Modern technology puts the very value of human memory into question – why memorize if Google always reminds? Nevertheless, you and I still rely on our intellect, not artificial, and we cannot do without art to memorize.
1. Use the “Method of loci”
Those same “palaces of reason”, sung by the TV series “Sherlock”, were invented in the first century BC. The method consists in the fact that a person creates in his thoughts a room in which he places objects that it is important for him not to forget. The stranger and grotesque things look, the better they tend to be deposited in the mind. This method is also called “mental walk”, and thanks to him you can remember a huge amount of information. It’s all about visualization, which helps memory work better.
2. Go to bed
Immediately after receiving the new information, whether reading the book, preparing for the exam or for an important meeting, try to take a nap. According to the American researcher Jessica Payne, sleep contributes to strengthening the connection of neurons when memorizing important facts. These memories should be brighter and more durable than others. But the most important factor is to memorize the facts on the eve of sleep, otherwise it will not work.
3. Scale information
A person’s operational memory is limited — on average, according to statistics, he is able to memorize from four to seven pieces of information simultaneously. Check for yourself: when you pronounce a phone or a combination for a card, you are not able to remember more than a few numbers. The mnemonic technology of chunking (chunking – scaling, integration, division into blocks) encourages a person to divide information into chunks, each of which receives a certain association or symbol. Thus, each of the stored elements acquires additional properties that you can not forget.
4. Eat by the mind
Red meat, butter, cheese, sweets and fried will never make you a mnemonic master, unlike vegetables, berries, nuts, beans, cereals, fish, game, olive oil and even wine. It’s all about energy value: the more food contains beneficial elements, namely omega-3, antioxidants and fiber, the better the brain works. A healthy diet helps to improve brain activity by 35%.
5. Move More
Of course, reading such advice in our journal is like not reading anything. And nevertheless: cardio load promotes blood circulation, including for the brain, which makes it possible to memorize information better. Some studies even show that a 4-hour load in the form of running or cycling helps memory if the workout takes place immediately after receiving new information (as is the case with sleep). Not the fact that such a grueling run will cheer you up, but no one said that it is easy to memorize.
Picture Credit: jarmoluk