How to improve memory: useful exercises

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

Reasons for deterioration

The following factors cause memory corruption:

• emotional stress;
• systemic depression;
• lack of sleep;
• infectious diseases;
• vitamin deficiency;
• drinking alcohol;
• smoking;
• brain injury;
• taking medication (antidepressants, sleeping pills);
• diseases: atherosclerosis, thyroid dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus;
• body aging.

Strengthen memory at home

The brain is a dynamic structure that responds 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

1. Let’s start the discussion of this method with an exercise called “associations”. An assistant is required for implementation. Ask him to read aloud several pairs of words that have a semantic connection to each other. For example, "notebook - pencil", "winter - snow", "book - study". Your task is to memorize the maximum number of words. Then the assistant must read the first words and reproduce the others independently.
2. Another exercise is to improve your visual imagination. You have 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. Wide possibilities are possible. Then take a piece of paper and describe the pictures presented on it in reverse order.
3. The third exercise is to improve your listening and memorizing information. Someone needs to 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 nearby, you can practice on your own. To do this, you should take a book and read aloud the first words of each line.

4. The fourth exercise will give you the opportunity to train your memory and do household chores at the same time. Before going to the store, write a list of products you need to buy on the list. Read it a few times. You can do it out loud or in silence, as you wish. Then leave the sheet at home and go to the store without it. Repeat this exercise every time you need to buy.
5. Exercises aimed at activating the cerebral hemispheres will also help improve memory. The simplest of these is to change owners when performing an action. 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 around the location. The exercise needs to be performed at a fast pace. When lowering the knee, he waves his hand so that it rises above his head. The exercise should be repeated several times.

Games

The cards are laid face down in a row on the table. Several people can participate in the game. Each in turn turns over any two cards. If they match, the participant takes them.

Playing with questions will also help you train your memory. The topic doesn't matter. Each player asks the rest of the participants any questions. Five points are added for the correct answer, and two points are deducted for the wrong one. Solving crossword puzzles will help achieve tangible results.

Memory boost menu

Memory status depends on diet. Certain foods are a source of substances that the body needs:

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

2. Sprouted grains contain elements that give the brain energy and normalize its function. These are selenium, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. Vitamins B9, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.
3. Eggs are rich in amino acids. They contain glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They supply the body with proteins that are easily absorbed.
4. Honey is a source of carbohydrates. I 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.
5. Fish - salmon, trout, salmon, herring. Consumption of these products will supplement the content of essential Omega 3 acid, the lack of which causes degenerative brain diseases. This element has a direct impact on the development of intelligence, memory and cognitive functions.
6. Avocados improve the blood supply to the brain due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
7. Dark chocolate contains flavonol, an element that prevents oxidation of the brain and normalizes blood circulation. Cocoa destroys substances that contribute to the formation of blood clots.
8. Apples inhibit oxidative stress that can lead to memory loss.
9. 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.
10. Walnuts that contain lecithin have a positive effect on the brain by normalizing its 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 provide the body with a daily need for zinc.
12. Blueberries and currants are rich in vitamin C. Lemon also has this property.
13. Tea has tonic properties. Contains caffeine and antioxidants to improve cognition. L-theanine relieves emotional stress.

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

Introducing a salad made from the following ingredients into your diet will help maintain memory:

• carrots;
• turnip;
• half a celery root;
• parsley;
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
• half a lemon.

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

Songs and music

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

1. Learn by stanzas, not lines. Many people make this mistake. If you repeat one line many times and then move on to another, you will eventually get confused in the stanza. Short-term memory is able to 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.
2. First read the whole poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to visualize the action of the work. Now read it again and you will find that you have already memorized some lines. In this way we try to learn the whole verse.
3. Don't use quatrain to teach it. The work will disintegrate and it will be problematic to reproduce it fully.

Listening to music is also one of the methods to improve memory. But they have to be classic pieces. Music creates vibrations in the air that encourage relaxation and have 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 walk in the fresh air. During physical activity, the body releases hormones that improve brain function. Walking will help you fill it with oxygen. In order for brain cells to be able to regenerate, you need to get enough sleep. Lack of rest immediately affects your well-being.

Brain efficiency increases during the deep sleep phase.

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 reproducing old ones. Therefore, it is necessary to fight it. This can be achieved with the help of physical exercises, during which endorphins - the hormone of joy - are released.

Drawing and reading are some of the techniques for balancing emotional state. Showing negative emotions on paper allows you to look at the problem from the outside. In the process of reading, attention is shifted to the plot 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. Refrigerate 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 with two glasses of boiled water. Insist 12 hours. Then strain and take 50 ml 4 times a day, half an hour before meals.
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 filtered and taken 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

Medication can affect memory.

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

Expressing methods

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

1. Concentrate first. Concentrate and focus on what needs to be remembered. Don’t let your attention be focused on other subjects.
2. The next step is to create associations. Connect the object you are trying to remember to something. Here you can completely rely on your imagination.
3. Let's go to the third phase now. The connection should be repeated several times. This method will help you remember any event or information without remembering.

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

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

A familiar object should be used when creating associations. Memory activity is arranged so that the best result is achieved if experienced sensations and feelings are added to new facts.

Many people are familiar with the situation when the memory starts to fail at the right time. It’s not just older people who are facing it. Anyone can master methods to improve memory skills. An integrated approach is recommended for better results. You will feel the effect at the beginning of the class.