I went on a mini getaway with my husband last weekend. We don't get away from the kids often so we really got wild. And when I say wild, I mean we got up early for a long walk by the beach, strolled the city, and had dinner by 5pm. I had a total of 2.5 drinks over the course of the evening from dinner to the piano bar later that night and somehow still managed to wake up feeling hungover. WHY HAS MY BODY BETRAYED ME? 

 

How I used to down 10 drinks, pull an all nighter, and make it to class the next morning in college is beyond me. We had a great weekend though, and I loved that piano bar. There's something very special not only about live music, but a bar filled with people of all ages singing to music from different decades. 

 

We had brunch on the way out and I couldn't wait to get back home to the kids. Unfortunately they didn't feel the same. Those fools were having way too much fun with my mom and were not happy to see us walk in the door. They'll be getting coal for Christmas.

The more I learn about crows, the more I love them.

I often joke that I have the memory of a goldfish. So the podcast I listened to this week really got my attention. Steven, the host, was talking about how you'd think that because he talks to so many people on his podcast, he'd be a walking encyclopedia. However, he says he feels like he's not a great learner. (Side note, do you remember encyclopedias? My parents had an entire library of Encyclopedia Britannicas.) 

 

He and his guest go on to have a conversation about the best ways to retain information. The explanation effect, he shares, is when you learn something with the intention of explaining it to someone else. When you do this, you're going to learn it much better. So the tip is, when you learn something, simplify and share it, and if you can't simplify it enough for a 6-year old, you need to go back and learn it.

 

The other interesting thing, is we tend to remember things we see over things we hear. I had never really thought about this, but when the host said he remembers faces and not names, it made sense. And to further simplify it, his guest shared: “What you hear you forget, what you see you remember, and what you do you understand.” Basically, we think in pictures. Ever notice why signs, on airplanes for example, will have no smoking images instead of words?

 

The good news is, while our memory is ⅓ genetics, ⅔ is actually in our control (YAY).  So basically, your genetics will load the gun, but your lifestyle will fire it. I took some rough notes on what his guest said you can do to improve your memory below:

 

Good brain diet (avocados, blueberries..etc avoid processed foods, sugar..etc), Killing ants (automatic negative thoughts), even if you say I don't have a great memory, just add the word “yet” at the end it just changes the potentiality of that statement, Exercise (it's like fertilizer for the brain, also fun fact, if you're listening to a podcast while moving, you're more likely to retain it), Brain nutrients quality supplements are good, but better from natural sources like vitamin D or omega 3's, Clean environment (quality of air, water for example), Brain protection (helmet..etc), Sleep (sewage system in your brain kicks in), Reading, New learnings, Stress management.