How to improve memory: useful exercises

26 December 2020

Experts say that the amount of memory is unlimited. But we do not always use it properly. Mechanical memorization, which is practiced in educational institutions, is not an ideal method for improving memory. It consists of three components: physical potential, condition and physical condition. This means that memory is prone to influence and today there are many ways to improve it.

Reasons for deterioration

The following factors lead to memory impairment:

emotional stress?
systemic depression.
lack of sleep
infectious diseases?
vitamin deficiency?
drinking alcoholic beverages?
smoking?
brain injury?
taking medications (antidepressants, sleeping pills).
diseases: atherosclerosis, thyroid dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, diabetes.
aging of the body.

Enhance memory at home

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

Exercises

Let's start the discussion of this method with an exercise called "correlations". An application assistant is required. Ask him to read aloud many pairs of words that are semantically related. For example, "notebook - pen", "winter - snow", "book - study". Your goal is to memorize the maximum number of words. Then the assistant must read the first words, the second must be reproduced independently.
The second exercise is to improve your visual imagination. You need to close your eyes and imagine in detail any object, natural phenomenon or animal. It can be an oasis in the middle of the desert, a cat drinking milk, lightning in the sky. A wide variety of options are possible. Next, take a piece of paper and describe the pictures on it in reverse order.
The third exercise is to improve your listening and memorization information. One must read a set 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 there is no one, you can do the exercise yourself. To do this, you need to get 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 housework at the same time. Before you go to the store, write a list of products you need to buy on the sheet. Read it several times. You can do this loudly or silently as you wish. Then leave the sheet at home and go to the store without it. Repeat this exercise whenever you need shopping.
Exercises aimed at activating the cerebral hemispheres will also help improve memory. The simplest of these is to change hands when performing an action. 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 go hiking on site. It is necessary to do the exercise at a fast pace. When you lower the knee, a wave of the hand is made so that it rises above the head. The exercise should be repeated several times.

Games

The cards are placed in a row facing the table. Many people can take part in the game. Each in turn flips the two cards. If they match, the participant gets them.

Playing with questions will also help train your memory. The issue does not matter. Each player asks questions to the other participants. For correct answer, five points are added, for incorrect, two points are subtracted. Solving crossword puzzles will help achieve tangible results.

Menu to boost memory

The state of memory depends on the diet. Some foods are the source of essential nutrients for the body:

Bananas provide the body with amino acids (carotene, methionine, tryptophan), digestible carbohydrates, vitamins PP, B1, B2.
Eggs are rich in amino acids. They contain glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They provide proteins to the body 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 replenish the content of omega 3 essential acid, a deficiency of which causes degenerative diseases of the brain. This element has a direct impact on the development of intelligence, memory and cognitive functions.
Dark chocolate contains flavonols, an element that prevents oxidation of the brain and normalizes blood circulation. Cocoa destroys substances that contribute to 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 negatively affect the brain). Melatonin, which is also found in this product, will help slow down aging.
Walnuts that contain lecithin have a positive effect on the brain by normalizing its activity. They also prevent premature aging. To feel the desired result, it is enough to eat 5 nuts a day.
A handful of pumpkin seeds will provide the body with a daily requirement of zinc.
Tea has tonic properties. Contains caffeine and antioxidants to enhance knowledge. L-theanine relieves emotional stress.

Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and amino acids are needed for the brain to function properly.

Including a salad of the following ingredients in your diet will help preserve memory:

carrots?
beets?
half a celery root.
parsley?
3 tablespoons vegetable oil?
half a lemon.

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

Poems and music

to listen to music as a way to improve memory

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

Learn with stanzas, not lines. Many people make this mistake. If you repeat one line several times and then move on to another, you may end up confused with the stanza. Short-term memory can perceive about 7 blocks. In order not to overload it, you must divide the verse into the same number of parts. Take 5 seconds between blocks.
First read the whole poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to visualize the plot of the project. Now read again and you will find that you have already memorized some lines. In this way we try to learn the whole verse.
Do not use quadrants to teach him. The work will fall into fragments and will be problematic to reproduce in full.

Listening to music is also one of the methods to improve memory. But these must be classic pieces. Music creates vibrations in the air 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

Live an active lifestyle, exercise and take a walk in the fresh air. During physical activity, the body releases hormones that improve brain function. Walking will help fill it with oxygen. In order for brain cells to regenerate, you need to get enough sleep. Lack of rest directly affects your well-being.

Brain efficiency increases during the deep sleep phase.

Stress is an immediate danger to memory. It has a devastating effect on brain cells and the hippocampus, the area responsible for creating new memories and reproducing old ones. Therefore, it is necessary to fight with it. This can be done with the help of physical exercises, during which the release of endorphins - the hormone of joy - takes place.

Drawing and reading are some of the techniques for balancing the emotional state. Displaying negative emotions on paper allows you to look at the problem from the outside. During the reading process, attention is transferred to the plot of the book. This relieves psychological stress.

There are also recommendations for improving memory in traditional medicine. Let's look at some recipes:

Grate 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 ginger, pour 250 ml 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 boiling water. Insist for 12 hours. Then drain and take 50 ml 4 times a day, half an hour before meals.
Pour 250 ml of water over 1 tablespoon of mountain ash bark and boil for 10 minutes. The mixture should be infused for 6 hours, then drain it and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

It is possible to affect the state of memory with the help of drugs.

If this is your choice, do not self-medicate. The drug is taken only after consulting a doctor.

Express Methods

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

Concentrate first. Concentrate and focus on what you need to remember. Do not let your attention be focused on other objects.
The next step is to create correlations. Relate the object you are trying to remember to something. Here you can rely entirely on imagination.
Now let's move on to the third stage. The correlation must be repeated several times. This method will help you to remember any event or information without memorizing it.

If you are unsure of your ability to concentrate, use the following exercise:

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

A familiar object must be used when creating correlations. Memory activity is organized in such a way that the best result is achieved if new events are added to the experienced senses and emotions.

Many are familiar with the situation when at the right time the memory starts to fail. This is not just for the elderly. Anyone can master the methods to improve the ability to memorize. For best results, a comprehensive approach is recommended. You will feel the result already at the beginning of the lessons.