In our lives, we have so many things going on that it is hard to focus what should be done first. Your mind is constantly working trying to find ways to do everything that has to be taken care of and due to this, at times, you find yourself so overwhelmed.
It gets to the point that its so much you end up forgetting half of what you needed to get done.
You forget your keys, can’t find your bag, miss your exit, etc. It gets so bad that you can’t even find the solution to a simple problem.
This starts to get frustrating and then you start to worry if you are suffering from any particular illness. Luckily for you, that is not always the case. What you need are a few tricks to sharpen your memory, improve your ability at making decisions and tackling problems with ease. Researchers have revealed super-effective tricks to help keep you focused and your mind sharp.
Researchers have also noted how these techniques can help your children. We sometimes believe that because they are children they have no worries why would anyone believe they are overwhelmed? Well, they also have hectic schedules, sports, special activities, dance, school, projects, etc. Teach these technique to your children, you will see how effective they are. It will boost their memory and help them improve their grades.
BLOCK FORGETFULNESS
Adults – You are headed to a meeting or a lecture and you want to make sure you remember what you hear. What you can do is stop at a park first or somewhere tranquil. Focus on nature for at least 10 minutes. It might be hard to believe but it will at help you recall 20% more of what you learned.
Children – For those children that play outside or have a plant on their desk when they study, they are less stressed than those that don’t. Researchers found that they are able to concentrate better and make fewer errors on exams.
HEALTHY BRAIN CELLS
More than 75% of us don’t get enough vitamin D. Not enough of this vitamin can actually cause brain cell deterioration. Researchers found that people with high levels of vitamin D are able to process information faster than those with the lower levels. The reason it works is that vitamin D has the ability to act like a hormone that protects healthy brain cells.
Adults - To help with this, pop 2,000 IU daily. If you aren’t great at taking pills then try spending 15 minutes in the sun without sunscreen.
Children – Researchers report that children who take a daily multivitamin, their attention span is improved in as little as three hours. The nutrients fuel the children’s brains with natural compounds that enhance their ability to focus better.
THINK AND WALK
Walking is not only a moderate exercise but it turns off stress. It also increases the size and density of your brain. These benefits are directly linked to better decision-making powers. It doesn’t even take that much to add brain bulk.
Adults – For 15 minutes a day adults can benefit from walking, bicycling or dancing. Researchers found that brain tissue increases and your mind is a lot sharper than those that are less active. This extra tissue accumulates in areas of your brain that control such things as decision-making, planning, goal-setting and spatial memory.
Children – Let the children get rid of the pent-up energy they have. The more energy they get rid of the more focused they will be. Researchers found that those children who played tag or Wii Fit for at least 20 minutes before doing homework got nearly 10% more right answers than those that didn’t have a chance to get rid of that energy.
PREVENT LOSS
It’s true that healthy omega-3 fatty acids have great benefits for your health. Researchers now have pinpointed another incredible benefit of omega-3, it helps improve your memory.
Adults - If you take 900 mg every day for six months, you will improve your short-term memory by 50%.
Children – Researchers suggest that children eat fish at least once a week. They found that children, who have this added to their diets, improve their IQ test by more than 12%, than those that don’t eat fish. This is due to the omega-3 fatty acids. This enhances brain-cell development.
NAPPING
When you nap, you enter a slow-wave sleep. This is a phase that helps untangle your brain from complicated issues, helps you see the big picture; it even helps you think more creatively. Researchers did a study where a woman would take a 90-minute nap after she was working on a word problem and was unable to solve it. Upon waking, she was able to solve the word problem faster than those that just sat there for those 90 minutes.
Adults – Stress and frustration definitely have a negative impact when you are trying to solve a problem, even try to remember necessary information. Best thing to do, is lie down for a while, take a nap. To many of us, this sounds like a waste of time but it’s not. The more stressed you are, the less effective you will be in resolving your problems. Relax, let your mind rest, this allows it to recoup its energy and focus better. When you awake you are calmer and able to make decisions clearly without much effort.
Children – Researchers have found that children who sleep at least eight hours a night, the higher their grade point average. Get them into healthy sleeping habits. Sleeping the eight hours a night, allows them to wake up relaxed and they won’t be dragging. When children (just as adults) don’t get enough sleep, it takes a lot to get focused and all they do is drag throughout the day. A good night’s sleep equals better grades.
CHEW GUM
Researchers found that the rhythmic act of chewing gum increases alertness by 19% and lowers your stress level by 16%. According to this study, it can help you focus on several tasks with increasing your anxiety level.
Adults – When you have to attack that mile long list of things to do, pop a stick of gum in your mouth. While chewing the gum, you will be able to juggle multiple tasks or projects and more than double your accuracy. You will speed right through your list without any problems.
Children – In a study, researchers found, that children who chewed gum while studying for a standardized math test scored 5% higher than those who didn’t chew gum. They believe that chewing gum boosts their circulation in the brain, enhancing temporary brainpower.
BRAIN BOOST
The whole family can do these. If you enjoy crossword puzzles or soduko and find you are stumped, researchers say let your mind wander. This activates the brain’s right hemisphere, this encourages more creative thinking.
Researchers say that a good way to better short-term memory is to scribble. When at a meeting, class or lecture, while scribbling your mind is able to become alert, allowing you to remember 30% more of what you are hearing. It doesn’t matter that it is dull or full of facts; you will remember what you hear.