Have you left home and have forgotten to take the keys? Do you need to call a family member and you don't know where you left your mobile? Do you have to enter a platform and do not remember the password you entered? It is relatively normal that, as we get older, we forget memories or tasks to be carried out more frequently than normal. Science has shown that memory can be trained in order to avoid “mental blackouts”. Practicing memory games for adults, sleeping and resting correctly, applying mnemonic rules or having a good diet are key to strengthening memory and keeping our brain agile.
Now we know that there is also a method to remember things and prevent possible forgetfulness. Two neurologists have recently developed the so-called Four method to avoid memory lapses and remember the most important things.
The neurologists Andrew Budson and Elizabeth Kensinger detail in The Harvard Gazette how the Four method is based on "four critical steps" that has any memorization process that requires information encoding in —forgive the redundancy— memory. These four steps are based on the verbs focus, organize, understand and relate.
When you receive information, at first, you focus your attention on the information received. Next, you organize the information in your brain, then you understand it, and then the brain relates it to something it has previously known. By following this method, it will be possible to avoid mental blackouts and strengthen our memory to remember everything that we cannot forget.
In addition to following the Four method and investing effort in creating the memory of each action, for these neurologists there is an aspect of our life that decisively affects our memory and that is in our hands: sleep. “When it comes to storing information for long-term access, getting enough sleep is one of the most important things we can do,” confirms neurologist Kesinger.
In addition to sleeping eight hours a day and having a restful sleep, special emphasis must be placed on maintaining a healthy and balanced diet as well as physical exercise to keep the brain stimulated.
They also ensure that it is essential to pay attention and concentrate on the task that is being carried out and avoid performing several simultaneously so that the brain is aware and remembers the action that is being carried out.
