You start to notice that you can't remember where you put your keys or once again forget about important meetings, you can't concentrate on important things and get distracted all the time, don't remember new material well or can't remember materialwho just passed? If so, then it is worth thinking about how to improve memory and attention in adults and regain their original 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 appointments. But what does this have to do with the information that must be memorized and transferred to long-term memory? !
Unfortunately, things are not that simple. Despite the wide variety of options, pill formulations, and variety of supplements and drugs, there is currently not much scientific evidence that they actually increase 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 all that tantalizing, especially if the appointment is being made by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In 21st century information technology, to cover entire volumes or even prepare for exams, you don't just have to spend time on it. The crux of the problem is often just bad memorization, weak memory and the wrong approach to the learning process.
Fortunately, there are memory enhancement methods that are scientifically proven to be effective and ways to improve brain function, both short and long term at home, and even make exam preparation easier. Below we will consider each of them separately.
Try meditation to improve concentration
Caution is one of the main components of memory. In order to transfer data from short-term memory to long-term memory, you need to focus on this particular material. Try to do important things away from distractions such as TV, music, telephone, chat rooms, and other entertainment.
This is not always easy to do, especially if you have noisy neighbors or children around. Try to make time for yourself when no one is in the way so you can focus on your work.
Memory and concentration are located roughly in the same brain region. It has been shown that by increasing the concentration of attention through meditation, it leads to improved brain performance and memory processing in adults.
Meditation helps improve and develop working memory, which temporarily stores needed data throughout the day. Simply put, at a certain time there are 7 pieces of information in the brain, when a new part comes, it replaces the old part, which has or is not recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps you get the information you need over a period of time more quickly.
How long it will take to see a positive result is not known exactly. In general, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effect of meditation increases the ability to deal with mental disorders (distractions) and focus on what you need to know at one point or another.
Here are some more powerful methods:
- Turn off all notifications while studying.
- Try to isolate yourself from the people you know while studying. Go to a library or cafe where you won't be bothered.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoiding multitasking and frequently switching to other materials.
Don't cram
In order to adequately process this or that information, it must be studied in several approaches. Research has shown that those who regularly study certain material memorize it much better than those who study it all at once.
Organize and organize your data
Researchers have found that information is organized in the brain in interconnected "groups". The brain's ability to organize data can be used in everyday life. Try combining similar ideas and terms, or sketch notes or group material from different books, this will make it easier to remember and highlight the information you want from different sources.
Use mnemonics and abbreviations
Mnemonics is a memorization technique that students often use to retrieve data from the brain more quickly. In other words, it's an easy way to remember complex information. For example, you can associate a term you want to remember by relating it to a familiar subject. The best mnemonics are those associated with positive imagery or humor. You can make up rhymes, songs, or jokes to remember specific segments of the material.
Acronyms are the most commonly used technique for memorizing short lists or associative sequences.
In everyday life, we are so used to acronyms that we don't even notice and don't think about what the acronyms are made of.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own abbreviations.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you have passed
In order to remember information, you first have to make it understandable to the brain, and then repeat everything it learns again, and the information will inevitably enter into long-term memory. For example, read definitions of key terms, learn about definitions of those terms, and then read more detailed descriptions of what those terms mean. By repeating this process a few times, you may find that you remember the term more easily and more quickly over time.
In order to review the material studied, it is also advisable to divide it into three categories of difficulty. For each, choose the amount of time you spend and days per week.
Review the material again, if you remember it well then repeat only once a week.
If you are having trouble reproducing information, read it again in a few hours or every other day.
And if you don't remember anything, go over the material again for 10 minutes. After the whole cycle repeats itself, you go back to sorting the information the way you remember it and allocating your time to iterating and filling in the blanks.
Visualize information
Information visualization often helps people remember material better because some people have more visual perceptions. Take a look at pictures, charts, and tables in the same tutorial, for example. You can create your own diagrams, diagrams and drawings, use margin notes or colored markers to remember important points and find what you need fast.
Link new information with known information
When researching foreign material, take some time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. Once you find this connection, it will be easier for you to remember the information you just received.
Read aloud
Research shows that reading aloud makes information easier to remember. Teachers also support this concept and put it into practice when they ask their students to teach new material to their classmates. You can also take this approach and study new material with your friends.
Spend more time on complex information
What information is easiest to remember at the beginning or at the end? The researchers found that the order in which the data was examined played an important role in how quickly the brain was sampled and removed. And the material is best remembered at the beginning of the book and at the end.
Information in the center is often missing, but this problem can be resolved by repeating it a few times. Another strategy is to try to put what you have learned into your own words to make it easier to remember.
Change the usual environment
Another great way to improve memorization is to change the environment for learning. Change the place in class or the time to study material. By adding an element of novelty to your study activities, you can increase the efficiency of your effort and memorization of information.
Remember before you write
Teachers often ask you to write something down before you start teaching them to make the material more memorable.
Remember and mentally repeat what you wrote, not just mindlessly rewriting it.
This process is straightforward as the information will remain in the short-term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And once you mentally push this information back into your head, you'll transfer it into long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and don't forget to take a nap whenever possible
Most students try to spend more time studying and forget about sleeping altogether. But this only makes the situation worse, as sleep deprivation affects memory as well as several other cognitive abilities.
The relationship between sleep and memory has been confirmed by various studies, as many people know that memory consolidation occurs during sleep. Therefore, sleep quality is directly related to memory clarity. If your sleep is of poor quality, you will quickly notice that the memories are drifting away from you. On the other hand, with enough sleep of 8+ hours, remembering certain moments is much easier and faster.
Research also shows that napping can improve memory performance. One of the most well-known studies in this area has shown that REM sleep (only half an hour or so) increases the brain's ability to retain information. The researchers asked two groups of people to memorize one set of pictures with different pictures, and then after about 40 minutes showed the other set of cards. One group managed to take a nap for 40 minutes.
Results:the nap group retained significantly more information about images (85%) than those who did not sleep at all (60%).
The reason, again, is memory consolidation - the brain needs sleep for this to work properly, so a little sleep is only beneficial.
Things to take:If you want to make the most of your spare memory, give your body enough sleep.
Train
Exercise is known to improve cognition, concentration and blood circulation in the brain via oxygen flow to cells and their mood.
Exercise also triggers the release of the protein cathepsin B in the brain. This 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 retention.
Exercise has been shown to improve brain function in a number of studies, so let's get to that first. For one thing, it has been shown that just a few minutes of moderate exercise can improve memory instantly. Participants in the experiment performed the exercises at varying intensities, while scientists at the time observed changes in brain activity.
The results show that during this exercise, the relationship between brain regions responsible for the creation of new episodic memories (autobiographical memory, which remembers according to the "who, what, where and when" principle) increases, as well as in the dentated gyrus and hippocampus.
Therefore, in just a few minutes or even an hour of practice, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or a walk for starters, and most people can.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain booster. In large quantities, it is unhealthy and even dangerous, but it undoubtedly improves memory.
In one study by Johns Hopkins, one group of volunteers was asked not to consume caffeinated foods at all, and the other group was given a 200 mg caffeinated supplement 5 minutes after being asked to view the pictures. The next day they were shown more pictures, some of which were identical to the past or similar in some respects, some new.
The group that had consumed the caffeine the day before did a much better job of identifying which images were similar to the original and were even able to distinguish between the images.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amount of caffeine, besides, they have many other benefits, such as the presence of antioxidants. Try to get your caffeine from natural teas and coffees rather than carbonated energy drinks that contain sugar. Apart from caffeine, green and black teas contain components that improve memory. It is recommended to drink it throughout the day, but preferably not before bedtime.
Eat Flavonoid Rich Foods
Foods that contain saturated fat and trans fat (red meat, butter) are bad for memory. And just for exam preparation, students often eat a lot of unhealthy food which is even worse for the brain.
Numerous studies have shown that these foods can even cause Alzheimer's and dementia in the future, causing irreparable damage to brain health and leading to memory loss.
To improve memory, it is advisable to eat foods that are good for the brain, more fish, olive oil, whole grains, walnuts, blueberries.
In the long run, foods high in flavonoids will help improve memory, especially berries and dark chocolate. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that promote heart health. Several studies have also shown to be excellent cancer prevention agents, and consuming blueberries for a few weeks can slow memory loss.
Another study found that eating blueberries regularly for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement appeared by the third week of the trial.
Dark chocolate containing 70% or more cocoa is also known to improve brain function.
Medicines and Supplements
If you want to improve brain function through supplementation, then omega-3 fatty acids are the best.
When choosing a supplement and before taking any tablet, pay attention to the label, omega-3 fats should be obtained from highly refined fish oil, preferably from fish found in cold waters, as they contain less mercury. They improve memory, especially in the elderly, and other cognitive functions.