Don’t you ever remember where you left your keys? Want Memorize information for a school exam or a presentation at work? Yes OK Remembrance is important It is sometimes difficult in many of our daily activities “train” the brain. for Remember information Specific. And although certain factors can hinder this mental process, fortunately this is the case Exercise and some strategies to strengthen memory.
“We can Develop memory through neuroplasticity; that is, the flexibility that the brain retains throughout life,” says Dr. Tara Swart Bieber, a physician and neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), told Newsweek.
The Neuroplasticity allows the brain to reorganize neuronal communication pathways and create new connections, two processes that form the basis of learning and memory.
According to experts at the Queensland Brain Institute – an Australian neuroscience research institution – memory relies on the activation of specific neural pathways that can be strengthened or weakened over time depending on the frequency of their use.
Because memory is made up of circuits, it is often easier to remember something that we have associated with other stimuli. For example, if your mother always wore a certain perfume when you were a child, you will undoubtedly think of her every time you smell the same scent, even if you inhale the scent in isolation.
HOW DOES THE EXERCISE KNOWN AS MEMORY PALACE WORK?
It may seem obvious, but these associative memories are very useful tools for remembering new information. In this regard, Swart Bieber notes that a great mental exercise you can practice to improve your memory is a technique known as “memory palace,” also called “method of loci” (or method of places; from the Latin locus / loci: place/places).
This system, popularized in the Sherlock Holmes novels, works like this: First, imagine a place that you know well. It could be your home, your office, the street you grew up on, or any other place you can clearly imagine in your head.
Next, mentally walk through this space and, as you move, create a map highlighting certain key points and listing them as you approach each one. For example, the living room of your house, the stairs to the second floor, a side table in the hallway, your bed, the bedside table, the window in your room, etc.
The next part is crucial: assign a piece of information to each of these already numbered key points. Remember that it is not enough to map data, you need to identify “memorable connections” between each of these key points.
Let’s say you want to memorize the shopping list. First, you walk through the living room of your house towards the stairs and notice that the carpet is very dusty: vacuum cleaner bags. As you get to the bottom of the stairs, you come across a pile of dirty laundry: washing machine soap.
You go upstairs and see a side table in the upper hallway with a small plate full of crumbs: bread. You approach the bedroom door, look at the bed and find your favorite cup on the bedside table: coffee.
It is useful to memorize lists or blocks of information
It should be made clear that it is not necessary that the associations be coherent; The only thing that matters is that they make sense to you. Once you’ve associated information with all the key points, go through your memory palace again to solidify each of the associations. The more you repeat this exercise, the stronger your associations and memory will become.
This strategy is particularly useful for memorizing lists or blocks of information. However, if you want to remember where you left your keys, it might be best to pay attention to what you do.
“It is always easier to remember when we are paying attention. “So if you want to remember something, pay attention to what you’re doing and ignore anything else that might distract you,” advises Swart Bieber.
You should also consider that lifestyle and environment affect memory. We are talking about factors such as stress, lack of sleep, unhealthy diet, dehydration, lack of exercise and even the habit of doing several things at the same time, all of which have a negative impact on memory, emphasizes Swart Bieber.
“The basics of brain health that contribute to improved memory include: duration and quality of sleep; a healthy diet that includes enough vegetables and omega-3 oils; good hydration; physical activity; and deal with stress,” concludes Swart Bieber.
