How to improve memory: useful exercises

Experts say the amount of memory is limitless. But we don’t always use it correctly. Mechanical memorization, which is practiced in educational institutions, is not an ideal way to improve memory. It consists of three components: natural potential, condition, and fitness. This means that memory can be affected, and there are many ways to improve it today.

Causes of Deterioration

The following factors cause memory impairment:

• emotional stress;
• systemic depression;
• lack of sleep;
• infectious diseases;
• vitamin deficiency;
• drink alcoholic beverages;
• smoking;
• brain damage;
• medication (antidepressants, hypnotics);
• diseases: atherosclerosis, thyroid dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, diabetes;
• body aging.

Memory enhancement at home

The brain is a dynamic structure that responds to any influence. The right approach will help you achieve the desired result. Today, enough techniques have been developed to improve memory.

Exercises

1. Let's start the discussion of this method with an exercise called "associations". An assistant is needed for implementation. Ask him to read aloud a few pairs of words that have a semantic connection. For example, "notebook - pen", "winter - snow", "book - studio". Your task is to memorize the maximum number of words. The assistant must then read the first words, the second to be reproduced independently.
2. The second exercise is to improve your visual imagination. You have to close your eyes and imagine any object, natural phenomenon or animal in detail. It can be an oasis in the middle of the desert, a cat drinking milk, lightning in the sky. A variety of options are available. Then take a sheet of paper and describe the images on it in reverse order.
3. The third exercise is to improve listening and information memory. Someone has to read the vocabulary aloud. For example, "desk, sky, computer, elephant, autumn, river, tree. "Repeat these words first in the same order, then in the opposite direction. If there are no people nearby, you can do the exercise yourself. To do this, you should take a book and read the first words of each verse aloud.

4. The fourth exercise will provide an opportunity to develop memory and do homework at the same time. Before you go to the store, write a list of products you need to buy on the sheet. Read it a few times. You can do it as loud or quiet as you like. Then leave the sheet at home and go to the store without it. Repeat this exercise every time you need to go shopping.
5. Exercises to activate the hemispheres of the brain will also help improve memory. The simplest of these is to change your hand when an action is taken. For example, comb your hair or hold the cup with your left hand (if you are left-handed, then right-handed). You can also walk on site. The exercise must be done at a fast pace. When lowering the knee, a hand is made so that it rises above the head. The exercise needs to be repeated several times.

Games

The cards are placed face down on the table. Several people can participate in the game. Each turn will turn any two cards. If they match, the participant takes them.

Playing with questions will also help develop your memory. The topic doesn't matter. Each player asks the remaining participants any questions. Five points are added for a correct answer, and two points for an incorrect answer. The solution of crossword puzzles will help to achieve tangible results.

Memory enhancement menu

Memory status depends on diet. Certain foods are a source of nutrients for the body:

1. Bananas provide the body with amino acids (carotene, methionine, tryptophan), easily digestible carbohydrates, vitamins PP, B1, B2.

2. Sprouted grains contain elements that provide energy to the brain and normalize its function. These are selenium, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. Vitamins B9, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.
3. Eggs are high in amino acids. These include glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They supply the body with proteins that are easily digested.
4. Honey is a source of carbohydrates. They can replace sugar. Honey contains well-absorbed glucose and fructose. Also 22 of the 24 trace elements found in the circulatory system.
5. Fish - salmon, trout, salmon, herring. Consumption of these products will supplement the amount of essential Omega 3 acid, the deficiency of which causes degenerative brain diseases. This element has a direct impact on the development of intelligence, memory, and cognitive functions.
6. Avocado improves the blood supply to the brain due to unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
7. Dark chocolate contains flavonol, an element that protects against brain oxidation and normalizes blood circulation. Cocoa destroys substances that contribute to the formation of blood clots.
8. Apples inhibit the development of oxidative stress, which results in memory loss.
9. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that kills free radicals (substances that negatively affect the brain). Melatonin, which is also present in this product, will help slow down aging.
10. Walnuts, which contain lecithin, have a positive effect on the brain by normalizing their activity. They also prevent premature aging. To feel the desired effect, it is enough to eat 5 nuts a day.
11. A handful of pumpkin seeds will require zinc for the body on a daily basis.
12. Wild berries in blueberries and currants are high in vitamin C. Lemon also has this property.
13. Tea has tonic properties. Contains caffeine and antioxidants that improve cognition. L-theanine relieves emotional stress.

The brain needs carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and amino acids to function properly.

Adding a salad made from the following ingredients to your diet will help preserve memory:

• carrots;
• beets;
• half of the celery root;
parsley;
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
• half a lemon.

Grate the ingredients with a coarse grater, season with oil, add a little lemon juice and salt. Then mix the salad well and enjoy healthy, delicious food.

Poems and music

Another effective way to help develop memory is to memorize poetry. There are several guidelines for achieving the desired result:

1. Learn in steps, not lines. Many people make this mistake. If you repeat one line many times and then move on to another, you can confuse the stanza. Short-term memory is capable of perceiving approximately 7 blocks. To avoid overloading it, you must divide the line into the same number of parts. Perform 5 seconds between blocks.
2. First, read the entire poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to visualize the plot of the work. Now read on again and you will see that you have already learned some verses. In this way we try to learn the whole poem.
3. Do not use four rows to teach it. The piece will break into fragments, and repeating it will be problematic.

Listening to music is also a way to improve memory. But it has to be classic creations. Music in the air creates vibrations that promote relaxation and have a positive effect on the brain. The works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel have this ability.

Other ways

Keep an active lifestyle, exercise and go for a walk in the fresh air. During exercise, the body secretes hormones that improve brain function. Walking will help fill it with oxygen. Adequate sleep is essential for brain cells to regenerate. Lack of rest immediately affects your well-being.

During deep sleep, brain efficiency increases.

Stress is a direct threat to memory. This has a devastating effect on the brain cells and the hippocampus, an area that has to create new memories and reproduce old ones. It is therefore necessary to combat it. This can be done through exercise that releases endorphins, a hormone of joy.

Drawing and reading are some ways to balance your emotional state. Drawing negative emotions on paper allows you to look at the problem from the side. During reading, the focus shifts to the storyline of the book. This relieves psychological stress.

There are also recommendations for improving memory in traditional medicine. Let’s look at a few recipes:

1. Grate horseradish root and 3 lemons. Add 3 tablespoons of honey to the resulting mass. Store in the refrigerator for 3 weeks. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day with meals.
2. 10 g of ginger, pour 250 ml of boiling water, add mint and lemon balm. Drink 1-2 cups a day.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of mint and a similar amount of sage into two glasses of boiled water. Insist 12 hours. Then strain and take 50 ml 4 times a day for half an hour before a meal.
4. 1 tablespoon of mountain ash bark, pour 250 ml of water and cook for 10 minutes. The mixture should be infused for 6 hours, then strain and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

Medications can affect memory status.

If this is your choice, do not treat yourself. The drug should be used only after consulting a doctor.

Expressed methods

If you need to fix something in memory quickly, simple exercises will help:

1. Concentrate first. Concentrate and focus on what needs to be remembered. Don’t let your focus be on other objects.
2. The next step is to build associations. Associate the item you are trying to remember. Here you can completely rely on your imagination.
3. Now let's move on to the third stage. The association should be repeated several times. This method will help you remember any event or information without memory.

If you're not sure about your ability to concentrate, try this exercise:

1. First take a deep breath and hold the air for five seconds. In this case, the palms should be pressed into the fist.
2. Then exhale slowly and open your hands.
3. After this exercise you will feel relaxed, it will improve your concentration.

You must use a known object to create associations. Memory activities are arranged in such a way that the best result is achieved if new facts are added to the sensations and emotions experienced.

Many are familiar with a situation where memory begins to deteriorate at the right moment. It is not just older people who are facing this. Anyone can master techniques to improve the ability to memorize. An integrated approach is recommended to achieve a better result. You will feel the impact at the beginning of the sessions.