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How to Think Better
Use it or lose it isn't just a slogan, it's the way your brain
works. Here are some easy steps to improve
your memory, reading skills and process information more
efficiently.
Steps
1
Improve your memory. Ancient Greek bards recited 10,000-line
poems by heart. Their secret? The
Method of Loci:
To remember a shopping list, imagine walking to the store.
Use items on your list to construct incongruous visual images
along the way, such as a carton of milk
perched atop a mailbox or bananas growing on a rosebush.
When you arrive at the store, mentally retrace your imagined
steps to retrieve all the items on your list.
2
Abbreviate. Rewrite your notes in an abbreviated form with a
word or phrase that is easier to rememberthan an entire
paragraph.
Review the word or phrase rather than the entire paragraph.
Review a list of tasks each morning for the day ahead. Daily
participation will improve the skill.
Rewrite and update your list as needed. Associate similar ideas
together.
The act of rewriting is also a skill of memorization.
3
Improve your reading skills. Speed-reading courses preach a form
of skimming, but that doesn't always
improve comprehension or retention. Pump up the pace by reading
for pleasure:
In a 2001 study, subjects who read assigned texts improved speed
by 18 percent and comprehension by
11 percent.
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Those who read texts of their own choosing improved speed by 87
percent and comprehension by 33
percent.
4
Think out loud.
Ever notice how kids narrate what they're doing? "Just one more
Lego and my fortress is complete!"
The book Mind Hacks, written by Tom Stafford and Matt Webb,
calls this "self-instruction."
According to a researcher at the University of Maryland,
language helps us to process multiple strands of
information more efficiently.
So go ahead and talk to yourself, but ignore the funny looks you
get. Your results will speak for
themselves.
Tips
Be patient. Take the time to incorporate these skills into your
daily life. A good memory can relieve the
stress of your day in many ways.
Be optimistic. You can do things well with that.
Making Brainpower Fun
1
Take risks with your brain. Have you become a Scrabble master,
able toss out 40-point words even when
your rack looks like EEIOAUC? Fine, congratulations. Now go
become a Sudoku master. When you reach
that goal, move on. Become a Go master, or chess expert.
Once you become good at a particular skill, your brain stops
working as hard. It doesn't expend the
resources, or trigger that dopamine rush that helps make you
smarter. Feel free to continue to wallop
the competition in Scrabble, but keep finding new "brain games"
to explore.
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2
Play logic/strategy games. In 2008, scientists Susanne Jaeggi
and Martin Buschkuehl devised a method
that would increase "fluid intelligence"the ability to draw
connections between things, solve
problems, and adapt to new situations. By having test subjects
pay attention to two different streams of
information, they found they exhibited a significant gain in
reasoning abilities.
3
Play video games. Games can be a great way to stimulate the
brain. Try to play a game that is out of
your usual range of choices. It will help you think differently.
Especially look for games that provide you
with problems to solve or force you to think quickly.
Scientific studies have shown that playing the popular game
Tetris leads to more efficient brain activity;
as players become more proficient at the game, their brains show
a reduced consumption of glucose
(the body's main fuel). The conclusions of this study point out
that glucose consumption is reduced
when learning has taken place. This would be expected as when a
person becomes more proficient in
any activity, the effort required decreases.
When playing first person shooter games, try to get into the
atmosphere, look at details, think every
move as if it were real. This way you don't mindlessly finish
the game, and you stimulate the brain to
think more than just using reflexive actions.
4
Work on challenging your brain in new ways. Try cryptology, for
example. This is when a message is
written in codes and you try to figure it out. It's challenging
for some, but after a while may even
become enjoyable. All logic puzzles are great.
Do logic and lateral thinking puzzles. These help you explore
new areas, and solve problems in different
ways.
Practice crosswords and sudoku. These activities stimulate your
mind and thought processes. People
may not normally consider word searches thought-provoking, but
if practiced in addition to other mind
games, they could prove to be easy and stimulating.
