You start to notice that you can't remember where you put your keys or once again you forgot about an important meeting, you can't concentrate on important issues and you are constantly distracted, you don't remember new material well or you can'tremember the recently submitted material? If so, then it is worth considering 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 online calendar with reminders so you don't miss important events and appointments. But what to do with information that needs to be memorized and transferred to long-term memory? !!
Unfortunately, things are not that simple. Despite the variety of choices, pill formulations, and variety of supplements and medications, there is currently little scientific evidence that they actually improve brain function 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 very tempting, especially if the appointment is prescribed 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, you need to not only take time for it. At the heart of the problem is often poor memory, impaired memory and the wrong approach to learning.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective methods to improve memory and ways to improve brain function, both short-term and long-term at home, and even make it easier to prepare for exams. Below we will look at each of them separately.
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 material. Try to do important things away from distractions like TV, music, phones, chat rooms and other entertainment.
It's not always easy to do this, especially if you have noisy neighbors or children around you. Try to take time for yourself when no one is bothering you so you can focus on your work.
Memory and concentration are located in approximately the same area of the brain. It has been shown that by increasing the concentration of attention through meditation, this leads to improved brain function and the process of adult memory.
Meditation helps to improve and develop the working memory that temporarily stores the data you need throughout the day. Simply put, at any time in the brain there is 7 information, when a new part arrives, it replaces the old one, which is or is not stored in long-term memory. Meditation helps to get faster this information that is needed in a given period of time.
How long it will take to see positive results is not known for sure. In general, this can take 2 to 8 weeks.
Perhaps the calming effect of meditation enhances the ability to overcome mental noise (distraction) and focus on what you need to know at one time or another.
Here are some more powerful ways:
- Turn off all learning notifications.
- Try to isolate yourself from people you know while studying. Go to the library or cafe where you will not be disturbed.
- Work on only one topic at a time, avoid multitasking and frequent switching to other material.
Don't tread
In order to adequately process this or that information, it must be studied in several approaches. Studies show that those who regularly learn a piece of material memorize it much better than those who learn everything at once.
Structure and organize your data
Researchers have found that information is organized in the brain into interconnected "clusters. "This ability of the brain to structure data can be used in everyday life. Try to combine similar ideas and terms together, 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 is a memorization technique often used by students to retrieve data from the brain faster. In other words, it's an easy way to memorize complex information. For example, you can associate a term you want to remember by associating it with an object you are familiar with. The best mnemonics are those associated with positive images or humor. You can invent a rhyme, song or joke to memorize a certain segment of the material.
Abbreviations are the most commonly used technique for associatively storing shortlists or sequences.
In everyday life we are already so used to abbreviations that we don't even notice them and don't think about what words they are made of.
As you learn new knowledge, you can create your own abbreviations.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you went through
To memorize information, you must first make it understandable to the brain and then repeat everything learned again, after which 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 memorize the term easier and faster over time.
To review the study material, it is also recommended to divide it into three difficulty categories. For each of them, choose the time you spend and days of the week.
Review the material again, if you remember it well, repeat it only once a week.
If you have difficulty reproducing information, read it again in a few hours or every other day.
And if you don't remember anything, study the material again in 10 minutes. Once the whole cycle is repeated, you sort the information again according to the way you remember it and allocate your time to repeat and fill in the gaps.
Visualize information
Visualizing information often helps people remember the material better, as some people have more visual perception. For example, look at pictures, graphs, and tables in the same lessons. You can create your own charts, diagrams and drawings, use field notes or colored markers to memorize significant points and quickly find what you need.
Associate new information with known information
When researching unfamiliar materials, take the time to think about how this information relates to what you already know. Once you find this link, 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 put it into practice when they want their students to teach new material to their own classmates. You can also use this approach and learn new material with your 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 was examined played a significant 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 environment 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 novelty to your learning activities, you can improve the efficiency of your efforts and the storage of information.
Remember before you write
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 have written, not just rewrite without thinking.
This process is not difficult because the information will remain in the short-term memory for about 10-20 seconds. And by mentally returning this information back to your head, you will transfer it in this way to long-term memory.
Get enough sleep and be sure to take a nap if possible
Most students try to spend more time learning 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, you will soon notice that your memories are slipping away. Conversely, 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 more) increases the brain's ability to hold 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 cards. One of the groups managed to take a nap for these 40 minutes.
Results:The group taking a nap retains significantly more information about the photos (85%) than those who do not sleep at all (60%).
The reason is again the consolidation of memory - the brain needs sleep in order for this process to go well, so a little sleep will only be useful.
Conclusion:If you want to make the most of your memory, give your body enough sleep.
Train
Exercise is known to improve knowledge, concentration and blood circulation in the brain through the flow of oxygen to its 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, 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 talk about that first. In one of them it was shown that just a few minutes of light exercise leads to immediate improvement of memory. Participants in the experiment performed exercises of varying intensity, while scientists at this time observed changes in brain activity.
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 according to the "who, what, where and when" principle) improved, as well as indentate gyrus and hippocampus.
Therefore, you can improve your memory in just a few minutes or even an hour of exercise. You can try a treadmill or go for a start 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 John Hopkins, a group of volunteers were asked not to consume caffeinated foods at all, and a second group was given 200 mg of caffeine supplements 5 minutes after being asked to look at photos. The next day they were shown even more photos, some of them identical to the past or similar in some way, there were new ones.
The group that had been taking caffeine the day before did a much better job of identifying which photos were similar to the original ones and even managed to distinguish between them.
Tea and coffee contain the highest amount of caffeine, and they also have many other benefits, such as the presence of antioxidants. Try to get caffeine from natural teas and coffees, not from sweet carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green and black tea contain components that improve memory. Drinking them is recommended throughout the day, but preferably not before bedtime.
Eat foods rich in flavonoids
Foods that contain saturated fats and trans fats (red meat, butter) are bad for memory. And just like preparing for exams, students often eat a lot of unhealthy foods that are even worse for the brain.
Numerous studies show that these foods can even lead to Alzheimer's and dementia in the future, causing irreparable damage to brain health and causing 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 high in flavonoids will help improve memory, especially dark fruits and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that improve cardiovascular health. Some studies have also proven to be an excellent means of preventing cancer, and eating blueberries for a few weeks slows down memory loss.
Another study found that eating blueberries regularly for 12 weeks improved spatial memory. The first signs of improvement appeared in the third week of the experiment.
It is also known that dark chocolate containing 70% or more cocoa improves brain function.
Drugs and Supplements
If you want to improve brain function through supplements, then omega-3 fatty acids are the best.
When choosing supplements and before taking any tablets, 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 theycontain less mercury. They improve memory, especially in the elderly, and other cognitive functions.