Friday, March 23, 2012

Questions About How To Improve Memory In Kids

David asks…

How do I IMPROVE my MEMORY?

It's really weird...When I try and imagine what, oh say, my mom looks like, I can't. I know all of her features but I can't piece them together to make a picture in my mind. Plus it's all dark and fuzzy up there. And I find myself incapable of remembering simple things. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING TO ME! I'M JUST A FREAKIN KID!

So how can I improve my memory? Any tips / suggestions? And please don't say memory games. THANKS

(oh and does over-exposure to the computer mess up your brain any? cause i'm on it literally like ALL day most of the time.) DX

admin answers:

The number one reason people are having problems is because they aren't getting enough sleep. You need 8 hours if an adult, more if you are a teenager (9 hours for high schoolers, I think it is). It is RARE to be a natural short sleeper, needing only 6 or so hours. People are just so used to going without enough sleep that they do not realize they are impaired. I read this info many times in news magazines on health topics.

Another problem is multi-tasking. If you are too busy doing more than one thing at a time, there is no chance to form or retrieve strong memories. You need to slow down and do one thing at a time.

Depression can interfere with memory too. I have serious mental illness (bipolar disorder) and my memory has always been extremely poor, to the point it always took me 5 times longer to memorize things in school than it took other kids I knew. So if you have serious mental health problems like depression or bipolar or schizophrenia, then that could be the culprit. You just have to learn to compensate - understand the material you are learning in school so you can derive formulas, etc. In college, I figured out to write formulas or dates or whatever I was afraid I would forget, right onto my test booklet as soon as I got it. Then I could proceed to do the exam without worry of forgetting.

Steven asks…

do you find that your memory works less after having children?

I have an exam coming up in accounts for my degree qualification which I am so hoping to pass because i studied like a dog for this exam but im somewhat nervouse. When i think back to my school days, i didnt make much effort to revise for exams but got good grades, but then I had a good enough memory to memories alot of what I had revised and of course that helps and in some cases i found that it was easier to understand a topic rather than memories. After having my kids (2 girls) I am finding myself forgetting the silliest things, or when asked for an idea I think of one and someone else will come up with something alot smarter but simple idea and i start questioning myself why didn't I think of that?!! Is it true that you lose some of your brain cells after having kids? Any advice on how to improve your memory? am only 23 so surely its not age as such!! How does the mind work, may be if I try to understand my mind I will have the answer to my questions? Is there a book that can help?
my girls are at the age of 4 years old and 10 month old. May daily routine is morning, get me and kids ready (partner/dad already at work), nursery, work, pick them up, wait for partner, uni at night (3 times a wk), come home partner done washing up feeding etc, spend time abit, get things ready for the next day. weekend i spend my tim e purely on my girls and when in bed thats when I revise, also one day a wk I have driving lesson my god am still alive. My partner/ daddy does help alot with house work bless him

admin answers:

Memory can actually improve with age.
There is more experiences and knowledge to anchor new data to. You may have collected good memory joggers like lists, diary notes, e-calendar alerts, asking kin to remind you, retracing your steps, etc----essentially having a system to keep you on track.
My secret to a good memory technique is to: turbo the interest in a subject because enthusiam intensifies the power of the memory; refresh/review the ideas ASAP after study (same day, same week, same month, cue cards, posters...); share the ideas with talk or robust debate; be relaxed, be alert and minimising interruptions or distractions at the time of receiving the data. And of course, repetition.
Anxiety over time pressure, fatigue, and noise will weaken memory efficieny.
Good blood circulation brings more oxygen to the brain, and sufficient hydration and adequate nutrition (omega fats ) all help to keep the brain and memory working very well.

Also if you memorise random things using a zany as possilbe "storyline" in your head, chances you will remember it better. E.g. Cat toy, shoe, chocolate coin >>> the blinking cat toy ran away with the shoe to go treasure hunting for chocolate coins.
Hope this helps.

Donna asks…

How to improve muscle memory for dancing?

I really want to major in musical theater, and know that the vocal audition won't be my problem. I have very little dance training, and definitely plan to take some more dance classes. I've heard from other MT majors that if you show in the dance audition that you're motivated, willing to work, energetic, and trainable, you have a good chance of being accepted even if your dancing isn't the greatest. I think I fit all of these except maybe TRAINABLE.

I've never been strong in sports, and was one of the weakest soccer players when I played as a kid. And I was in marching band for all 4 years of HS and it took me 3 or 4 years to become a solid marcher. For most kids, it took anywhere from a few months to 2 years. In other word, I've never been strong with learning physical movements. If you're familiar with the multiple intelligences, I'm linguistically and musically intelligent, but don't have body-kinesthetic intelligence.

Can anyone suggest anything, in addition to just more dance classes, to improve my ability to learn dance routines? Thanks!

admin answers:

Muscle memory is EXTREMELY important, and as everybody above me has said just PRACTICE. The more you do something the more your body recognizes it and it becomes natural. However, make sure that you are practicing correctly and not taking short cuts, your body will recognize the good positions but also the bad positions.

Dancing relies a lot on muscle memory, but just to add a little bit of extra advice, I would suggest just working on your mental state too. Basically, make sure you keep an open mind about dance- try everything and anything and just go for it. Your choreographer might ask for the stupidest thing, but he/she expects you to just do your best. Even if you have no idea what you're doing, be confident and step up to the front of the room. No matter how suck-ish you may be (or even if you don't know the combination), your confidence and ease will be apparent to everyone, and it's very important for dancers to have energy and a can-do approach to their choreography. Also, work on just having fun!
People who give everything their all and stay optimistic (no matter how down you may be) are always noticed. Never, ever let yourself feel defeated, and don't even think about the people dancing around you (if there are people dancing around you). Just focus on dancing your best. Performance and grace triumphs over technique any day (though muscle memory and technique are important too).

I hope this helped! Sorry if I added extra stuff you weren't asking for- I'm a little crazy about dance :)
Well, good luck on your auditions! Break a leg!

Maria asks…

Memory .... can you improve capacity/increase your ability to memorize faster?

My memory was great when I was a kid. Now though it seems like im forgetting everything. I am currently 19 and am starting college for vet tech may 15th. My memory used to be very very very good but now it seems like i can barely remember alot of terms and names and ages and what now even from like hours ago. (I dont smoke weed, Social drinking (rarely), dont smoke but do listen to alot of music and sometimes loud, I do research alot and like to do what i call theretoical engineering? Its like theretiocally thinking up designs that most cant fathom also i like to think deep about things such as religion what is god how did we get here what happens when we die etc)

My questions are a few.
Is there a way to "program" your mind to think like a sevant? has there been any studys on "installing" i guess is what im asking i know there is a section of the brain that works similar to how a wireless router and wireless router card would to direct information to go to and from the computer sort of like a narrow bridge. URLs are appreciated.

The other questions are any explanation on why this is happening to me? How to increase my mental capacity? is there a way to get your mind "fit" to be smarter (i never was really good in school, ocd, adhd) and make it so you can memorize faster and easier?

admin answers:

Use your OCD to memorize. After you read something or see something, say it back to yourself 100 times. Then 3 months later it comes back to you in a thought, repeat it again 30 times. So, use your OCD and ADHD to better yourself. Other ways to remember is: the name jeff, think of something that makes you think of his name, I thought of Jef peanut butter, etc.. Also, buy some books on this.

Carol asks…

How can I improve my driving memory?

I have a very hard time remembering how to get places. It frustrates most of the people in my life because I get lost constantly. My directional memory is seriously splotchy and most of the time I remember things in a jumbled mess rather than from point to point like I would need if navigating somewhere or giving directions. My family, even my young kids, can all remember locations and how to get places on the spot even if they only went once. The only time I can remember directions if I walked to the place in question, then I remember it all photographically no matter how complex the route was.

What can I do to specifically improve my *driving* directional memory?
Already have a GPS unit. In the event I don't have it with me, I don't want to have to be handicapped. I want to improve my built in ability to find my way around while driving.

admin answers:

Get a gps.
I have thesame problem
but i tried drawing out the map and street names of the streets near and around majorplaces i travel to. Then check it with a map and try and get as much of it down by memory.
Hope it helps!

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