This is a classic situation for many: you are acquainted with someone, and a moment after the person calls himself, you completely forget his name. Names, passwords, PIN codes and phone numbers ... The list can be continued indefinitely - we have to remember the information literally every day. But what if the memory begins to weaken over time? Can I train it? The good news for you will be the news that this is possible! Just like the muscles of your body, you can train and memory. Americans say: "Use, otherwise you will lose!". So with memory - the more you train your brain, the more you will remember. Of course, any person would like to learn how to improve memory and attention. Notice that when we talk about memory, we mention attention. You must know: memory and attention are your two mental faculties that are directly related. And many complaints of bad memory have nothing to do with the real ability to remember. Very often they come from the inability to focus on the task properly. Take, for example, this situation: after work, you need to go to the hospital to a sick friend, and before that jump into the shopping center for shopping. You know that a friend is waiting for you, and at home things have accumulated, so you are trying to hurry. They ran along the counters and storefronts, ran into the food department, collected everything necessary - and hurriedly go to the exit. And then you will have an unpleasant surprise: you absolutely do not remember which part of the parking lot they left their car. And why? Because your head was busy with a lot of problems, and the brain could not "register" the necessary information, which later would help you without any problems to find your car. The same applies to the situation where you do not remember, for example, where the glasses were put. 
How to improve your memory and attention
Many of our actions are performed automatically,without connection of attention. And with age, the brain takes more time to process information. Along with the processing speed, other functions of the brain go to a decline. And the most important of them is precisely the ability to concentrate and ignore the distraction. So what can you do to improve the concentration of attention and memory? It is impossible to solve memory problems with a single method. This can be done by following the basic rules of maintaining brain health: exercise, balanced nutrition, stress management, social activity and cognitive stimulation. Let's deal with all this in order. Do not spare time for sleep and exercise For a professional athlete is very important mode of training, sleep and nutrition, and it's not accidental, because it depends on it, how his body will work and what his sporting achievements will be. So your ability to remember increases when you maintain the health of your brain with useful habits and proper nutrition. When you train your body, you train and brain, improving its ability to process and reproduce information. How, you ask? Physical activity 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 diseases. Sports activities can also enhance the effect of brain saturation with useful chemicals that protect its cells. Sleep also benefits your brain. When you are deprived of sleep, it can not work at full capacity. Creativity, ability to solve problems and skills of critical and analytical thinking are under threat. If you study, work or try to "solve" multiple problems in everyday life, then lack of sleep will become a recipe for disaster for you. For learning and memory, sleep is of the most fundamental importance. Studies conducted by specialists clearly showed that sleep is a prerequisite for memory consolidation, it is the key to the ability to remember well, to increase the activity of the brain responsible for processing the information received during the day. During the stages of deep sleep, new information is transferred from consciousness to the subconscious, which leads to its memorization. Proper nutrition is the key to good brain work. Just as the whole body needs "fuel" to get the source of energy, our brain needs it. You probably already heard many times that a diet based on fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and "healthy" fats, will provide many benefits for health. Such a diet can also help improve memory. But for brain health it is important not only what you eat, but also what you do not eat. The following tips will help you increase 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 worst enemies of the brain. Over time, if left unchecked, chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus - the area of the brain that is involved in the formation of new memories and in the search for old information. The fight against stress can go in different directions - this is compliance with the working and rest regime, and physical culture, and proper nutrition, and other ways to relieve stress. One of the most effective methods is meditation. Today scientific evidence of the benefits of meditation for our health continues to accumulate - it also helps in the fight against depression, anxiety, chronic pains, even with diabetes and high blood pressure. Meditation can also improve attention, ability to concentrate, creativity and learning. Healthy relationship - a memory booster? When you think about ways to improve memory, then - we are sure of it! - consider that first of all it is necessary to resort to "serious" events: for example, solving complex crosswords, mastering the game of chess. Do you believe us that carefree games in nature, walking with friends or enjoying a funny movie are also able to help develop and strengthen memory? Meanwhile, numerous studies of scientists lead them to the conclusion that a life that is full of optimism and friendly ties, ultimately gives us cognitive advantages over those who shy away from fun. People are social beings. We can not survive, let alone prosperity, in isolation. Relationships with other people stimulate our brains, and simple friendly communication can actually be the best kind of exercise for him. Scientists argue that significant social relations for us are of great importance not only for emotional health, but also for brain health too. So, experts from the Harvard School of Public Health found that people who lead the most active social life, were less likely than others to reduce memory. 
Train your brain
By the time you reachedof age, your brain has developed millions of neural connections that help you to process information faster, solve problems and perform the usual tasks with minimal mental effort. But if you always use only these old "paths", then you do not give the brain any stimulation for the growth and development of new neural connections. Therefore it is necessary to "shake" your brain from time to time, forcing it to work hard. The more your mind works, the more information you can process and remember. The best way to train the brain is those situations where you break routine habits and start doing something new or in a new way. This activity can include almost anything, as long as it meets the following three criteria:
Techniques for improving 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.
Methods of improving memory
- 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 memory, and at any age. One has only to want and work on it! We advise you to read:
