Below are the 3 most recent journal entries recorded in jibsailor75's InsaneJournal:

Monday, August 1st, 2011
4:12 pm	Better Concentration Can Improve Your Memory Imagine the following scenario.  You are sitting at home trying to prepare for an important test for your anatomy class, and your roommate is on the phone chatting away, the radio is on, and there is a party in the room next door.  You are trying your best to learn the names of all of the muscles in the body, but all of the distractions are keeping you from learning even ten of them.  Unfortunately, you have just experienced one of the biggest barriers to memory, which are distractions and the inability to concentrate.  The key to  eliminating this frustration is to remember that if you improve concentration, memory will follow.  Easier said than done, right?  Well, luckily there are some great tips to improve concentration and memory that you can easily put to work for you.  One of the first things I recommend is probably a little obvious, but many people fail to realize how important it really is.  You need to find a quiet place, free from distractions, that you can go and study or work.  You’d be amazed at how much more efficiently your brain will soak up the info you’re reading if it isn’t being distracted by external “noise.”  Some ideas for a place to go include a library, a shady tree in a park, or even a café if you are sure that friends won’t be coming in and out all day.  This is one of the best things you can do to improve you memory and your study skills right off the bat. Another big source of distractions are those of the electronic variety.  They include the old classics like TV’s, radios, and phones.  Of course there are the newer annoyances like mobile phones, text messages, and e-mail.  Here’s a good technique that is sure to improve concentration and memory.  Turn off your cell phone, or at least mute the ring.  Promise yourself that you will return all calls and texts later when you are finished studying.  That brings me to the other big hindrance to concentration.  Many of us now do virtually all of our work or studying on a computer.  It was designed to make our lives easier, but quite often, provides us with a ton of new distractions.  Some of these include e-mail, Facebook, MySpace, online news and video, and many others.  All of these things are great, but you have to set aside a specific time to enjoy these diversions and don’t let them interrupt your study and work time.  My own strategy here is to allow myself 15 minutes to check e-mail and Facebook every morning before I get to work, then I don’t let myself get interrupted with it again until all of my work is finished.  I’ve found that this is quite an effective way for me to improve concentration, and I get a lot more done and have more time for fun stuff than I did before. So, if you have found that the multitude of distractions around you are hurting your ability to remember important stuff, just try to use some of the tips I’ve mentioned here to help you eliminate some of these distractions.  Keep in mind this old adage, improve concentration, improve memory.  You’ll be sure to notice big improvements in your ability to commit material to your long-term memory when you eliminate some of these annoying distractions that keep coming at you. Current Mood: accomplished
Thursday, June 16th, 2011
11:36 am	Foods For Powerful Memory Lots of folks aren't cognizant that behavior is one of the biggest factors that affects memory. Choices we make on a daily basis can either help, or harm our memory function. Memorizing items like a "to-do" list is an illustration of a short-term memory function. We use this function daily, and with a few tips, can make certain the best performance of our quick recall by how well we take care of our body. By eating what I like to call "memory foods," we can ensure the healthy ingestion of good vitamins for proper brain function. Antioxidants have been publicized a lot lately and everyone is sure to have heard about their benefits. It appears that all of that positive attention is based on some reasonably good science. There are millions upon millions of cells in our bodies, and they are the basic building block of our systems and organs. Any time the cells are are damaged, it can adversely affect the way a system or organ functions. Consuming antioxidants seems to help construct a protective shield around many of our cells, guarding from attack from free radicals. Eliminating free radicals in the body has been shown to guard against cancer. Cells in the brain are particularly at risk from free radicals, so the more antioxidants you take in, the more protected your brain cells will be. One of the easiest ways to make sure you're getting plenty of antioxidants is by eating lots of fruits and vegetables, which are great foods for memory power. There seem to be several foods out there that are even more packed with the nutrient. Blueberries are likely the best source of antioxidants, as well as cranberries, cherries, and apples. Eating legumes will give you a good helping of antioxidants too. If you like beans, try adding kidney, black, or reds to your diet. Red bell peppers, leafy greens, and broccoli are all excellent sources from the vegetable family. Your parents advice still holds true today. Eat your fruits and veggies! Choline is another nutrient that has been shown to be a boost to brain health. It is known to be an essential ingredient in the production of neurotransmitters. Your liver will benefit from choline consumption too, by blocking fat deposits. Eating a combination of vitamin C & E is now believed to be beneficial in Alzheimer's prevention. An excerpt from an article in the Archives of Neurology states, "Vitamins C and E might slow down the underlying pathogenesis of this disease." If true, this is fantastic news as Alzheimer's still has no cure and afflicts over 300,000 individuals in the United States, and is the seventh leading cause of death, according to government statistics. If you like to eat oranges, and other colorful veggies, you'll be getting lots of vitamin C. You can get a serving of vitamin E from sunflower seeds, almonds, and peanuts. You can combine these vitamins by adding some chopped almonds to your spinach salad. Memory foods are good for your whole body. You've heard people say, "you are what you eat," and this is great advice for improving memory and brain power too. Try skipping the potato chips and candy bars, and snack on some nuts or a piece of fruit. Your brain will thank you!
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
9:54 am	Secrets to Memorize Fast, and Retain What You Learned Nearly every individual realizes that they have to successfully memorize or remember things daily. Would you believe that there are millions out there that think their memory is deficient, or that they don't have the ability to memorize fast? Well, just about anyone can make improvements to their memory. For those who know the right tricks, it's easy. Clearing your thoughts is the first step. Without a clear mind, distractions will dull your ability to learn and remember. Take a minute to clear out any distractions out of your surroundings. This is mandatory. Having identified info you need to memorize, try using the technique of mnemonic memorization. It's a system for memorization by using rhymes and word order. By doing this, it is easier to remember. Perhaps you need to remember to get wine on the way home, so you might say "Dine, fine, but not without wine," to help you remember to stop and buy your merlot. Another way to memorize fast is to create a list of letters by abbreviating the sentence you want to remember. Most people have much easier time memorizing things in smaller bits. How many times do you hear people shorten sentences every day? I'll bet you're familiar with the letters "L.O.L." Who doesn't know what that means? Another trick you can use to memorize fast is creating flash cards. Have another person help you, by holding them up quickly, and the moving on. This helps increase your talent in quick recall. As simple as it sounds, this is why we used these techniques as kids. You could alsy try using word association. Try associating related words to the ones you are trying to memorize. Some may say it is actually a process of elimination. Either way, it brings you about face with the facts that you needed to remember. It is a little more time consuming, but try to type a phrase continually 50 times and you will find it efficiently memorized. Try verbalizing what it is thay you are typing or writing. Keep at it until you're sure you have it in your memory. Pretty soon, you will have it stored in your long term memory. Yes, anyone can learn how to memorize fast. The brain is like your biceps, work it out and it will get stronger. Just give a couple of these strategies a try, and it won't be long and you will be amazed at what your brain can do.