Contents
Greetings, dear blog readers! You have probably heard more than once that memory is in some way the repository of our past, the generator of the present and the basis of the future. The development of memory and attention in adults is a necessity for a modern person. Today we will just talk about how to do it.
What is memory and attention?
Everyone has a memory. Another thing is that not everyone knows how to use it correctly. We remember a lot of facts, images and figures. Without memory, life would look very different.
Why, then, are we able to remember one person, but not able to retain the name or date of birth of another for a long time? Do we easily remember the time of one meeting and are forced to write down the date of another?
Everything is simpler than it seems at first glance. If we remember something well, this means that effective memorization methods were applied in this case. It happened either consciously or unconsciously. If it was not possible to remember, then the method turned out to be inappropriate.
Attention and memory are closely related. Without the ability to focus on the obligatory memorization, as well as without an emotional reaction from the study of a particular object, it is impossible to learn the material qualitatively. At its core, mindfulness, like interest, is the main indicator of good short-term memory.
Attention is the ability to selectively perceive. It regulates the fixation of an object in a person’s short-term memory. It is characterized by an insignificant storage time of the received information in a small volume. The stronger and longer our concentration on an object, the better we can remember it.
Reasons for distraction
Before considering the issue of concentration of attention, it is necessary to understand what are the causes of absent-mindedness.
According to Daniel Kahnman, there are 2 levels of thinking:
- The subconscious is a layer that functions without volitional effort. Reacts to a number of stimuli, has an impulsive character.
- Conscious — a group of critical and rational thought processes. Performs a processing function for impulses coming from the subconscious.
The conscious level is responsible for all processes where logic and application of volitional efforts are necessary. When it comes to reflexes and reactive behavior, this is the work of the subconscious level.
The level of consciousness system is responsible for all thought processes. It helps us focus on the task at hand.
Our conscious thinking is subject to multiple influences of external interference, which greatly complicates the process of focusing.
What are the irritants?
Irritants are of two types:
- Touch — music, TV, people and so on. You can easily get rid of them by removing them physically.
- Emotional — a dialogue with oneself, a continuous stream of thoughts and the like. Caused by life problems, stress, health conditions.
To get rid of them, you can try to resort to strong-willed efforts, forget about pressing problems, focus on the task, but this depletes the reserves of the psyche.
There is another way to deal with emotional stimuli. This requires an understanding that the human mind tends to focus on negative experiences and events, since they are threatening, and therefore require increased attention. Subconsciously, a person seeks to erase them as soon as possible.
It will be a mistake to try to remove the source of negative influence. In this case, you should have a good rest, recuperate and make negative events your motivation to get out of this situation as soon as possible.
What helps and what hinders memorization?
Motivation is an important component in the process of memorizing any amount of information. In order to focus, always resort to self-motivation.
For example, the task is to memorize this material. This will bring great benefits in the future for your self-development, career, family. Talk about the benefits of learning and applying this information. The more you feel the need for these actions, the more effective the memorization process will be.
All about motivation, you will find in the article: «What is positive motivation and how it will move mountains for you.»
external noises. Are you able to concentrate on work when there is turmoil around? Most often it is an acquired skill, a habit.
If a person lives in a small apartment or a student dormitory, his brain is forced to adapt to difficult conditions and do his job, not paying attention to external stimuli.
Difficulties make us stronger. To increase your threshold of «impenetrability», I recommend artificially creating difficulties for yourself. For example, concentrate on reading when music is playing in your headphones, write a progress report while sitting at McDonald’s, where people are walking around and making noise. This will tire you faster, but the result will not be long in coming.
It’s a pity there is no Mr. and Mrs. Invulnerability award. I’m sure you would be able to claim first place after such training.
Ways to Improve Concentration
There is a lot of controversy regarding modern learning systems, since it is extremely difficult to objectively track improvements in users. There is an online service vikium ru, which allows you to develop memory, attention and thinking in general in a convenient and simple way, in any place convenient for you.
In order to learn the technique of turning on and controlling voluntary attention, you should do special exercises. They help you focus.
Of course, a good concentration of attention cannot be achieved instantly, it is necessary to work regularly to increase its level.
Tips for pumping concentration:
- Remain firm. Very often a person stops halfway, succumbs to the temptation to avoid working on himself. Try to overcome this desire, for example, by applying the «five» rule. If you must read a book, master five more pages or use another 5 minutes of your time to do so. As a result, you may want to continue reading.
- Do only one thing at a time. All other questions can wait. Miller’s Rule states that our available attention span is extremely limited.
- Always color the activity with emotions. When remembering information, both attention and emotional feedback from the actions performed are important. Up to the point that come up with a game: every 5 pages of text — the opportunity to throw 5 paper balls into the wastebasket.
Meditation and attention
There are many tutorials, online courses and programs for training memory, attention and concentration. In this article I will present some of them. You can learn more about the variety of exercises from the article on the blog «TOP 10 exercises for developing human memory.»
The best way to concentrate is meditation. Ideally, such training should become a habit. The initial level is the green dot exercise. It can be done at any time of the day and anywhere.
Description of the green dot technique:
- Relax your body. This is possible when you are sitting in front of your computer or during your lunch break.
- Imagine a green dot on the wall in front of you.
- Look at an imaginary point for 3 minutes. Gradually increase the time, expanding the «comfort» zone.
- Pay attention to the periphery and to what is on your side. Keep everything that is around you in the zone of your attention. At the same time, do not move your eyes from the imaginary «green dot».
This is a simple but extremely effective way to quickly learn to concentrate. The result is improved memory.
In general, meditation is a very strong practice, if you take it into service, then the effectiveness of any person will increase significantly. You can read more about meditation in the article: “What is meditation and what does it give to an ordinary person”.
Ryuta Kawashima Intelligence Development System
Japan is known for progress in almost all areas. It was here that the Japanese system of intelligence development was developed.
According to the author’s method Ryuta Kawashima, solving simple arithmetic problems for time and reading aloud involve all hemispheres of the brain. Thus, memory is trained and developed, negative consequences are erased. Reading helps slow down the aging of the brain.
The author conducted an experiment among the mentally ill, suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease. After 30 days of training according to the Kawashima system, patients showed a slowdown in the development of the disease. Brain function has improved significantly. Delaying the inhibition of cognitive functions in this disease was previously almost impossible. The author’s book itself consists of a series of simple arithmetic tasks, visual illustrations and comments.
Summary
As a summary, I want to recommend that you read more, learn new things and train your memory in every possible way. Knowing a lot is not only interesting, but also useful for the brain. And if you take care of yourself, improve yourself!
If you haven’t subscribed to the blog yet, please fill out the form below. I will send you notifications about new useful materials.
Share useful information with your friends. Perhaps they are also scattered, and do not know how to deal with it. Help them to understand themselves and become better.
All the best to you, see you soon!