Learning to learn: what is the best way to assimilate knowledge?

We study all our lives, from childhood to deep old age. Playing the guitar, new software, raising a child - the human brain constantly absorbs knowledge, however, this happens at different speeds. In childhood, information is absorbed very quickly, but the older we get, the more difficult it is to learn.

Below you will see several ways to help you hack your mind and make it work faster and better.

Maintenance

Like any complex mechanism, the brain requires regular maintenance, and if you don't neglect it, it can handle any task. A few good habits help keep your brain in top condition, so the learning process will be faster and easier.

Go in for sports

I do not trust a single thought that did not come during the movement.

It turns out that exercise is needed not only for a great figure and a healthy body, but also for the brain to function. If he refuses to think, try taking a walk or working out in the gym. Research shows that memory and mental clarity improve after just 15 minutes of exercise.

Meditate

Regular meditation not only relieves stress, but also helps to improve your memory. In addition, concentration skills are developed during meditation, which is very important for the learning process.

More Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

These essential acids restore disturbed nervous processes such as attention, thinking speed and memory. Omega-3 acids are found in abundance in flaxseed oil and walnuts, peanuts and pumpkin seeds. There are many of them in fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, sardine and halibut. No wonder they say that fish helps to think better.

Get enough sleep

In order for the brain to function normally, it is imperative that you get enough sleep. Healthy sleep improves the speed of perception, helps to make healthy judgments, and keeps the brain running fast.

If you repeat the learned material, such as a poem or a lecture, before going to bed, the information will be firmly entrenched in your memory overnight and in the morning you will be fluent in the subject.

Drink water

Scientists from the University of East London have found that drinking water can help you concentrate better and solve complex problems. The results of the experiment, published in the Daily Mail, show that people who are thirsty think more slowly by 14%. So always keep a water bottle handy.

Take a break from your studies

You cannot do only one thing every day - work or study. It is important to periodically be distracted by something else so that the brain sums up and processes the information during this time.

If you decide to have a hobby, choose activities that involve concentration and hand-eye coordination, such as juggling. One study found that juggling has a positive effect on brain function. True, the positive consequences took place immediately after people gave up a new hobby.

Have fun

Laughter is the best way to relax and avoid burnout, especially when you have to learn at an accelerated pace. Laughter has been shown to help you find solutions to problems and be creative.

How to facilitate the process of cognition itself?

Warm up for the brain

Before diving into work, you can have some fun by getting your brain to work along the way. For example, you can mentally choose rhymes for words or solve a simple problem. This warm-up helps to relax and tune in to the perception of more complex things.

Study together

If your training resembles storming a fortress, you can find someone to support. Whether it's a group, club or buddy, it’s easier to focus on the material in a team and make the learning process more organized.

Set up a place

The environment is very important for learning. Ideally, the room should be clean, quiet and fresh, but variety will not hurt. For example, if the weather is fine, you can try to work in the park or in a cozy cafe. The only things that shouldn't be confused are training and bed. Even if it is very comfortable, bed is subconsciously associated with sleep and rest, making it harder for you to concentrate.

Metacognition

Most of the advice on how to improve the learning process revolves around metacognition. This concept can be defined as the art of awareness of one's own consciousness. You evaluate your thinking, your ability to accomplish a task, and goals that are appropriate for this.

You need to distance yourself from the first impression of the material and evaluate how quickly you absorb knowledge, if there are any problems and ways to learn more productively.

Do one thing at a time

Multitasking is a real talent, but unfortunately it reduces work efficiency. If you do several things at the same time, it is impossible to fully concentrate on them, so the time required to solve the problem increases.

Do not be afraid of failure

A group of researchers in Singapore found that people who solve complex math problems without guidance and help were more likely to fail. However, in the process, they found interesting ideas that helped them in the future.

This can be called "productive failure" - when the experience gained in the process of solving, more than once helps in the future. So do not be afraid of mistakes: they will be useful to you.

Check yourself

Don't wait for the last exam - check yourself often or ask a friend to give you a little test. “Productive failure” only works with finding solutions, and if you fail an exam that required rote memorization, it won't help your learning, it will only hinder your learning.

Cut material

Tim Ferris, author of the Quick Start Guide, recommends cutting back as much as possible when memorizing. Try to condense all the information down to one or two pages using abbreviations or rhymes.

It is helpful to supplement your notes with visual elements such as graphs, charts, or maps.

Think about where it can be applied

Very often, when presenting facts and formulas, the scope of their application is overlooked. Dry knowledge is quickly forgotten, and if you want to remember something for a long time, try to find an application for it yourself in real life. Knowing how, where and why to apply facts in real life will securely anchor the information in your memory.

Apply different methods

The more diverse the sources of knowledge are, the more likely it is that they will remain in your memory.

The coordinated work of different areas of the brain improves the perception and retention of information.

For example, it can be reading articles, listening to audio materials, watching videos, writing or retyping by hand, speaking aloud. Above all, don't do everything at the same time.

Link to existing knowledge

Mentally linking your knowledge to what you’ve learned will help you learn faster and more effectively. Don't leave knowledge alone - build it into the big picture of the world that is in your brain.

You will succeed

Be confident in yourself and know that you will succeed. Not only because it is true, but also because belief in the power of your intellect actually increases it.