Anytime we discuss the brain, the comparisons to super computers come up. It is true, that the brain can do things we still don’t fully understand. The speed at which it processes information is beyond most people’s imaginations.
The brain must be taken care of, or it will lose or diminish in some of its abilities. In this article, we will cover some of the necessary steps you need to take, in order to improve and maintain your concentration…plus keep your memory cells firing on all counts.
To stay in shape, we exercise. Yet did you know that this physical exercise is also key to improving your memory and concentration? Great physical exercise prompts our nerve cells to release a special protein called, “neurotrophic factors.” Like team players the neurotrophic factors help to activate other chemicals which are key to our individual learning ability. Without exercise we become physically sluggish and our thinking tends to become foggy, plus it is harder to remember those important tasks.
Visualizing is key to having success in business and life. In addition, visualizing can be used to improve your memory. An example would be that someone needs to get a great mark on a history exam. Although the textbook has been read a number of times, it just is not sticking in the memory. The key is to pick important dates and occurrences that you can quickly visualize in the mind. This has been proven to work as students often remember a horrible incident such as the beheading of a Queen, as they saw a picture of it happening in their mind.
Studies have shown that a person can associate something completely different than what they need to remember. When a person shops for clothes and needs a number of items, including socks, they could visualize a bandit with a sock over their head and eyeholes cut out.
Training the brain for memory and concentration, takes practise. Instead of training with weights, a person can train with brain puzzles.
To keep brain cells alive and healthy, investigate different types of brain games that require memory and concentration. When you have to mentally build an object or connect lines/dots/numbers, it keeps the brain functioning properly. Neuroplasticity is the term used to describe how the brain works on its connections and keep the ability to rewire itself. One way to think of it, is in terms of self-healing. When someone suffers a brain injury, if they can maintain neuroplasticity by practising various brain exercises, they can rewire the brain to work around the damage.
Sleep is very important for your memory and concentration. It is during sleep, that your body repairs its cells. Those who have difficulty getting a solid 7-8 hours sleep a night, should investigate the reasons why they are not sleeping properly. There are different strategies that can be used to promote sound sleep. Using white noise machines may dull out the other noises that are keeping you awake like, traffic or barking dogs. Doing meditation or yoga sleep poses, prior to going to bed, have been shown to work with great success.
Having proper sleep works wonders for your memory and concentration. To beef up your focus and concentration during the day, try taking a 20-25 minute power nap. This has been a successful habit in Japan for many years. In fact, most companies in Japan are onboard with employees taking a power nap at their desk, as it improves work quality. The Japanese government believes that workers are entitled to 30 minute power naps and the improved efficiency is one of the reasons why this has been incorporated into Japanese society.
