Train Your Brain to Learn Faster with These 4 Tips!
Learning new things is important in every stages of life, especially in this age of technology, where there is near limitless access to information. In many cases, the information is literally on the tip of the fingers. This in turn, for better or worse, increase the standard for students and professionals everywhere. You will be expected to learn new skills and absorb new information quickly to keep up with the dynamic environment. Just like how you go to the gym to train your body, there are ways to condition the brain so that it can work more efficiently. Whether you want to acquire new skills or pick up new language, or simply keep up with the current news, here are several ways to train your brain to learn faster.
Plenty of sleep, nutrition, and exercise
“Healthy mind in a healthy body” is a famous saying that certainly rings true. After all, your overall body condition also affects the overall working of your brain. For example, sleep deprivation can cause a significant decrease in your attention span and alertness, as a good night sleep plays a crucial part in consolidating long-term memory. Moving your body for around 20 minutes with a regular cardio exercise can also boosts your memory and thinking skills. Getting plenty of nutrition from a healthy diet will also provide the energy for your brain to process new information. Basically, sufficient sleep, well-hydration, healthy food, and plenty of exercise are the basic foundation to get your brain to learn faster.
Combining several different ways of learning
Everyone has their own different method of learning that works best for them. Those methods usually can be broken into visual, auditory, or kinesthetic methods. However, combining those three methods together might actually be the better way to learn. Rather than just continually repeating the same method, switching things up and combining between these three methods might enable you to absorb information and practice skills more effectively. For example, for the visual and audio method, you can read aloud the text you are currently studying. Then, make summaries of what you have just learned for the kinesthetic part. Engaging more than one sense will activate different parts of your brain that receives information, thus increasing the probability for you to learn faster.
Notes, summary, and review
Taking notes and writing summary of the materials you are currently learning and then reviewing it will help your information retention process and enable you to learn faster. Write notes in your own words to make it easier for you to understand. Then, make summaries using interesting and helpful methods, such as mind-maps and memory tree. This organized and visually engaging summary will cut down the time when you review the material. Reviewing something you have learned might seem a little bit tedious, but it is an important process to reaffirm your understanding of the material. One additional tips to make your reviewing process better is by using bright color and unique shapes on your mind map or memory tree.
Teach others
Have you ever heard of the saying “If you can’t explain it, you don’t understand it enough”? To learn faster, you need to be able to explain the new subject to other people. Sharing and discussing what you have just learned with others are one of the best ways to ensure that those memory stay with you for a long time. You don’t even have to be an expert on the subject to begin teaching. Start small with the basic and the part that you are confident with, and always be open to questions and discussions. With these questions and discussions, you will gain deeper insight on the subject and find out where you are still lacking. In addition, because you are preparing to explain the subject to someone else, you will be more meticulous in your initial learning and organize your idea better. Even if you don’t have the time or people to teach it to, you can pretend as if you are going to teach the subject anyway and follow the same process of preparation.
Learning new things is always a fun experience. It is also really important in your school and working life to keep up with the increasing expectation. By training your brain with these steps, you will be able to learn faster, making you more flexible in any new role and environment. Pick something you always want to learn and try these steps!