9 tactics to build a stronger mind | Lisa Genova
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- čas přidán 10. 05. 2024
- Stress shrinks your brain. Neuroscientist Lisa Genova explains how to strengthen it.
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It may not feel like it when you can't find your phone or "lose" your sunglasses sitting atop your head, but your memory is an amazing ability -- and one we want to protect. So it's little wonder that any blips or blank spaces can send us spiraling into concern.
Some recall issues here and there are normal, says neuroscientist and author Lisa Genova, and not every lapse means looming problems. (And don't worry, forgetting names is a surprisingly tough thing for our brains to do!) But, Genova says, there's ways we can improve our memory, increase resilience and recall and be more comfortable with ourselves and our minds.
From making lists and getting Google's help to giving yourself a pop quiz, getting some meditation in, and just plain paying attention, these tips will have your steel trap gleaming.
Read the video transcript ► bigthink.com/series/the-big-t...
0:00 Introducing the problem
1:19 #1: Practice paying attention
1:45: #2: Bulk up your hippocampus
3:18 A 9-second meditation you can try
3:59 #3 Secure your sleep
5:14 #4 Drink caffeine
5:36 #5 Create associations (the Baker-Baker Paradox)
6:36 #6 Repetition
7:14 #7 Write it down
8:03 #8 Self-testing
8:31 #9 Just Google it
9:14 Forgetting is human
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About Lisa Genova:
Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Every Note Played. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She travels worldwide speaking about the neurological diseases she writes about and has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Today, PBS NewsHour, CNN, and NPR. Her TED talk, “What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s,” has been viewed more than five million times. The New York Times bestseller REMEMBER is her first work of nonfiction.
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A lot of things in life are worth forgetting, you would go mad if you remembered everything... Forgetting is your brains way of preventing you from going mad. Simplify your life and there will be more room to keep things in there.
I really like what you said. Can you please give me some tips on how to simplify life? Thank You.
@@Maro-ul6pg Well I don't know your life circumstances, it really depends on where you are on the journey of the essential. like how hard is it for you to get rid of possessions that you haven't used in the last 6 months to a year. Not needing a lot of money to be content is probably the biggest one, eg. if your not having to pay rent then you don't have to work all the time leaving space for other thing even if thats doing nothing. Little thing like I was able to get rid of using shampoo and conditioner and just use soap after I started shaving my head. I knew 2 years before that I would be moving into a very small space which gave me time to gradually get rid of what wasn't important....Little steps all the time worked for me.
You are right , but this video is for school students.
@@sachinsanjay2800 even for school student it's not necessary to remeber the name of your uncles or movie names or actor tik toker name.... Just store very important data in your brain like your gf name or study ... That's it
What about someone who’s being hurt and traumatized for a very long time, lets say 10 years. Is the brain going to forget all the trauma?
"Our brains are not design to remember people's name" : thank you, just good ol' thank you from the heart :)
😭😭😭
I @@wSn2024
I have been employing all these tactics in my daily life for last 2 to 3 years so I can attest that these works . Very Beneficial.
Was it 2 or 3 years? 😉
@@chanceschimel5675 hahahahaha good one!
@@qwertyxcv i don’t think you need this vid to KNOW how to build your mimd broddie
3 hours of spending time in Big Think now I want to be alive
Dude, so true !!!
Big Key terms that grabbed my attention:
-Our minds process visual information differently than it does of words.
-engage in analogy (we memorize more effectively when it closely associates with ourselves, connections, and experiences)
-engage in creative relaxation (avoid stress)
-say it out loud
-journal it down; write what you see valuable or essential
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:29 Forgetfulness *is normal; don't blame yourself. Strengthening memory requires attention, crucial for forming lasting memories.*
01:41 Chronic *stress harms memory by shrinking the hippocampus. Combat stress with activities like yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and exercise.*
03:18 Quick *meditation restores cortisol levels and supports memory. Adequate sleep is essential; it aids attention and consolidates information into lasting memories.*
05:26 Caffeine *boosts attention and, in moderation, benefits memory. Association and repetition help remember abstract concepts like names.*
06:56 Repeating *and writing down memories strengthen neural connections. Prospective memory can be aided by lists and reminders.*
08:27 Self-testing, *recalling information, reinforces memory. Looking up words on the tip of your tongue is not cheating; it enhances learning.*
09:33 Embrace *the imperfection of human memory; supply it with the right information and tools. Forgetting is a normal part of being human.*
I LOVE this video series. Soo well executed. No air of condescension. Explained concisely. Title is quickly understood. Delivers what it says. Always leave out feeling a bit more knowledgeable. Well done, Big Think. Thank you.
- pay attention (focus on things you do)
- fight stress (by meditation, yoga, exercise)
- 9 sec of meditation (close eyes, breath thru nose, hold 3 sec, then breath in and out)
- enough sleep (affect frontal lobe (attention) and hippocampus (mempry retrieval))
- drink caffeine (helps to focus)
- create associations (one word associates with infos / interlinking with others)
- repetition (writing a journal, to do list)
- self-testing (recall info)
- google it (free up mind space)
small correction: 9 sec meditation is part of "fight stress". number 7 is "write it down".
I really love the easy simple 9 second meditation at 3:18 in this video. I felt the difference right away, which is amazing and super helpful and can be used almost anywhere and anytime. This meditation is even for those who say they tried meditation and it didn't work or they fell asleep because they meditated while lying down. By the way I've studied and practiced 3 super advanced meditations over the past 30 years and always get benefits. I felt a benefit from the 9 second meditation in this video.
Super easy to do and fun to boot. 💫💥💫
Me too
I second. I actually felt the immediate effect
Thanks for creating and posting this. From someone who constantly fears dementia, struggling lifelong with attention and memory problems, the video was enormously reassuring, practical and hope-inducing. ❤
It's so reassuring to know that we're not somehow "defective" just because we don't remember every single thing we ever saw, heard, or read! Thanks!
This is really helpful: straightforward, comprehensive, reassuring, liberating, and clear. Thanks for sharing!
This is one of my favorite videos. Thank you, Dr. Lisa Genova for meeting us at our level and focusing on practical knowledge. Although you have a PhD from Harvard, you don't make your 'doctorhood' an issue. If only the other teachers and experts were like you, we would be so much better educated.
I find reading Taoist text and practice Taichi are wonderful for reducing anxiety and improve sleeping quality!! It also improved my efficiency at memory and work!! Now I got the scientific evidence for these improvement!! Love this video!! Thank you so much for sharing this!!
I can’t thank you enough for posting these precious videos! Keep on Big Thinkers 👍🏼
Yeah I could use a little of this. Thanks for this video! We can do more with our memory than we think.
Simple and effective tactics, very helpful. We tend to think we need grand overhauls of our lives to change ourselves, but always comes back to the basics
just checked out your channel
*Congratulations you have your 118th subscriber Taddaaa!!!!*
Well my brain made paying attention to the 'paying attention' bit hard, but when I sorted myself out I realised how engaging Lisa is and all the useful little tips in the video. Thanks for sharing :)
Wow mind blown by this woman's inteliggence. YOu can clearly hear she knows her stuff. Learned so much in this video and it's tricks you can start NOW. Great video Big Think!
I love Neuroscience 😍 This are the kind of things I already been thinking. I can't wait to become Neuroscientist.
I really appreciated this as I was recently professionally diagnosed with early stage dementia!
Thanks for this contribution , I appreciate , heroically .
Great compilation of all the things lying around about memory.
Thanks a lot. It answers many of my questions and helps me understand how our memory works and how to help it.
As someone who was diagnosed with ADHD at 38 and getting the right treatment, it's been a rollercoaster to rediscover the memories that I had no idea I remembered. In fact it was the executive working memory issues at work 4 years ago that led to my ADHD diagnosis as well as other mental health issues. Since then my life has turned upside down or rather from down to upside.
How did you do it? Just been diagnosed with ADHD
Interested to hear how you managed to remember the old memories
@@iammimirobin
How did I get diagnosed?
Is that what you are asking?
@AccessDenied85
Interesting. That's like hating the colour of your hair or the shape of your eyes.
@@circassianlondoner more about the memories, what did you do to remeber them? Anything in special?
She has such a clear way of explaining. Great speaker and presenter
She sounds slightly drunk.
One of y'alls best, thanks!
Try to pause the breath for 4 seconds tho... at the 'top and bottom' of the breathing cycle. Circular ⭕
Thank you for this!! I’ll be listening again and again. 💫
Again and again? You would think you’d remember whats in it after a single watch if you use the information the video gave you!
Jessie will be applying repition =)
I looked through the time stamps of this video and found myself better in almost all of them.
Damn way back in 2010-ish I read a book called "Still Alice" authored by Lisa Genova.. and after all these years i finally come across this video. Talk about being down the memory lane!
@Kleiner Definitely!
Repetition is the core on studying and remembering things, since the beginning as a child.........we learn and stick to things by remembering them because of repetitions we do with those stuff...and what's fun isqe don't know we are doing it, IF we enjoy it doing
Learning thing in the childhood is the most efficient way , As for me , I am 18 years old, I learn thing too slowly and I always forget what I learn and the clause make me feel trouble into learning thing, but hopefully, wish me past the test in few months after
Repetition is the widely practiced method for memorization of points usually for short term recall purposes, as with materials which may be included on a test or lines of dialog to be recited when performing in a play or simply giving a speech before an audience. While repetition in and of itself can ingrain information in the mind to a point, it doesn't provide any assurance that the information can be readily accessed at the appropriate time, for any number of reasons. By incorporating mnemonics or any other methods developed to improve information retention and recovery in the shortest time possible for longer periods of memory, I suggest 6 oz. pure peanut butter daily and blind karaoke for a minimum 45 minutes a day of a song chosen by someone else that you can only listen to twice before finding the karaoke version online and singing the lyrics to the best of your recollection without looking at the screen as you record the entire thing. You never knew what you were capable of forgetting to remember until you don't.
Once again an amazingly informative and lovely made video of yours!
I can't thank you enough because I've been doubting myself all the time as I forget lots of stuff
I love this woman. I repeat this video numerous times now, thabk you❤
What an amazing video !! You guys have built a really great channel !
Loved the video. Made me sad to remember James Gandolfini. He wont be forgotten.
Great video! The part about chronic stress shrinking our hippocampus, the memory-making machine of our brain, was eye-opening. Stress isn't just a bad feeling; it's a neurochemical tornado wreaking havoc in our brain.
Fun fact: while the video mentions that yoga, meditation, and exercise can combat stress, studies show that dark chocolate also reduces cortisol levels! So, you can fight stress one tasty bite at a time.
Oh guys I like your videos so much. The content is mind-blowing but other than that, such a pleasure for my eyes. Every video feels like a cinematographic masterpiece 😻
Speaking of getting enough sleep:
Keep a dream journal. Not only will this help you remember your dreams (and can help you lucid dream) but it improves your memory overall
I decided to do just that! Because I couldn’t remember my dreams and got jealous cause my friends can. But when I went to write I was stumped. I started to scrapbook instead because I found that I can picture vague memories better than I can explain them in words. I now have a scrapbook dream journal.
@@nelliesmith5699 a scrapbook dream journal sounds very cool, good idea!
Thank you for the helpful content 👏
If I have to pay attention to something someone is saying, I visualize the words they say as text in my mind's eye, and that seems to help. Oddly enough, this has always been light green on a dark grey background for me, even back to childhood in the 70's before I actually used a computer. I guess those old terminals in TV shows had a profound impact on how I think 🙂
thankyou for this helpful video that i will forget in 3 days.
Omg i am feeling veryI'm feeling very identified with this video, and I recognize that these steps make sense.
Absolutely loved this video
I used googling to memorize new english vocabularies. It makes a profound impact on my progress.
great episode, lovely tips, definitely gonna use it!
Thank you so much for this video
Great video. Nice tip to remind us to write things down
Meditation and writing things down gonna be my tools to improve memory.
Totally agree with these tactics Big Think!
"It's wildly imperfect. Forgetting is a normal part of being human. "
Just needed to hear that.
Thank you for this episode ❤❤❤❤
This is the very best series on CZcams 🌈🔮💕👍😊
thank you for this!
Thank you for posting
'Just google it.' I completely agree. I see it as keeping extraneous data on the 'server' to conserve local storage for the critical stuff. Local storage being 'the brain.'
Today I learn very important thing that is pay attention where it's needed
Eg study
Not to pay attention
Eg:- social media, celebrities and small things in daily life.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH THIS WILL HELP! LOVE
I found for memories it’s best to keep lots of photos in your household
Very helpful and informative. Thank you Lisa.
10 Take a home message:
1. Introduction to memory and forgetting:
- Forgetting is a normal part of being human, with 99% of forgetting being considered normal.
- Attention is essential to reinforce memories, as paying attention to information helps form memories.
2. Impact of chronic stress on memory:
- Chronic stress is detrimental to memory and can hinder memory formation.
- Stress hormones can shrink the hippocampus, a crucial region for forming conscious memories.
3. Coping with stress for better memory:
- Combatting stress through practices like yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and exercise can help restore the hippocampus and address memory issues caused by chronic stress.
- A simple nine-second meditation can reduce cortisol levels and promote a sense of safety, benefiting memory.
4. Importance of sleep for memory:
- Getting enough sleep is vital for memory consolidation and the ability to form new memories.
- Lack of sleep can impair attention and memory recall.
- Memory is a biological process with important brain activities occurring during sleep.
5. Effect of caffeine on memory:
- Caffeine can be beneficial for memory as it increases attention but should be used carefully to avoid compromising sleep.
6. Enhancing memory through associations and repetition:
- Abstract concepts like names can be challenging to remember, but creating more associations with the information can enhance memory.
- Repetition is key to strengthening memories, and writing things down in a journal can reinforce and help recall important information.
7. Using external aids to improve memory:
- Using external aids like to-do lists and checklists can improve prospective memory and ensure important tasks are remembered.
8. Memory consolidation techniques:
- Self-testing, recalling information, and engaging in two-way neural pathways can strengthen and consolidate memories.
9. Normal memory retrieval glitches:
- Having a word on the tip of your tongue is a normal memory retrieval glitch.
- Looking up information online doesn't weaken memory but helps free up cognitive resources.
10. The remarkable but imperfect nature of human memory:
- The human memory is remarkable and capable of remembering vast amounts of information with the right tools and associations.
- However, it is also imperfect, which is a natural aspect of having a human brain.
One of the best video you made ❤
Thank you for making this video
I agree that the act of forgetting is normal and crucial in our memory.. if not, we will freshly remember every bad thing in our life as if it happened yesterday..
Prayer, sun, socialization, hobbies, healthy eating
Simple Technique everyone can use, personally my favorite way to help protect your memory is Playing Video Games it take pretty good memory to remember movesets to different characters.
This was a great video.
Thank you ☺️
Here are 9 tactics to help build a stronger mind:
Exercise regularly: Physical activity helps improve brain function, mood and reduces stress levels.
Get enough sleep: Sleep is important for both physical and mental recovery and helps maintain cognitive function.
Practice mindfulness and meditation: These activities help reduce stress and increase awareness and focus.
Learn something new: Engaging in new and challenging activities can improve cognitive function and prevent boredom.
Connect with others: Strong relationships and social support are important for mental health and well-being.
Challenge negative thoughts: Identifying and challenging negative thoughts can help improve mood and reduce stress levels.
Maintain a healthy diet: Eating a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients is important for physical and mental well-being.
Find purpose and meaning: Engaging in activities that align with personal values and beliefs can improve overall well-being.
Take care of physical health: Regular check-ups, managing chronic conditions, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can improve overall well-being.
This is a great video for all humans. Fundamental
As good as these are it doesn’t get into the ultimate understanding of why we forget. Simply we forget something because the brain retains information we see as important or crucial to keep. If it’s something just at a moments notice we tend to overlook it as important and can easily forget something. Best practices would be mindfulness and repeating what can help out. Also what I take away from here can be alternatives. Yoga simply doesn’t help with anything that exercise cannot. It is more a connectivity of yourself in the moment and can be replaced with exercise but only done properly from a mind to muscle connectivity. The breathing exercise isn’t really your mind feeling safe but taking in your surroundings all while being aware of what’s going on around you. Also caffeine really isn’t needed for everyone and if needed it is very minimal and shouldn’t be taken to excess as it causes anxiety and can be more damaging mentally than beneficial. Writing down can be made into texting or relaying a message or something of that sort. Googling should best be interpreted as research as we all don’t have the answers to everything nor knowledge on everything we think we know so double checking or actually concluding your thought on the subject is crucial in gaining knowledge and expanding more on the subject, it has nothing to do with memory.
A great video although simplistic in its execution a good reference to help those who are not mindful of everything
Thank you miss
Couldn't remember the name of the actor who played Tony Soprano either, so this distraction took me away from this video until I looked it up (James Gandolfini).
i got wrapped up in the idea of "memory palaces", after seeing it
portrayed as being the root of most of the deductive detective ability
of the mentalist on the show The Mentalist, until i figured out that
they were seemingly functionally useless for "knowing" what you
remember.
the only way i believe this knowledge of remembering is obtained, is
through "spaced repetition", or more fundamentally as explained in this
video, simply taking the time to consciously think about something as to ensure that you formed a memory at all of that thing, as opposed to
very inattentively going about the motions.
@Your Mama well i personally believe that while memory palaces can definitely be a tool to associate memories, i think that you only successfully obtain the palace association through spaced repetition of reminding yourself where what is in your memory palace, or, "knowing" where it is, which i'm almost certain from personal experience is only obtained through reminding yourself through spaced reptition until the memory becomes naturally accessible.
Thank you!.
I practice what I call " free writing" to train my brain.for example, I'll think of random words I remember in foerign lanuages and randomly write it down on the page as it comes to mind, write words I know that start with the letter B in my own language, pick a word like train & write whatever is similar/related to trains and comes to mind. It teains the brain to retrieve info faster and also shows you what your brain has in relation to certain memories. For example I might hear the name "maria" and the song by Carlos Santana comes to.mind & plays in my head. That menns the memory of that word/name is stored near or with the memory of the song by carlos Santana. Hope that makes sense lol it's also fun when your bored just sitting there writing down aimlessly.
thanks dr
"Your brain will never remember what you don't pay attention to."
Psilocybin and LSD catalyze nuerogenesis more than anything. Support that with lions mane and niacin. Use her breathing technique, but add two phases, also 4 count, of holding, and keeping distended. While holding focus on the program you are installing, exhale and hold while letting go of whatever needs to go.
I loved This 🙏🏾🙏🏽🙏🏿 Thank U
now I need to remember how to remember
I like the idea of Googling string theory.
Wow amazing ❤thanks a lot
Thanks, great video
thank you so much for this informations
thanks for sharing
Getting good sleep is very important, not just for remembering, but for productivity. Regardless of your preferred productivity method. if you don't get quality sleep, you won't be productive.
All of this requires time and energy... The real answer is providing the brain enough resources to function at the best of its ability.
Nutrition and rest and exercise.
Thankyou Lisa 😅
Very beneficial..thank you
First time knowing that stress is meant to be an acute thing. I never knew that i was living with it😀
Great video thanks!
I don't understand why they put the background up only to never use it to create the illusion of the person being in an empty room.
Its like showing a glimpse pf bts and the actual video. But it definitely is annoying. Either you have a bigger screen without the stand or don't have a screen at all.
So, the baker-baker paradox, was that helped in several places when the person's occupational name actually applied to their occupation (Travis, Tyler, Smith, Baker, etc.) or attributes (like Strong)? That by having an attribute or profession they were actually named after helped people with remembering the person's name?
love how when chronic stress is mentioned there`s a miniclip showing a human infant
I love the presentation but some information is missing, They say (it is easier said than done?) the presentation is good but implementation is the problem now. There is a lot to be learned about your brain. It is even more powerful than we all know.
The video in short:
1. Pay attention to things you want to remember- you can't remember a memory you didn't form (when you don't pay attention, your brain doesn't count the thing as significant and doesn't form a long lasting memory)
2. Manage stress- stress hormones are bad for memory. Reduce stress via things like yoga and meditation (quick meditation instructions at 3:15 )
3. Sleep enough- both physically and psychologically your body does good stuff while you sleep. If you don't sleep well enough or long enough, your focus will suffer. Bad focus = not forming memories well enough. Also, during sleep our memories solidify.
4. Caffeine- it's an attention booster, therefore a memory forming booster. Moderate caffeine intake so that it doesn't interfere with your sleep quality and quantity.
5. Associations- remembering the name Baker is hard. Imagining the person as a literal baker, then thinking about the bakery you loved as a child, will certainly make it easier to remember that this person's name is Baker. Associations help you form "more than one road" reaching the memory in question.
6. Repeat- the more we repeat something in any way whatsoever, the stronger the memory of it becomes. Example: listen to a word 1 time- weak memory; listen to a word 5 times, write it down 5 times and read it another 5 times- strong memory)
7. Writing stuff down isn't cheating, it's normal and beneficial for our productivity (also imo when you write it down you remember it better and might not need to read it to remember it later)
8. Test yourself- not only try to form a memory, try to recall it as well, in order to solidify it. When you learn something, practice recalling it several times to strengthen the "road" to that memory.
9. Just google it- forgetting a word isn't the end of the world, it's normal, just google it and go on with your day without stressing.
10. dw- forgetting stuff is normal. no one remembers everything. our memory is imperfect. chillax. (tip from me: if you are concerned about your brain health and memory so much, simply consult a doctor instead of watching yt or googling ur symptoms)
I 'ave adhd, stress is my middle name, I forget stuff on steroids, and meditation, yes, I love meditation, I often "think" about doing it
I need this since i smoke🍃
Fantastic tips.