282 Our brain is a mysterious "computer". And when you suddenly find that you can't remember someone's name or what you had for lunch, it's really frustrating.
But not everything is so sad. The good news is that scientists have discovered the secret to fighting this type of sclerosis. As a result of research, the effectiveness of a number of methods (some of which may seem strange to you) has been proven, which will help improve short-term memory, informs Ukr.Media.
Who hasn't had to deal with a situation when you walk decisively into another room and suddenly realize that... you can't remember the purpose of coming there. Or another situation: you smile cutely and shake someone's hand, but you can't even roughly remember the person's name. And the most favorite thing: run to the deli for oil, and come back with oranges, ice cream, potatoes, but... without oil.
How crazy it is! Me, for example, for sure!
Symptoms of short-term memory impairment can be caused by various reasons. For example, preoccupation with problems and thoughts, distractions, reduced attention or weakening of the memory function itself. This happens in most people over the years, getting worse in old age, but it also happens very often in young people. Most often, due to overload and fatigue.
But there is nothing that cannot be fixed:
Chew gum when you need to learn or remember something
What flavor of chewing gum is your favorite? Run to the store and buy immediately! I believe that even students and pupils should be allowed to chew gum in classrooms. After all, one of the studies proves the fact that during this "process" our reactions improve and quite significantly. For unknown reasons, chewing activates the area of the brain - the hypothalamus, which is responsible for memory.
Scientists from Great Britain conducted the following experiment: they divided the participants into two groups, one of which was given chewing gum, and the other was not. After that, they asked them to memorize a set of words.
The result was astounding: the participants who chewed the gum recalled 24% more information immediately, and 36% more over time.
Move your eyes from side to side
I imagine how you laugh at this advice! "After all, it just looks crazy from the outside!", you say. Nevertheless, it is this technique that helps to stimulate memory.
According to research, moving the eyeballs in a horizontal direction from side to side "connects" the work of the two hemispheres of the brain and activates their activity.
In the course of the study, it was found that the participants who "moved" their eyes from side to side for 30 seconds in the morning performed their memorization tasks on average 10% more efficiently.
Make fists
As a rule, when we get angry or get into a stressful situation, we instinctively clench our fists. It's hard to believe, but clenching your fists when you need to remember something helps.
Some people even say that when they have to remember important information, they clench the fist of their right hand, and when they need to remember, they clench their fist with their left hand. Moreover, you need to hold your fist in this position for 45 seconds.
This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the clenched fist activates the areas of the brain that are responsible for memory.
Use unusual fonts
It has been scientifically proven that it takes more concentration to read something written in a complex font than to read information printed in a normal font.
So, some fancy and fancy font is needed! After all, the higher the concentration, the more we remember. So don't be lazy to change the font on your computer when copying something and pasting a Word document. Who knows it - suddenly this will help you remember the highlighted?
Draw… doodle
Does your child constantly scribble in the margins of his notebooks in class, and you scold him for being distracted? In vain, because numerous studies show that drawing, on the contrary, helps to concentrate, develop new concepts and remember the information received.
So, grab a blank piece of paper and start drawing… doodle. It is even possible that it will help you come up with a new idea based on the information received. Well, the most important thing is that you will improve your ability to remember.
laugh
This is probably my favorite tip! In the course of numerous experiments, it has been proven that laughter improves short-term memory.
When the scientists compared the results of the study of two groups of students, one of which was shown a 20-minute funny video before classes, and the other was not, they were stunned.
Laughter is really the most magical way to remember. The thing is that it lowers the level of the stress hormone cortisol, which interferes with memory. Therefore, a daily dose of laughter has never hurt anyone. Laugh for health — improve your memory!
Watch your posture
According to research, posture has a very significant effect on a person's memory. The fact is that when we sit with our eyes lowered and our back hunched, all our memories are exclusively negative.
Try to conduct such an experiment yourself and you will be surprised how slouching affects our mood. And then do the opposite: sit straight, straighten your shoulders, raise your chin... really, you don't even want to mention the negative at all?
Another nice bonus of good posture is that it improves blood circulation by 40%.
Follow the Mediterranean diet
What we eat has a very serious effect on the functioning of the brain. Studies have shown that a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and omega-3 fatty acids helps maintain a good memory until deep gray hair. This diet is called the Mediterranean diet and is one of the most useful for the brain.
In the course of experiments, it was scientifically proven that those people who followed such a diet throughout their lives (consumed a lot of Omega-3 fatty acids, did not abuse dairy products and red meat) had 19% fewer cognitive problems in old age.
Meditate
Researchers claim that even those with no previous experience of meditation can significantly improve their memory with this technique in just eight weeks.
Regular meditation improves memory, helps you concentrate and even pass tests well.
This phenomenon is scientifically based and cannot be doubted.
Research from Harvard Medical School has shown that people who meditate have a much better control of alpha rhythms (brain waves that help to discard everything superfluous and concentrate on what is important and essential). But this is only one hypothesis. It is also known that meditation increases blood flow to the brain, which contributes to good memory for many years.
So, get started today! Sit up straight, straighten your back, move your eyes from side to side, and see if you can chew gum and laugh at the same time.
This is a joke, of course.
But seriously, the brain needs regular training. Use simple tips — and your memory will never let you down!