Do you often make a plan for tomorrow or use a grocery list to buy in a store? Do you trust your memory? Use the advice from a therapist - and bring your memory closer to perfection!
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates considered writing to be the worst enemy of memory, depriving it of constant training. The famous speaker kept all his knowledge in his head.
Julius Caesar remembered the names of all his soldiers and at the decisive moment of the battle addressed them by name.
It was enough for S. V. Rachmaninov and V. A. Mozart to hear the most complex polyphonic work once in order to write it down from memory in accordance with all the rules of musical notation.
The possibilities of human memory are endless. It is believed that we can remember more information than "gathering dust" on the shelves of the largest libraries in the world. However, in ordinary life, we are able to reproduce only 5-10% of the information that is stored in the head.
How to perceive information so that it will be remembered?
Types of memory
Promotional video:
1. Imagine that you are going out into the street and hurrying along the usual road to a date with your loved one.
At this time, thousands of nerve impulses run through the cells of the brain - neurons, you remember absolutely everything that you see, hear and feel.
However, this memory is instantaneous, it is stored in the head for a split second and is erased without a trace.
Instant memory allows us to navigate in space: you glanced at the clock, saw that there is still enough time, and immediately forgot what time it was, since your thoughts are occupied with completely different concerns.
2. Now you have met your loved one. His joyful face, friendly kiss, hugs you will not forget in a couple of seconds. The path of the nerve impulse in the brain will be closed.
The signal from your eyes, which will examine your favorite features, will run in a circle more than once. This information will be written into short-term memory, which is stored in the head for several hours.
3. But suddenly an ordinary date will drastically change your life: your beloved man decides to propose to you.
You will remember this event for the rest of your days. All your emotions, vivid feelings that overwhelm the heart, will be reflected in only one electrical discharge, which will leave a trace in the brain forever.
This is a long-term memory - the basis of our life experience, skills and abilities, the connection between the past, present and future.
Moreover, you will remember what would never have attracted your attention before: a car standing nearby, a ray of sun that blinded your eyes for a moment, flowers that he presented this time.
And always, when you remember that happy day, the thought will run through the "trodden" path in your memory, collecting along the way all the little things and nuances that you felt in those exciting moments.
In addition to instantaneous, short-term and long-term memory, auditory, visual, olfactory, motor, emotional, etc. memories are also distinguished.
4. We have the best developed visual memory. Therefore, for example, we often recognize a person by sight, although we cannot remember his name.
A type of auditory memory is the ability to perceive spoken language.
5. Olfactory memory is closely related to emotional memory. Often, when a familiar smell appears, various emotions emerge in our memory, which we cannot always explain.
6. Motor memory allows us to control the car, "automatically" pressing the pedals and changing gears, "on autopilot" to type a password on the keyboard, dance, etc.
Memory consists of three main processes: the perception of information, its storage and reproduction.
Learn to remember everything
Perception: where does memory begin?
Of all the information perceived, only the most important and useful information is remembered.
It has been proven that the events that cause strong emotions are better recorded in memory. Moreover, joyful, pleasant impressions are stored in memory longer than negative ones.
Information from the area of professional knowledge or hobbies of a person is much better perceived. The more you know in a given area, the easier it is for you to absorb new material.
Required:
Sharp eyesight, fine hearing, sensitive sense of smell and the ability to focus on the main thing!
Your actions:
1. Don't get distracted! Although women are superior to any personal computer in multitasking, memory can be harmed from a large number of “loaded applications”.
There is a concept of "dominant" of the brain. This is the strongest electrical impulse that occurs when performing the most important task at the moment. The stronger this impulse, the deeper it will remain in the memory.
If several impulses act simultaneously, then the strength of each of them decreases, and it is difficult for the brain to choose the main one.
Therefore, instead of important information, you can remember how delicious it was to eat the sausage sandwich or how the radio sang out of tune over your ear.
2. Try to use different types of memory by combining them. Each of us has a predominant type of memory: someone memorizes better by ear, and someone instantly "grasps" visual images.
However, the information that we receive using different senses is better remembered.
For example, learning a phone number is easier by writing it down (visual and motor memory) and speaking it out loud (auditory memory). No wonder there is a Latin proverb: "Who writes - reads twice!"
3. "Remember this!" Such an attitude will immediately set your mind in the right way if you saw, heard or read something important.
4. Master mnemonics. This is a whole complex of techniques for optimizing memory processes. The progenitors of mnemonics are ancient poets, bards, orators and elders who were the keepers of culture and history before the development of writing.
Mnemonics teaches simple ways to rhyme, break information into parts, find the most amazing and vivid associations that make it easy to remember even the most boring numbers and dates.
Pantry memories: how to remember what has been forgotten?
Storage: stocking up for future use
The mechanisms of storing information in the brain have not yet been fully disclosed, but it is known that the reserves of memory "for a rainy day" significantly exceed the amount of information that we can use in everyday life.
For example, in a state of hypnosis, a person is able to reproduce knowledge that he did not even know about.
With age, the ability to retain information from the outside decreases, especially without constant training.
Therefore, old people often remember in every detail their youth, the events of many years ago. But what happened the day before is forgotten.
Required:
Healthy nerve cells, sharp mind and quick reactions.
Your actions:
1. "Charge your brains!" For normal brain function, polyunsaturated fatty acids are required. They are found in oils: olive, flaxseed, peanut, etc.
A rich source of omega-3 fatty acids is fatty fish such as herring, tuna, mackerel, or fish oil.
The main "food for the brain" is carbohydrates: pasta and baked goods, potatoes. You can treat yourself to some chocolates. And a cup of coffee with sugar or glaze can be compared to doping in memory effect.
For a good memory, B vitamins, iron and magnesium are needed. It can be useful to take dietary supplements containing these elements, as well as natural adaptogens: ginseng, aralia, Rhodiola rosea.
There is also a large group of drugs that improve cerebral circulation, metabolic processes in the cells of the nervous system: Nootropil, Piracetam, Vinpocetin; based on plant extracts: "Bilobil", "Tanakan", "Memoria", etc.
These drugs have an indirect effect on memory by improving metabolism in the brain. They have their own indications and range of action.
Such drugs are most effective for various disorders of the cerebral circulation, especially in the elderly.
However, it can also have a positive effect on young people during heavy mental stress.
In any case, it is advisable to agree on their appointment with a doctor in order to avoid unnecessary medication and choose the most appropriate regimen.
2. "Repetition is the mother of learning." For the preservation of information in long-term memory, it is of great importance how often we turn to the accumulated knowledge, “dust off it”.
It is not difficult to instill in yourself a useful habit: before going to bed, remembering all the important events that happened during the day. Focus your attention on those moments that you want to keep in your memory for a long time.
If you purposefully memorize some material, then you should not repeat it a hundred times in a row. Time should pass between repetitions for "everything to settle down in the head."
If, say, you memorized information after 4 repetitions and were able to repeat it, then for reliable storage you need to repeat it 2 more times. That is, half of what it took to "write" into short-term memory. It is considered optimal to “refresh” the memorized information after another 24 hours.
3. "The morning is wiser than the evening!" It has been proven that the safety of information doubles if you get a good sleep after a portion of what you have learned.
Page 5
Play: remember everything
Replaying information can be compared to going to the library or searching the Internet. If everything is "laid out on the shelves" and the card index is well compiled, then it is not difficult to find the necessary information.
Required:
Learn to systematize, generalize and compare, find common ground between the information already in the head and the newly received information, self-confidence and the ability to fantasize.
- Your actions:
1. Believe in yourself. If at a difficult moment your memory lets you down, think about the fact that the necessary information is very near - in your head. After all, you have read it many times, listened to it, etc. You just need to find it.
2. Try to restore circumstances, images, associations … All those "signal flags" that can help you find what you need in the "bins of memory."
3. There are various methods of memory recovery through fantasy. For example, imagine that you are walking through the library of your memory, on the shelves of which the necessary information is located. Sometimes such a fantasy miraculously helps to find the information you need.
According to another technique, it is proposed to sketch your brain on paper. Write the name of each part of the studied material on different parts of the picture.
When it is necessary to reproduce the information, it is enough to recall the image of the brain with the signatures, and the necessary information will "pop up" in memory.
5 secrets of phenomenal memory
1. Train your attention! This workout can be turned into a game. For example, every day, climbing into your favorite chair, carefully examine the room, close your eyes and try to reproduce the interior in all the details: dust on the doorknob, a button that has come off your blouse lying on the dresser …
Stand in line, walk down the street, play detective. Take a quick look at the passer-by, and when you pass by, try to reproduce his "special signs". This will strengthen your memory for faces and names. When remembering a new acquaintance, look for parallels between their facial features and their name.
2. Learn poetry. This kind of training is great for strengthening memory. In addition, a knowledge of poetry will help you fill any pause in a conversation and become a great conversationalist.
3. In the store, count expenses yourself, even if you have to check the cash register. Oral counting expands the capabilities of short-term memory, allows you to quickly operate with large amounts of information.
4. Pause when you see, hear, or read something important. Take time out to process the information you receive. Pause for a minute before leaving the house, look around. Have you forgotten anything? The tradition of "sitting on the path" was invented precisely for this.
5. Always have a cheat sheet on hand so that no one doubts your phenomenal memory! After all, after all, it is impossible to remember everything. The main thing is to know where to find the answers you need!
Natalia DOLGOPOLOVA, therapist