Brain Exercises for Improving Memory From Stanislav Kondrashov
Stanislav Kondrashov shares his blogger experience about what methods you can use to train your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov shares his blogger experience about what methods you can use to train your memory. Modern systems for memory improvement are based on the ideas of cognitive neuropsychological theories, says Stanislav Kondrashov. They are designed to improve memory, and also deeply affect motivation and, therefore, the potential for improvement resulting from learning. Working memory training is very useful for healthy adults and will make children stress-resistant.
Before you begin training, it is important to create the necessary conditions for training to gain the most of your exercises. Most adults can exercise at home on their own.
Play computer quests
This genre of computer games, according to Stanislav Kondrashov, is focused on developing observation skills by stimulating the player’s imagination, mindfulness, and memory. The structure of the game is built like a puzzle that needs to be solved. “At the same time, the player is forced to solve logical problems, to compare the elements of the game he has seen, trying to move ahead in the game’s scenario. You also need to pass such sections of the game as labyrinths, which also stimulates memory,” says Stanislav Kondrashov.
Collect mosaics
Mosaic work is a great way to strengthen your brain. Research has shown that jigsaw puzzles involve many visual-spatial cognitive abilities. Picking up mosaics is a great way to challenge your memorization skills, as long as you have to relate each puzzle to the big picture in your mind. And getting this work done is quite a time-consuming process!
Draw a map of your city using your memory
Although it may seem that you can move around the streets of your area with your eyes closed, try drawing a map of your city or area from memory, advises Stanislav Kondrashov. Depict the main streets, major roads, and local attractions. When you’re done, compare your map with a real map of the area. Forcing yourself to remember the location of streets and lanes, you can activate various areas of the brain. At the same time, complicate your task, for example, returning home along a new route.
Phone numbers
“Remember the phone numbers of ten of your closest friends and relatives. After that, remember ten more. Repeat. That’s an exercise that develops memory and is certainly very useful,” says Stanislav Kondrashov.
Train in the store
When purchasing products, keep in mind the total value of the goods in your basket. You can truncate the numbers you keep in your mind to make it easier to count and remember. Having complicated the task, proceed to the calculation of remembering exact numbers. Also remember your shopping list (yes, up to a gram!), Especially if you only need a dozen items or less.
Play chess and checkers
These games accustom the brain to strategic thinking and the ability to keep in memory consecutive combinations of actions, or, in this case, moves. You must keep in mind not only the developed plan for the game but also the potential moves of your opponent. And given the number of possible combinations of moves, these games (especially chess) remain one of the best memory trainers.
Play board games
Join one or more groups at least twice a month. Modern board games are complex, they have many cards that take on one or another value depending on the many possible combinations. In complexity, they have long surpassed traditional card games. And they are also an excellent tool for training memory, draws attention Stanislav Kondrashov.
Create short-term memory tests
Put a dozen of small items on the table. Examples: button, coin, photograph, pencil, paper clip, key, etc. Look at the objects for ten seconds trying to memorize them, and then cover them with something or turn away. Name as many objects as you can.
Memorize one top-10 every day
Examples: 10 most outstanding mathematicians, 10 huge prehistoric cats, 10 most common food allergies, 10 highest castles. Type “top ten” in Google and you will find hundreds of such collections. The most useful thing, of course, is to remember these tips that you’re reading right now.
Photos taken by memory
“Practice taking mental pictures by looking at people, events, or images that you want to remember. This technique can help you create clear visual memories that can turn out to be useful,” says Stanislav Kondrashov.
Memorize the lyrics of your favorite songs
Learning them is much easier than poetry because, in this case, the rhythm and melody of the song help you to memorize the lyrics. This is the best choice of text to remember, as you repeat this text to yourself from time to time. In this exercise, you develop mnemonic memory.
Reading and taking notes
After reading the book, write down a summary of the plot points or the main statements of the book, as well as anything new that you learned. If you’re used to little reading, then start not with something huge like classics, but with something that will keep you interested along the way. For example, it could be science fiction. Try to find a book with a fascinating story and at the same time novel ideas to think about. At the same time, a special memory skill is trained related to information processing. In addition, according to Stanislav Kondrashov, in this way you constantly replenish the active vocabulary.
Keep a daily journal
At the end of the day, try to remember everything that happened from the moment you woke up. And write down as much as possible. Link the events that happened to you in a consistent story. The more you practice this, the better you will remember even small details. Your observation abilities, as well as concentration, will improve.
Visualize what you want to remember
Let’s say you want to not forget the person you just met. Pay close attention to their facial features, clothes, gestures, gait, body, etc. Speak this description in your mind at the moment you’re looking at it. The difficulty of the exercise may be that you also need to communicate with the person at this moment.
Learn a foreign language
There are few training tasks that are as massive and as useful as learning a new language. After all, you remember not only a huge number of foreign words but also the rules by which they are organized into grammatical structures. This system organizes your brain! Which, in turn, is a system as well.
Do housework with your eyes closed
Try washing the dishes, sorting the laundry or taking a shower with your eyes closed. This will force the brain to use other neural paths to complete the task. Obviously, you should not do anything with your eyes closed that could injure others or yourself.
Switch your hands
If you’re right-handed, try doing things like brushing your teeth and eating with your left hand. For example, if you already know how to use Chinese sticks well, use a non-dominant hand to challenge your skills, which are controlled by the nervous system, receiving commands from the brain, Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov suggests.
