Experts say that memory is limitless. But we do not always use it correctly. Mechanical memory used in educational institutions is not an ideal way to improve memory. It consists of three elements: natural possibilities, condition and fitness. This means that memory is sensitive to impact and today there are many ways to improve it.
Reason for exacerbation
The following factors lead to memory impairment:
- emotional stress;
- systematic depression;
- insomnia;
- infectious diseases;
- vitamin deficiency;
- drinking alcoholic beverages;
- smoking;
- brain injury;
- taking medicines (antidepressants, sleeping pills);
- diseases: atherosclerosis, thyroid dysfunction, MS, diabetes;
- aging of the body.
Strengthening memory at home
The brain is a powerful structure that responds to all effects. The right approach will help you achieve the desired results. Today, a sufficient number of technologies have been developed to improve memory.
Exercises
- Let's start our discussion of this method with an exercise called "organization". An assistant is required for the implementation. Ask him to read aloud a few pairs of words that have a meaningful relationship with each other. For example, "notebook - pen", "winter - snow", "book - research". Your task is to memorize the maximum number of words. Then the assistant must read the first words, the other must copy independently.
- The second exercise involves improving your visual imagination. You need to close your eyes and imagine in detail any object, natural phenomenon or animal. It can be a friend in the middle of the desert, a cat drinking milk, lightning in the sky. A wide range of possibilities is possible. Next, take a piece of paper and describe the pictures that appear on it in reverse order.
- The third exercise is to improve your listening and remember information. Someone needs to read a group of words aloud. For example, "table, sky, computer, elephant, autumn, river, tree". Repeat these words first in the same order and then in the opposite direction. If no one is around, you can do the exercise yourself. To do this, you should take a book and read aloud the first words of each line.
- The fourth exercise will give you the opportunity to train your memory and do household chores at the same time. Before you go to the store, write a list of the products you need to buy in the magazine. Read it a few times. You can do this aloud or silently, as you wish. Leave the leaf at home and go to the store without it. Repeat this exercise every time you need to shop.
- Exercises aimed at activating the hemispheres will also help improve memory. The simplest of them is to change hands when performing an operation. For example, comb your hair or hold the cup with your left hand (if you are left-handed, then with your right). You can also walk on site. It is necessary to perform the exercise at a fast pace. When the knee is lowered, there is a wave in the hand so that it rises over the head. The exercise should be repeated several times.
Games
Cards are placed face down in a row on the table. Several can take part in the game. Each is about two cards. If they match, the participant takes them.
Playing with questions will also help you train your memory. The topic does not matter. Each player asks the rest of the participants. To get the correct answer, five points are added, for the wrong, two points are deducted. Solving crossword puzzles will help you achieve tangible results.
Memory Enhancement Menu
Decreased posture depends on diet. Certain foods are a source of essential nutrients for the body:
- Bananas provide the body with amino acids (carotene, methionine, tryptophan), easily digestible carbohydrates, vitamins PP, B1, B2.
- Sprouted grains contain elements that provide energy to the brain and normalize its activity. These are selenium, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. Vitamins B9, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.
- Eggs are rich in amino acids. They include glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They provide the body with proteins that are easily digested.
- Honey is a source of carbohydrates. They can replace sugar. In its composition, honey contains well-absorbed glucose and fructose. And also 22 of the 24 trace elements found in the circulatory system.
- Fish - salmon, trout, salmon, herring. Consumption of these products will add to the content of essential Omega 3 acid, but a lack of it causes degenerative diseases of the brain. This factor has a direct bearing on the development of intelligence, memory and intellectual functions.
- Avocado improves blood flow to the brain due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
- Dark chocolate contains flavonol, an element that prevents brain oxidation and normal circulation. Cocoa destroys substances that promote the formation of blood clots.
- Apples inhibit oxidative stress which can lead to memory loss.
- Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that destroys free radicals (substances that have a negative effect on the brain). Melatonin, which is also found in this product, will help to slow down the aging process.
- Walnut-containing walnuts have a beneficial effect on the brain by normalizing its activity. They also prevent premature aging. To find the desired effect, it is enough to eat 5 nuts a day.
- A handful of pumpkin seeds will provide your body with a daily need for zinc.
- Blueberries and currants in wild berries are rich in vitamin C. Lemon also has this property.
- Tea has tonic properties. Contains caffeine and antioxidants to increase awareness. L-theanine relieves emotional stress.
Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and amino acids are needed for the brain to function properly.
Adding salad from the following ingredients to your diet helps maintain memory:
- carrots;
- beetroot;
- half a celery root;
- parsley;
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
- half a lemon.
Grate the ingredients on a coarse grater, season with oil, pour over with lemon juice and a little salt. Then stir well in the salad and enjoy healthy, tasty food.
Poems and music
Another effective way to develop memory is to memorize poetry. Here are some tips to help you achieve the desired results:
- Learn verses, not lines. Many people make these mistakes. If you repeat one line many times and then move on to another, you will end up confused in the verse. Short-term memory can detect approximately 7 blocks. In order not to overload it, you need to divide the verse into the same number of parts. Make 5 seconds between blocks.
- First read the whole poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to imagine the plot of the work. Now read again and you will find that you have already memorized a few lines. In this way we try to learn the whole verse.
- Do not use four stories to teach him. The work will fall apart and it will be difficult to recreate it completely.
Listening to music is also one way to improve memory. But these must be classic works. Music creates vibration in the air that promotes relaxation and has a positive effect on the brain. The works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel possess this ability.
Other Ways
Lead an active lifestyle, exercise and go for a walk in the fresh air. During physical exertion, the body releases hormones that improve brain function. Walking helps to fill it with oxygen. In order for brain cells to regenerate, you need to get enough sleep. Lack of rest is immediately reflected in health.
The efficiency of the brain increases at the deep sleep stage.
Stress is a direct danger to memory. It has a devastating effect on brain cells and the hippocampus, the area responsible for creating new memories and recreating old ones. That is why it is necessary to fight it. This can be done with the help of exercise, where the release of endorphins - the hormone of pleasure - takes place.
Drawing and reading are some of the ways to balance an emotional state. By seeing negative emotions on paper, you can look at the problem from the outside. In the reading process, attention is drawn to the storyline of the book. This relieves psychological stress.
There are also recommendations for improving memory in traditional medicine. Let's look at some recipes:
- Grated horseradish root and 3 lemons. Add 3 tablespoons of honey to the resulting mass. Refrigerate for 3 weeks. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day with meals.
- 10 g of ginger, pour 250 ml of boiling water, add mint and lemon balm. Drink 1-2 cups a day.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of mint and a similar amount of sage with two glasses of boiled water. Insist for 12 hours. Then sift and take 50 ml 4 times a day, half an hour before a meal.
- Pour 250 ml of water over 1 tablespoon of ash bark and boil for 10 minutes. Mix the mixture for 6 hours, then filter it and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.
Your condition can be affected by medication.
If this is your choice, do not take self-medication. Medicines are only taken after consulting a doctor.
Expression methods
If you need to fix something quickly in your memory, simple exercises will help:
- Focus first. Focus on what you need to remember. Do not focus your attention on other things.
- The next step is to create an organization. Connect something the item you are trying to remember. Here you can rely entirely on your imagination.
- Now let's move on to the third level. The club should be repeated several times. This method will help you remember any event or information without memorizing it.
If you are not sure you can concentrate, use the following exercise:
- Take a deep breath first and hold the air for five seconds. In this case, the palms of the hands need to be clenched.
- Then exhale slowly and open your hands.
- After this exercise you will relax, it will improve your concentration.
A known object should be used when creating an organization. Less activity is arranged so that the best results are achieved if new facts are added to experiences and emotions.
Many people know the situation when the memory starts to fail at the right moment. It's not just older people who are facing this. Anyone can master ways to improve memory capacity. For better results, an integrated approach is recommended. You will feel the effect right at the beginning of the course.