This is a classic situation for many:you meet someone and a moment after they introduce themselves, you completely forget their name. Names, passwords, PIN codes and phone numbers… The list is endless – we have to remember information literally every day. But what if over time your memory starts to weaken? Is it possible to train it? The good news for you is that it is possible! Just like the muscles of your body, your memory can be trained. The Americans say: “Use it or lose it!” The same is with memory – the more you train your brain, the more you will remember. Of course, anyone would like to know how to improve their memory and attention. Note that when we talk about memory, we also mention attention. You should know: memory and attention are two of your mental abilities that are directly related. And many complaints about poor memory have nothing to do with the actual ability to remember. Very often, they arise from the inability to concentrate on a task properly. Let's take, for example, the following situation: after work you need to go to the hospital to see a sick friend, and before that you need to stop by the mall to do some shopping. You know that your friend is waiting for you, and you have a lot of things to do at home, so you try to hurry. You run along the counters and display cases, run into the grocery department, pick up everything you need - and hurry to the exit. And then an unpleasant surprise awaits you: you don't remember at all in which part of the parking lot you left your car. And why? Because your head was busy with a multitude of problems, and your brain did not have the opportunity to "register" the necessary information that would later help you find your car without problems. The same applies to the situation when you don't remember, for example, where you put your glasses.
How to improve your memory and attention
Many of our actions are performed automatically,without paying attention. And as we age, the brain takes longer to process information. Along with processing speed, other brain functions decline as well. And the most important of these is the ability to focus and ignore distractions. So what can you do to improve your concentration and memory? There is no single solution to memory problems. You can do it by following the basic rules of maintaining brain health: exercise, balanced nutrition, stress management, social activity, and cognitive stimulation. Let's look at all of this in order. Don't skimp on sleep and exercise For a professional athlete, the training, sleep, and nutrition regimen is very important, and for good reason, because it is on this that their body functions and their athletic achievements depend. So your ability to remember increases when you maintain the health of your brain with healthy habits and proper nutrition. When you train your body, you also train your brain, improving its ability to process and reproduce information. How, you ask? Exercise increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, thereby significantly reducing the risk of diseases that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise can also enhance the effect of flooding the brain with beneficial chemicals that protect its cells. Sleep also benefits your brain. When you are sleep deprived, it cannot operate at its full capacity. Creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical and analytical thinking skills are compromised. If you are studying, working, or trying to “sort out” multiple problems in your daily life, lack of sleep is a recipe for disaster. Sleep is fundamental to learning and memory. Research conducted by specialists has clearly shown that sleep is a prerequisite for memory consolidation, it is the key to the ability to remember well, to the increased activity of the brain responsible for processing information received during the day. During the stages of deep sleep, new information is transferred from the conscious to the subconscious, which leads to its memorization. Eating Right Is the Key to Good Brain Functioning Just as the rest of the body needs “fuel” to provide energy, so does our brain. You’ve probably heard many times that a diet based on fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and “healthy” fats will provide many health benefits. Such a diet can also help improve memory. But for brain health, it’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s also what you don’t eat. The following tips will help you improve your memory performance:
- Get a daily dose of omega-3. More and more there is evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for brain health. Especially rich in sources of omega-3 is fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring. Other sources are walnuts, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds and soy.
- Increased calorie content of food and its fillingsaturated fats (from sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, ice cream) not only reduce the functions of memory and attention, but also increase the risk of dementia.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables. With them, you get the body's necessary antioxidants and other substances that protect the brain cells from damage. Especially useful are fruits such as apricots, mangoes, melons, watermelon, and green leafy vegetables.
- Drink green tea. It contains polyphenols - powerful antioxidants that protect the brain from the damaging effects of free radicals. Among many other advantages, regular consumption of green tea can improve memory and mental activity and can slow the aging of the brain.
- To increase mental and mental energyuse complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates (sugar, white bread, refined cereals and the like) give a quick burst of energy, which also quickly vanishes. There is evidence that diets high in simple carbohydrates can significantly increase the risk of developing cognitive impairment in the elderly. For healthy energy that lasts a long time, choose whole wheat bread, brown rice, oat flakes, lentils, beans and similar products. Avoid semi-finished products, and foods rich in starch (potatoes, pasta, rice), use reduced portions - no more than a quarter of a regular-sized dish.
Keep Stress in Check Stress is one of thethe brain's worst enemies. Over time, if left unchecked, chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus, the area of the brain involved in forming new memories and retrieving old information. There are many ways to combat stress, including maintaining a work-rest schedule, exercising, eating right, and other stress-relieving methods. Meditation is one of the most effective methods. Today, scientific evidence continues to accumulate on the health benefits of meditation, including helping to combat depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and even diabetes and high blood pressure. Meditation can also improve attention, concentration, creativity, and learning. Are healthy relationships a memory booster? When you think about ways to improve your memory, we are sure of it! You think that the first thing you need to do is resort to "serious" activities: for example, solving complex crosswords or learning to play chess. Would you believe us that carefree games in nature, walks with friends or enjoying a funny movie can also help develop and strengthen memory? Meanwhile, numerous studies by scientists lead them to the conclusion that a life full of optimism and friendly connections ultimately gives us cognitive advantages over those who shy away from fun. Humans are social creatures. We cannot survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Relationships with other people stimulate our brains, and simple friendly communication may actually be the best kind of exercise for it. Scientists claim that meaningful social relationships are important not only for emotional health, but also for brain health. For example, experts from the Harvard School of Public Health found that people who lead the most active social lives were less likely to suffer from memory loss.
Train your brain
By the time you reachBy the time you reach adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural connections that help you process information faster, solve problems, and perform routine tasks with minimal mental effort. But if you always use these same old “pathways,” you’re not giving your brain the stimulation it needs to grow and develop new neural connections. So you need to “shake up” your brain by making it work harder every now and then. The more your mind works, the more information you’ll be able to process and remember. The best brain training comes from breaking your routine and doing something new or different. This activity can include almost anything, as long as it meets the following three criteria:
Techniques to improve attention
- Concentrate on the task. If you are talking to someone, then ask questions, if you read the entry, then ask yourself: how can I generalize what I just read?
- Try to avoid or eliminate distractions. The more difficult the task, the more important it is to tune in and stop distracting.
- Do not try to do two things at the same time; it will shatter your attention and increase the likelihood of your mistakes. Remember, attention is not "rubber", it is limited.
Memory Improvement Techniques
- When you need to remember something, pay attention to it.all your attention and focus (see above!) You can not remember anything if you do not concentrate. To process information and put it in memory, a person needs eight seconds of intense attention. If you are easily distracted, choose a place where no one will disturb you.
- Try to work out some kind of personalattitude to the information that you need to remember. The more personal information, the easier it is to remember it. Ask yourself what this information makes you feel. Where else did you hear this? Is there something in your personal life that is related to at least some of this information?
- Repeat the information received, returning to it several times. "Repetition is the mother of learning!"
- Develop information received, think abouther, make sure that she fully understands you. What is concrete and has a clear meaning is easier to remember than something abstract and vague. Attempting to put meaning into remembered information will make it easier for you to remember it, because your brain will have more signals to search for. For example, if you need to memorize numbers, try to mentally place them in a frame or table, or mentally color them - pictures are easier to remember than just numbers.
- Involve so many of your feelings,as much as possible. Try to associate information with color, texture, smell and taste. For example, a physical act - rewriting a text - can enhance the "imprint" in your brain and significantly accelerate the memorization of information. Or you can say out loud what you need to remember - it also greatly speeds up memorization.
- Correlate new information with the fact that you are alreadyyou know. Connect new data to information that you already remember well, whether it's new material that is based on previous knowledge, or something simple, like the address of those who live on the street, where you already know someone.
- If necessary, master more complex materialfocus on understanding and remembering the main idea, and do not remember everything in detail. It will help to memorize such material if you tell it to someone in your own words.
As you can see, it is quite possible to train your attention and improve your memory, and at any age. You just have to want it and work on it! We recommend reading:
