Development of memory and attention in adults: what methods exist

The human brain is designed in such a way that it cannot concentrate even on two things at the same time - at one time we are able to do only one thing. Many are looking for ways to improve attention, since high concentration helps to quickly solve a problem and move on to solving the next one. The ability to solve one problem at a time is explained by the limited capabilities of the brain, and when attention is scattered, even simple solutions are difficult to come by. However, with the ability to focus on a problem, we quickly get what we need and move on to the next thing.

What are 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 completely different.

For what reason, then, are we able to remember one person, but are unable 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, it means that effective memorization methods were used in this case. This happened either consciously or on an unconscious level. If you couldn’t remember, then the method turned out to be inappropriate.

Attention and memory are closely interrelated. Without the ability to concentrate attention on what must be memorized, as well as without an emotional reaction from studying a certain object, it is impossible to learn the material qualitatively. At its core, attentiveness, like interest, are the main indicators of good short-term memory performance.

Attention is the ability for selective perception. It regulates the fixation of an object in a person’s short-term memory. It is characterized by a short 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.

Mind games alone are not enough

It turns out that in order to prolong the functioning of the brain and maintain memory in good condition until old age, you need to engage in physical education, and not just solving crossword puzzles and playing checkers or chess. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh in England say that moderate exercise is better for maintaining brain size over the years than games and intellectual exercises. This is evidenced by 638 elderly subjects. All results of this study were published in the medical journal Neurology.

Walking 2-3 kilometers a day and doing exercises every morning is the key to slower “drying out” of the brain. Exercises should be light so as not to harm the heart and joints; do not exhaust yourself with training if you want good memory and attention in old age.

Depriving oneself of visibility, that is, performing various actions blindly, according to Anna Gorenkova, puts the brain in an unpleasant state, due to which the stress hormone acetylcholine is produced, which slows down brain activity. Therefore, we can safely say that memory from such a method is unlikely to begin to develop in a positive direction.

Changing the working hand from the right to the left will not give anything at all, just like the “blind” method. Why? Previously, it was believed that changing the tasks with the usual hand to another helps to improve neural connections; scientists from the University of Sydney from Australia have refuted this statement. It turns out that being right-handed or left-handed is determined at the genetic level, of course, excluding cases when, due to some injury, it is necessary to change the usual hand.

Developing the second hand along with the usual one is useful, but re-teaching a child to write from the left hand to the right is not the best idea. Children who were retrained began to memorize and solve logical problems worse, spatial thinking was more difficult for them, and they were also more likely to experience stress than children who had not been retrained.

Reasons for distraction

Before considering the issue of concentration, it is important to understand 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 and is impulsive.
Consciousness is a group of critical and rational thought processes. Performs a processing function for impulses emanating from the subconscious.

The conscious level is responsible for all processes where logic and the use 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. With its help we are able to concentrate on the task.

Our conscious thinking is subject to multiple influences from external interference, which makes the process of focusing much more difficult.

What irritants are there?

There are two types of irritants:

Sensory - music, TV, people, and so on. You can easily get rid of them by physically eliminating them.
Emotional - 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 volitional efforts, forget about pressing problems, focus on the task, but this depletes mental reserves.

There is another way to cope with emotional stimuli. This requires an understanding that the human mind tends to focus on negative experiences and events because they pose a threat and therefore require increased attention. Subconsciously, a person strives to erase them as quickly as possible.

It would 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 the current situation as quickly as possible.

How does the human brain work?

The brain is a relatively small organ, making up only two percent of the total body weight. Weighing about one and a half kilograms, the jelly-like substance - the brain - consists mainly of water, as well as small amounts of protein, fat and mineral salts. Its importance, however, is not due to its size, but to the functions it performs, since it is the part of us that is responsible for who we are.

All our memories are recorded in the brain, the brain determines the character and temperament of a person, is his command center, allows him to make decisions, perform any actions, from the simplest to the most complex - that’s why it consumes up to 20 percent of all the energy that the body produces. Managing this complex mechanism is difficult, but it is quite possible to improve memory and increase concentration by following certain recommendations. The effort will definitely pay off - gaining control of your mind will not only have a positive effect on your work or study, but will also make your everyday life easier.

What helps and what hinders memorization?

Motivation is an important component in the process of memorizing any amount of information. To stay focused, always use self-motivation.

For example, the task is set to remember this material. This will bring great benefits in the future for your self-development, career, family. Speak out all the benefits of studying and applying this information. The more you feel the need for these actions, the more effective the memorization process will be.

You will find everything about motivation in the article: “What is positive motivation and how it will move mountains for you.”

External noise. Are you able to concentrate on work when there is turmoil all around? Most often it is an acquired skill, a habit.

If a person lives in a small apartment or student dormitory, his brain is forced to adapt to difficult conditions and do its work without paying attention to external stimuli.

Difficulties make us stronger. To increase your “impenetrability” threshold, I recommend artificially creating difficulties for yourself. For example, concentrate on reading while music is playing in your headphones, write a progress report while sitting in McDonald's, where people are walking around and making noise. This will tire you out faster, but the results will not be long in coming.

It's a pity there is no Mr. and Mrs. Impenetrable award. I’m sure you could claim first place after such training.

Exercise 2. Memorizing numbers

In this exercise, different twenty numbers are given, look carefully and remember them. Forty seconds are given to memorize.

2,5 5,75 6,55 9,65 4,21 6,32 8,45 8,2 9,6 7,4 9,4 5,87 4,37 6,4 8,2 9,45 3,65 4,3 2,4 1,76

Now close these numbers and write them in the same order and see what you get. You can then calculate your number memorization efficiency using the following formula:

Divide the number of numbers that you remember by 20 (the number of numbers that need to be remembered), multiply by 100% and get the result in % (this is your percentage of memorization).

Ways to improve concentration

There is a lot of controversy regarding modern learning systems, since it is extremely difficult to objectively track improvements among 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 gain concentration.

Of course, good concentration cannot be achieved instantly; you need to regularly work to improve its level.

Tips for improving concentration:

Remain steadfast. Very often a person stops halfway and succumbs to the temptation to avoid working on himself. Try to overcome this desire, for example, by applying the rule of five. If you have to read a book, finish five more pages or use 5 more minutes of your time on this task. As a result, you may want to keep reading.
Do only one thing at a time. All other issues can wait. Miller's Rule states that our available attention span is extremely limited.
Always color the activity with emotions. When memorizing information, both attention and emotional return from the actions performed are important. Even to the point of inventing a game: every 5 pages of text is an opportunity to throw 5 paper balls into a waste basket.

Exercise 1. Memorizing words

In this exercise, twenty different words are given, look carefully and remember them. Forty seconds are given to memorize:

Magpie, sky, African, sea, step, cookie, creator, verb, spacesuit, shock, silhouette, horizon, furniture, engraving, sand, horizon, proton, second, potato, zinc.

Now close these words and write them in the same order and see what you get. You can then calculate your word memorization efficiency using the following formula:

Divide the number of words that you remember by 20 (the number of words that need to be remembered), multiply by 100% and get the result as a percentage (this is your percentage of memorization). For example, you memorized 10 words.

Now remember these same words in reverse order, we will put a number for each word, remember it along with the number.

1. Zinc 2. Potato 3. Second 4. Proton 5. Sky 6. Sand 7. Engraving 8. Furniture 9. Horizon 10. Sky 11. Shock 12. Spacesuit 13. Verb 14. Creator 15. Cookie 16. Stage 17. Sea 18. African 19. Sky 20. Magpie.

Now cover the words and write them in the same order along with the numbers and see what you get. You can then calculate your word memorization efficiency using the following formula:

Divide the number of words that you remember by 20 (the number of words that need to be remembered), multiply by 100% and get the result in % (this is your percentage of memorization).

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. Entry level – 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 the computer or during your lunch break.
Imagine a green dot on the wall in front of you.
Stare at an imaginary point for 3 minutes. Gradually increase the time, expanding your “comfortable” zone.
Pay attention to your periphery and what is to your side. Keep everything around you in your area of 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 powerful practice; if you adopt it, the effectiveness of any person will increase significantly. You can read more about meditation in the article: What is meditation and what will it give to the common man.”

Super memory in 30 days

Remember the necessary information quickly and for a long time. Do light and simple exercises to train your memory little by little throughout the day. Train your memory with dozens of exercises that will be useful in everyday life.

How to improve memory and develop attention

Free practical lesson from advance.

Ryuta Kawashima's Intelligence Development System

Japan is known for progress in almost every field. It was here that the Japanese system of intelligence development was developed.

According to Ryuta Kawashima's original method, solving simple timed arithmetic problems and reading aloud engages all hemispheres of the brain. In this way, memory is trained and developed, and negative consequences are erased. Reading helps slow down brain aging.

The author conducted an experiment among mentally ill patients suffering from dementia and 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 improved significantly. It was previously almost impossible to delay the suppression of cognitive functions in this disease. The author's book itself consists of a number of simple arithmetic tasks, visual illustrations and comments.

Other development courses

Speed reading in 30 days

Increase your reading speed by 2-3 times in 30 days. From 150-200 to 300-600 words per minute or from 400 to 800-1200 words per minute. The course uses traditional exercises for developing speed reading, techniques that speed up brain function, methods for progressively increasing reading speed, exercises for memorizing what has been read, the psychology of speed reading and the questions of course participants are discussed. Suitable for children and adults reading up to 5000 words per minute.

Verbal counting

Learn to quickly and correctly add, subtract, multiply, divide, square numbers, and even extract roots. I will teach you how to use easy techniques to simplify arithmetic operations. Each lesson contains new techniques, clear examples and useful tasks.

Development of memory and attention in a child 5-10 years old

The purpose of the course: to develop the child’s memory and attention so that it is easier for him to study at school, so that he can remember better.

After completing the course, the child will be able to:

2-5 times better to remember texts, faces, numbers, words
Learn to remember for a longer period of time
The speed of recalling the necessary information will increase

Brain fitness secrets

The brain, like the body, needs fitness. Physical exercise strengthens the body, mental exercise develops the brain. 30 days of useful exercises and educational games to develop memory, concentration, intelligence and speed reading will strengthen the brain, turning it into a supercomputer.

Exercise 4. Name the word

In this exercise, you need to name a word and find three definitions for this word, or do the opposite - say any three definitions and choose a word for it.

For example: Cat - soft, fluffy, gray Dog - ? Rocket - ? Museum - ? Cinema hall - ? Black, edible, soft - bread Green, prickly, beautiful - ? Blue, affectionate, warm - ?

Using these definitions, name all the animals in order.

Try to come up with ten words and ten definitions yourself.

Exercise 3. Memorizing phrases

In this exercise you need to remember ten different phrases. You are given one minute to memorize phrases.

The red cat is sleeping; Sergei came home from work; We'll have dinner together; They flew into space; a bumblebee flies above you; the parcel arrived on time; The guys were tired in training; the ship is heading north; The dog was offended by the neighbor; the horses galloped.

Now close these phrases and write them in the same order and see what you get. You can then calculate your phrase memorization efficiency using the following formula:

Divide the number of phrases that you remember by 10 (the number of phrases that need to be remembered), multiply by 100% and get the result in % (this is your percentage of memorization).