You start to notice that you don’t remember where you left your keys or you forget an important meeting again, you can’t concentrate on important matters and keep distracting, don’t remember new materials or don’t remember the recently passed materials? If so, then it is worth thinking about how to improve the memory and concentration of adults and restore their previous state.
The first thing that comes to mind is to create a diary or an online calendar with reminders to avoid missing important events and appointments. But what about the information that should be remembered and transferred to long-term memory?
Unfortunately, things are not that simple. Although there are multiple options, pill forms, and various supplements and drugs, there is currently no scientific evidence that they can really improve brain activity and thinking processes. Testing a drug with a price of $50 is expected to increase connections in the brain's nervous system in just a few weeks. It doesn't sound very tempting, especially if the appointment is made by a doctor as part of a promotion.
In the 21st century information technology, in order to cover all the content and even prepare for the exam, it is not only necessary to spend time on it. The core of the problem is often poor memory, weakened memory and the wrong approach to the learning process.
Fortunately, there are scientifically proven effective memory enhancement methods and methods that can be used at home in the short and long term, and can even simplify exam preparation and improve brain function. We will consider them separately below.
Try meditation to improve concentration
Note is one of the main components of memory. In order to transfer data from short-term memory to long-term memory, it is necessary to focus on this specific material. Try to do important things and avoid distractions, such as TV, music, phone calls, chat rooms and other entertainment activities.
This is not always easy, especially if there are noisy neighbors or children around. Try to make time for yourself without interference so you can focus on your work.
Memory and attention are concentrated in the same area of the brain. It has been proven that increasing concentration of attention through meditation can improve brain function and the process of remembering adults.
Meditation helps to improve and develop working memory, which can temporarily store the data you need throughout the day. In short, at any given time, there are 7 pieces of information in the brain. When a new part arrives, it will replace the old information, and the old information will not be recorded in long-term memory. Meditation helps to obtain the required information faster in a given time.
Not sure how long it will take to see positive results. Usually, this may 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 point or another.
Here are some more powerful methods:
- Turn off all notifications while studying.
- Try to isolate yourself from people you know while studying. Go to the library or cafe and you will not be disturbed.
- Only work on one topic at a time, avoid multitasking and frequently switch to other materials.
Don't fill up
In order to fully process this information, it should be studied in several ways. Research shows that those who regularly learn some specific content are much better than those who learn all of it at once.
Structure and organization data
Researchers have discovered that information is organized in interconnected "clusters" in the brain. The brain's ability to construct data can be used in daily life. Try to group similar ideas and terminology together, or sketch notes or group materials from different books, this will make it easier for you to remember and highlight information from different sources.
Use mnemonics and abbreviations
Mnemonic is a kind of memory technology, usually used by students to get data from the brain faster. In other words, it is an easy way to remember complex information. For example, you can associate terms you want to remember with topics you are familiar with. The best mnemonics are those related to positive images or humor. You can come up with rhymes, songs or jokes to remember specific parts of the material.
Theacronym is the most commonly used technique for associative memory of short lists or sequences.
In daily life, we are so used to acronyms that we don’t even notice them or consider their terms.
When learning new knowledge, you can create your own abbreviations.
Analyze the material in detail and repeat what you passed
To remember information, you first need to make it understandable to the brain, and then repeat everything you have learned, then the information will definitely fall into long-term memory. For example, read the definition of a key term, study the definition of the term, and then read a more detailed description of the meaning of the term. By repeating this process several times, you may find it easier to remember the term over time.
To review the materials studied, it is also recommended to divide them into three types of difficulty. For each one, choose the time you spend and the number of days per week.
Read the material again, if you have a good memory of it, repeat it only once a week.
If you have trouble copying information, please reread it in a few hours or the next day.
If you don't remember anything, please study for another 10 minutes. After the entire cycle repeats, you will sort the information again according to the memory method, and allocate time to repeat and fill in the blanks.
Visual information
Visualization of information can often help people remember materials better, because some people have more visual perception. For example, please pay attention to the pictures, graphs and tables in the same tutorial. You can create your own charts, graphs and graphs, use annotations in the margins or use colored markers to remember the main points and quickly find what you need.
Link new information with known information
When researching unfamiliar material, take a moment to consider the relationship between this information and the information you already know. Once you find 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 to practice when asking students to teach new materials to their classmates. You can also use this method to learn new materials with your friends.
Spend more time on complex information
What information is easiest to remember at the beginning or end? Researchers have found that the order in which data is checked plays an important role in the speed at which the brain samples and outputs that information. It is best to remember these materials at the beginning and end of the book.
The information in the middle is usually lost, but this problem can be solved by repeating it several times. Another strategy is to try to rephrase what you have learned in your own language to make it easier to remember.
Change the general environment
Another good way to improve memory is to change the learning environment. Change the time of study materials in the classroom or day. By adding novelty to learning activities, work efficiency and information storage efficiency can be improved.
Remember before writing
Teachers often tell you to write things down before you start teaching, so that the materials can be remembered better.
Remember and mentally repeat what you wrote, not just rewrite without thinking.
This process will not be difficult because the information will be retained in short-term memory for approximately 10-20 seconds. After bringing this information back into your brain, you will transfer it to long-term memory.
Get plenty of sleep, and if possible, don’t forget to take a nap
Most students try to spend more time studying and forget about sleep completely. But this will only make the situation worse, because lack of sleep can affect memory and other cognitive abilities.
The connection between sleep and memory has been confirmed by numerous studies, because many people know that memory integration occurs during sleep. Therefore, the quality of sleep is directly related to the clarity of memory. If your sleep quality is affected, you will soon find that memories are slipping away from you. On the contrary, as long as you have more than 8 hours of adequate sleep, recalling certain moments will become easier and faster.
Research also shows that naps can improve memory performance. One of the most famous studies in this field shows that REM sleep (only about half an hour) can enhance the brain's ability to retain information. The researchers asked the two groups to remember one set of photos with different images, and then showed another set of cards after 40 minutes. One of the teams managed to hit an a in these 40 minutes.
Result:Compared with people who are not sleeping at all (60%), the group taking a nap retains more information about the photos (85%).
Again, the reason is to consolidate memory-the brain needs sleep to make this process go smoothly, so a little sleep will only be beneficial.
Conclusion:If you want to make the most of memory, please give your body enough sleep.
Train
As we all know, exercise improves brain cognition, concentration and blood circulation by flowing oxygen to its cells and emotions.
Exercise can also trigger the release of cathepsin B protein in the brain. This stimulates the growth of neurons (brain cells) and establishes additional connections in the hippocampus, which is the brain area responsible for long-term memory and retention.
In many studies, exercise has been shown to improve brain function, so let's talk about it first. One of them shows that just a few minutes of light exercise can immediately improve memory. Participants in the experiment exercised at different intensities, and scientists at the time observed changes in brain activity.
The results show that in these exercises, between the brain regions responsible for creating new episodic memories (autobiographical memories, based on the principle of "who, what, when and where") and between the dentate gyrusThe connection has been improved. And seahorse.
Therefore, in just a few minutes or even an hour of exercise, you can improve your memory. You can try a treadmill or start by walking, and most people can do it.
Drink coffee and tea
Caffeine is a well-known brain booster. Mass use is unhealthy and even dangerous, but there is no doubt that it can improve memory.
In a study at Johns Hopkins University, one group of volunteers was asked not to consume caffeinated food at all, and another group of volunteers was asked to give 200 mg of coffee after 5 minutes of viewing photosBecause of supplements. The next day, I showed them more pictures, some of which were the same or somewhat similar to the past, and some were new.
The group taking caffeine the day before did a better job in determining which pictures are similar to the original pictures and even distinguishing the differences between them.
Tea and coffee have the highest caffeine content, and they also have many other benefits, such as antioxidants. Try to get caffeine from natural tea and coffee instead of sugary carbonated energy drinks. In addition to caffeine, green tea and black tea also contain ingredients that improve memory. It is recommended to drink alcohol throughout the day, but it is best not to drink before going to bed.
Eat foods rich in flavonoids
Foods containing saturated fat and trans fat (red meat, butter) are not good for memory. In the process of preparing for the exam, students often eat a lot of unhealthy foods that are bad for the brain.
A large number of studies have shown that these foods may even cause Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the future, causing irreparable damage to brain health and causing memory loss.
In order to improve memory, it is recommended to eat foods that are good for the brain, including fish, olive oil, whole grains, walnuts, and blueberries.
In the long run, foods rich in flavonoids will help improve memory, especially dark berries and cocoa. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory compounds found in plants that can improve cardiovascular health. Some studies have also proven to be an excellent cancer preventive agent, eating blueberries for a few weeks can slow down memory loss.
Another study found that regular consumption of blueberries for 12 weeks can improve spatial memory. The first signs of improvement have appeared in the third week of the experiment.
Dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa can also improve brain function.
Medications and supplements
If you want to improve brain function through supplementation, omega-3 fatty acids are the best.
When choosing supplements and before taking any tablets, please pay attention to the label, omega-3 fats should be obtained from highly refined fish oils, especially from fish found in cold water, because they contain reduced mercury content. They improve memory, especially the memory and other cognitive functions of the elderly.