How to improve memory: useful exercises

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

Reasons for impairment

The following factors lead to memory impairment:

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

Strengthening memory at home

The brain is a dynamic structure that reacts to any influence. The correct 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 our discussion of this method with an exercise called "associations". A wizard is required for deployment. Have him read aloud several pairs of words that have a semantic connection to each other. For example, "notebook - pen", "winter - snow", "book - study". Your task is to memorize the maximum number of words. Then the assistant should read the first words, the second should be reproduced independently.
2. The second exercise is to improve your visual imagination. It is necessary to close your eyes and imagine in detail any object, natural or animal phenomenon. It can be an oasis in the middle of the desert, a cat drinking milk, a lightning bolt in the sky. A wide variety of options are possible. Next, take a sheet of paper and describe the images presented on it in reverse order.
3. The third exercise is to improve your ability to hear and remember information. Someone needs to read a set of words out loud. For example, "table, sky, computer, elephant, autumn, river, tree. "Repeat these words first in the same order, then in the opposite direction. If no one is around, you can do the exercise yourself. To do this, you need to pick up a book and read the first words of each line aloud.

4. The fourth exercise will give you the opportunity to train your memory and simultaneously perform household chores. Before you go to the store, write a list of the products you need to buy on the sheet. Read it several times. You can do it out loud or silently, as you like. Then leave the sheet at home and go to the store without it. Repeat this exercise every time you need to shop.
5. Exercises to activate the cerebral hemispheres will also help improve memory. The simplest of them 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 walk on the site. You need to perform the exercise at a rapid pace. When lowering the knee, a movement of the hand is made so that it is raised above the head. The exercise must be repeated several times.

Games

The cards are placed face down in a row on the table. Multiple people can participate in the game. Each one turns to any two cards. If they match, the participant takes them.

Playing with questions will also help train your memory. It does not matter the subject. Each player asks the rest of the participants. For a correct answer, five points are added, for a wrong answer, two points are deducted. Solving crossword puzzles will help achieve tangible results.

Menu to strengthen memory

Memory status depends on diet. Certain foods are the source of the 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 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 rich in amino acids. They include glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, lysine. Also vitamins A, B2, B1, PP. They provide proteins to the body that are easily absorbed.
4. 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.
5. Fish: salmon, trout, salmon, herring. The consumption of these products will replace the content of essential Omega 3 acid, whose deficiency causes degenerative diseases of the brain. 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 the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and minerals.
7. Dark chocolate contains flavonol, an element that prevents brain oxidation 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 in this product, will help slow aging.
10. Walnuts containing lecithin have a positive effect on the brain by normalizing its activity. They also prevent premature aging. To feel the desired effect, just eat 5 nuts a day.
11. A handful of pumpkin seeds will provide the body with a daily need for zinc.
12. Wild berries, blueberries and currants are high in vitamin C. Lemons also have this characteristic.
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 with the following ingredients in the diet will help maintain memory:

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

Grate the ingredients on a coarse grater, season with oil, pour with lemon juice and a little salt. Then give the salad a good stir and enjoy the delicious and healthy meal.

Poems and music

Another effective way to help develop memory is to memorize poetry. There are several guidelines to achieve 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 may end up getting confused in the stanza. Short-term memory is capable of perceiving approximately 7 blocks. In order not to overload it, you should divide the verse into the same number of parts. Do 5 seconds between blocks.
2. First read the entire poem 2-3 times. At the same time, try to visualize the plot of the play. 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.
3. Don't use quartets to teach him. The work will become fragmented and it will be problematic to reproduce it in its entirety.

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 possess this ability.

Other ways

Lead an active lifestyle, exercise, and go for a walk outside. During physical activity, the body releases hormones that improve brain function. Walking will help fill it with oxygen. Getting enough sleep is essential for brain cells to regenerate. The lack of rest is immediately reflected in the state of health.

The efficiency of the brain increases during deep sleep.

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

Drawing and reading are some of the techniques to balance the emotional state. Representing negative emotions on paper allows you to see the problem from the outside. In the process of reading, 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 see some recipes:

1. Grate the 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 for 12 hours. Then strain and take 50 ml 4 times a day half an hour before meals.
4. 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 strain it and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. The duration of the course is 3-4 weeks.

It is possible to influence memory status with the help of medications.

If this is your choice, don't self-medicate. The medication is taken only after consulting a doctor.

Express Methods

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

1. Focus first. Focus and direct it to what needs to be remembered. Don't let your attention drift to other objects.
2. The next step is to create associations. Associate the object you are trying to remember with something. Here you can fully rely on imagination.
3. Now let's move on to the third stage. The association must be repeated several times. This method will help you to remember any event or information without memorizing.

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

1. First, inhale deeply and hold the air for five seconds. In this case, the palms should be clenched into a fist.
2. Then breathe out slowly and spread your hands.
3. After this exercise you will feel relaxed, concentration will improve.

A familiar object must be used when creating associations. The memory activity is organized in such a way that the best result is achieved if new facts are added to the sensations and feelings experienced.

Many people are familiar with the situation when memory starts to fail at the right moment. It is not just the elderly who face this. Anyone can master the methods to improve memorization skills. For best result, an integrated approach is recommended. You will feel the effect already at the beginning of the classes.