Learning and retaining information becomes harder the older we get. Part of the challenge is that we have so much else on our plates. It was a lot easier to learn when that was basically all you were doing in school all day. Now, though, you have the stress of a job, maybe a family, and other obligations getting in the way. Add to that the fact that retaining information and learning new skills simply become harder as we age.
Still, it’s important to keep learning no matter where we are, what we’re doing, or how old we are. As that becomes more challenging, it’s critical to find ways to improve learning to make things easier. There are shortcuts and ways to boost cognitive performance that make learning faster and more effective.
Whether you’re looking for an edge at work or want to develop faster in one of your hobbies, learning how to learn and use the tools available will make all of the difference. Here are some things that you can do starting now to improve learning.
Develop Your Memory Prowess
Do you ever feel like you have a hard time retaining information? It’s hard to learn new things when you can’t remember what you’ve learned for more than a few days. Memory is a big part of learning, so you need to put a lot of focus on improving your memory. Thankfully, memory is something you can work on. Memory improves with consistent practice, and soon enough you can notice a marked improvement in how you retain information. You’ll retain facts, equations, or important work data. Whatever you need to stay in your brain will be more securely anchored there.
Keep Your Brain Active
Most people experience a decline in cognitive performance because they aren’t exercising their brains. Your brain works like a muscle. The more you use it, the better it will perform. If you let it sit on a shelf somewhere, spending your time watching TV or doing nothing productive, then it’s harder to learn things! One of the reasons students are able to learn so well is that they’re always learning. Whether it’s staying engaged in a career you love or pursuing something like learning an instrument, you must find ways to keep your brain working.
Eating the Right Foods
Your diet has an outsized impact on how you learn. If you’re fueling your body with a steady stream of junk food, then it’s no wonder your brain can’t perform as well. You need to be eating plenty of vitamins, protein, and other healthy foods that keep you sharp. Stay away from sugar, smoking, drinking too much, and other bad habits that make you feel groggy and low-energy.
Get Some Sleep!
If you want to improve your learning efficiency, then sleep is a major factor. Get more sleep if you’re short changing yourself in the name of hustling or even just wasting time. Feeling rested is one of the critical precursors to performance. Try your best to sleep eight hours a night. Not everyone needs that much, so listen to your body. You’ll know when you’re getting enough sleep because your mood will be more even, and you’ll have more energy.
Peptides & Learning
The peptide named GLP-1 (aka: Liraglutide and Semiglutide) has shown in research that it protects neurons against neurodegenerative diseases. In tests done on mice, GLP-1 improved learning deficits in mice with specific gene defects. The mice given the peptide saw significant improvement in learning and memory performance. Peptides are short amino acid chains that elicit specific reactions in the body, and there is a lot of promising research ongoing related to the benefits of peptides.
Make Learning a Game
There are reasons why so much of learning is gamified these days. Researchers know that people learn better and retain more information when they’re having fun doing it. Games help people overcome the initial resistance to learning something new, which is so common in people at every stage of life. If you’re trying to learn a new skill, there is a good chance that there are apps or websites designed to make learning fun. Give them a try and see if they make the process more enjoyable.
