some of the techniques for balancing emotional states. Putting negative emotions on paper allows you to see problems from the outside. In the process of reading, attention is turned to the plot of the book. This reduces psychological stress.

There are also recommendations for improving memory in traditional medicine. Let's look at some recipes:

1. Grate radish root and 3 lemons. Add 3 tablespoons of honey to the resulting mass. Refrigerate for 3 weeks. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day with meals.
2. 10 g of ginger, pour 250 ml of boiling water, add mint and lemon balm. Drink 1-2 glasses a day.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of mint and sage leaves equal to two cups of boiled water. Insist for 12 hours. Then strain and drink 50 ml 4 times a day, half an hour before meals.
4. 1 tablespoon of mountain ash bark, pour 250 ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes. The mixture should be infused for 6 hours, then filter and drink 1 spoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

It is possible to influence the state of memory with the help of drugs.

If this is your choice, don't treat it yourself. The drug is taken only after consulting a doctor.

Express Method

If you need to quickly fix something in memory, a simple exercise will help:

1. Concentrate first. Concentrate and aim for what needs to be remembered. Don't let your attention turn to other objects.
2. The next step is to create associations. Associate the object you are trying to remember with something. Here you can rely entirely on imagination.
3. Now let's move on to stage three. Association must be repeated several times. This method will help you to remember any event or information without memorizing it.

If you are not confident in your ability to concentrate, try the following exercise:

1. First, take a deep breath and hold the air for five seconds. In this case, the palms must be clenched into fists.
2. Then exhale slowly and open your hands.
3. After this exercise you will feel relaxed, it will improve your concentration.

Familiar objects should be used when creating associations. Memory activities are organized in such a way that the best results are achieved when new facts are added to the sensations and feelings experienced.

Many people are familiar with situations when at the right moment memory starts to fail. It's not just parents who face this. Anyone can master a method to improve memorization skills. For better results, an integrated approach is recommended. You will feel the effect at the beginning of class.