Mind, Body & Memory

While stress poses the biggest threat to our capacity, 
to improve memory, proper sleep can do wonders

I trust you’ve been practising mnemonics,  the simple memorisation technique I talked about last time.
 
Today, let’s talk about the mind-body connection. When you start having problems with your ability to memorise, there is usually something wrong with your lifestyle that affects the body, and as a result, the mind. Anything that prevents the mind from working to its full potential causes memory issues such as difficulty with concentration, picking up key points or even the ability to understand and focus on a subject.

That’s why it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. Eat less fats and consume more foods rich in vitamins and minerals (especially betcarotene), drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, engage in cardiovascular exercises, and relax. Your mind will benefit as much as your body.

Perhaps the greatest threat to our capacity to improve memory is stress. When you”re suffering from any kind of stress, your system releases high levels of cortisol into your bloodstream. Cortisol has the effect of destroying glucose, and glucose is, quite simply, the brain’s only source of food. So if your brain is not getting the nutrients it needs, it will not function well.

Sleep also plays an active role in the consolidation and storage of memories and improves the brain’s ability to retrieve information. When researchers at Harvard Medical School studied the influence of sleep on memory in healthy adults, they found that participants who slept between learning and testing had the highest rates of word recall. While it’s a good idea to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night, napping is also beneficial in terms of enhancing memory. These are now being referred to as “power naps”. 

As for physical exercise, the human brain requires a proper supply of oxygen and blood flow and an active body generates an active mind. When the body is engaged in an activity, the blood circulation keeps up a regular pace and this allows proper blood flow towards the brain. This explains why after a good exercise routine, you feel refreshed. Walk around your neighborhood every day for at least 15 minutes. Keep in mind the details you see, the faces and names of the people you meet, the names of the streets, etc. This trains your brain to be active.

Now back to mnemonics. They allow your mind to wander about and your imagination plays a big part in getting your memorising tasks done for you. Visual learners benefit greatly from using memorisation techniques that use imagination and creativity. 

Do you remember PM BOAT from my last column? Funny scenarios become very vivid in your mind resulting in a clear memory recall. If you create an outrageous story from a list of non-related items (like that below) and the list will stick in your head. With memory techniques, you encourage your mind to be creative while utilising your memory skills. They have less to do with intelligence and more to do with practice.

PRACTICE EXERCISE
Last time you learnt a technique to remember a few items, but not in sequence. This time there is a list of 10 unassociated items. Go through the list just once, slowly if need be, and try to write it down in sequence. Remember, no cheating.

1. carpet 
2. paper 
3. tumbler 
4. bed 
5. fish 
6. chair 
   
7. telephone 
8. cigarette 
9. keyboard and 
10. shoe

If you are able to recall upto any 5 items in sequence, give yourself a pat on the back. Most of us will recall the first 2-3 items and the last 2-3 items since we tend to focus more on them. Those in-between get lost. Next week, we will examine techniques you can use to advance to a level of remembering any sequence of items with mnemonics.

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Thought for the Week

“It’s surprising how much of memory, 
is built around things unnoticed at the time”
Barbara Kingsolver
American writer and poet
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First published in Gray Matter - The Hindustan Times