What Memory is and How to Learn faster

4 things that make something memorable

Novelty – Your brain is drawn to first-time experiences, enhancing focus and memory.

Repetition – Seeing or discussing something repeatedly, reinforces memory.

Association – It's easier to remember something if it’s connected to something you already know. For example, it’s easier to remember someone if they are connected to people you already know.

Strong emotions – Strong emotions, whether joy, sadness, or surprise, make moments unforgettable, especially the most intense ones. It’s why you remember emotional stories better than boring ones. ¹

 

How Learning Works

Huberman: Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and learn. This process namely occurs when acetylcholine, epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopamine are released, marking specific brain areas for change. The actual changes take place later during deep rest or sleep.

Neuroplasticity is most active from birth to around age 25, peaking between ages 3 and 13. However, adults can learn just as quickly when the information or skill is really important to them.

One key driver of neuroplasticity is the brain detecting a difference between expectation and reality—meaning errors are essential for learning. This often leads to frustration, which is the cue for your brain that it needs to learn.

To optimize learning, make errors, associate the frustration with something positive to boost dopamine, and make what you want to learn truly important to yourself. ¹

 

Learning for adults

The best way for adults to achieve neuroplasticity is by focusing on small errors rather than big ones. This involves shorter learning sessions, with 7 to 30 minutes focused on making errors and experiencing frustration. Avoid overwhelming yourself with too much information at once. ¹

 

Example: Learning to improve free throws

Errors are the key to plasticity, but you still need to aim for the rim. Focus on improving one specific aspect without introducing too many new errors, as that can confuse your system. Throw until you reach frustration, then continue for another 10 to 100 shots.

Your nervous system will naturally adjust by recognizing how far your motor commands are from the desired outcome. Plasticity remains active for about an hour after practice, so using that time to read or learn something else can be beneficial.

 

 Stress and Noradrenaline

Stress

Study: Subjects who experienced stress after viewing emotionally arousing text showed improved memory for those slides. However, this stress did not enhance memory for neutral slides. They induced this stress by placing the arm into cold water.

You can likely make something more emotionally arousing by assigning a lot of meaning to it. Always think: “Why is this important?“

 

Noradrenaline

Study: Noradrenaline is a part of the stress response, when this was blocked, the improvement did not occur. This suggests that improving noradrenaline alone is beneficial for improving memory.

 

Stress before learning

Study: Moderate and especially high levels of stress before learning can actually impair memory. Therefore, keep stress and adrenaline low before a session, then spike it afterwards.

 

Conclusion

It can be beneficial to boost your levels of stress and adrenaline within about 15 minutes after learning. This applies to both cognitive learning and physical skills.  ^{1 2 3 4}

 

Ways to Boost Stress and Adrenaline:

• Exercise – Sprinting, weightlifting, boxing, cyclic, etc. ^{1 2 3}
• Cold exposure – Submerge your arm in cold-water or take a cold shower. ^{1 2 3}
• Cyclic hyperventilation - It involves 20 to 30 deep inhales through the nose, followed by deep exhales through the mouth. Then, fully exhale until your lungs are empty. Now, hold your breath for 15 to 60 seconds. Repeat this pattern for 2-5 minutes. ¹

 

Sleep, NSDR, and Naps

Learning occurs not during exposure to new material, but during REM sleep or deep rest. Since REM sleep is more prevalent in the second half of the night, avoid waking up earlier than usual.

Deep rest can also be achieved through a nap, NSDR or Yoga Nidra, which are available on YouTube and Spotify. Do this within four hours after a learning session to improve memory and retention.^{1 2 3 4 5}

 

Sleep

Long-term sleep deprivation can cause lasting damage to your DNA and genes related to learning, disrupting your ability to learn and retain new information. It also increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Before learning = Sleep will prepare your brain to lay memory traces down. It also improves your ability to focus and concentrate. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

After learning = It combines new and old information, providing you with creative insights. Without good quality sleep after learning, most memories won’t transfer from short-term to long-term memory. With poor sleep, you lose about 20-40% of your ability to form new memories. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7}

 

How to Improve sleep

For the best possible sleep, read the Total Sleep Protocol. For now, here are the best things you can do to improve your sleep right away.

·         Don’t drink any alcohol and avoid caffeine within 10 to 12 hours before bedtime.

·         Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.

·         Try to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.

·         Cool your bedroom down, ideally to 15-19°C.

·         Make your room as dark as possible.

As promised, tools for learning faster.

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