Studies have shown that doing physical activities and getting into the creative process is a good way to exercise your brain. Doing these creative physical activities increases blood-flow to your brain and engages the brain’s creativity as well as the cognitive at the same time thereby exercising your brain as a whole.

There are a number of creative physical exercises one can do, music, dance, art and craft and definitely woodworking. Many tend to overlook woodworking as a form of mental exercise but just as doing wonders to your physical self, it does wonders to your mind as well.

The creative process
When working with wood one requires to be extremely creative in order to fashion something spectacular out of basic-looking chunks of wood. Whether you are making a simple piece of furniture or decided to create the entire cosmos on wood, your mind needs to be highly active in order to conjure the creative imagination and then it needs to work to make sure your motor senses work just so to create the image conjured, and the math needs to be done to make sure it all fits together. Sounds like a lot of brain work for such a physical process, doesn’t it?

Woodworking is also one way to show through your personality and how you perceive the world. If you are looking for a way to let all that out, then consider woodworking your best friend. Taking a piece of formless wood and working into shaping it into something other people want to look at is a great way to set free that inner you, and besides, it is also a great way to ward off any negative emotions as you start working and go completely numb focusing only on the piece in front of you, improving the general state of your mental health by keeping things on a more positive note.

Scientific proof
Studies have shown that people who do more physical activities like woodwork are in better mental health than people who don’t. their synapses fire faster and they are in better control of their motor senses, their eyesight is better and much more likely to pick up things faster around in their environment and react faster as well.

The memory is improved as well as a creative person will see a stimulus around them and then have it safely tucked away in their brain until inspiration hits and they can recall the stimuli with almost perfect recollection. This will apply in other daily activities generally making them better.

It has also been found that creative minds have more grey matter in their brain, which is the stuff containing neurons and the firing synapses which means they are generally quicker. Thinking becomes easier over time as one is able to train their mind to start the creative process by picking up things around it that can be used and then finding a way to make it all come together seamlessly hence you can swiftly finish off an idea as soon as you started it.

Get to working
With all these benefits of picking up woodwork as a creative physical activity, it’s not a wonder its quickly becoming a favorite among creators and you can join in too and have fun to explore your creative side, keep fit physically and definitely work that brain to be as fit as the rest of you

Many people start their day with a hot, steaming cup of Joe. They may not realize it, but the coffee they drink first thing in the morning, or during the rest of the day, has a positive effect on their memory. Actually, it is not the coffee itself but rather the caffeine in it that is good for your memory. Based on a number of different studies, the caffeine in coffee (or even tea) can boost and enhance your long-term memory, helping you learning, memorizing and remembering things.

Can Coffee Really Improve Your Memory?

Researchers have already known about the cognitive enhancing abilities of coffee, more specifically of the caffeine in it. However, it was only recently that they have come to realize that the caffeine in coffee can also make people resistant to forgetting things by strengthening their memories. Apparently, the caffeine in coffee boosts a deeper level of memory retention in people known as pattern separation, which enables them to differentiate between items that are similar but not identical.

A study conducted back in 2014 suggests that consuming 200 milligrams of caffeine every day, which is the equivalent of a strong cup of coffee, can have an enhancing effect on a person’s memory. It can also make people more attentive, focused and vigilant. The fact of the matter is that the benefits of coffee are not just limited to boosting and improving memory.

According to other studies, coffee and the caffeine can impede the onset of Alzheimer’s, and even seniors already suffering from mild dementia can benefit from it. The cognitive decline of the mind is usually a result of a chain reaction started by adenosine receptors in the brain. Caffeine in coffee can block inflammation in those receptors and the rest of the brain to prevent that from happening.

Alzheimer’s is also closely linked to the buildup of beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. Another study has claimed that caffeine in coffee acts as an adenosine receptor antagonist. This means that the receptors in the brain that contribute to the build up the two mentioned proteins are blocked by it. Thus, caffeine in coffee has a positive effect on the beta-amyloid and tau proteins.

How To Prepare Coffee To Improve Your Memory?

The health benefits of coffee are not just limited to just the caffeine it contains. If you want to drink quality coffee, you must have quality coffee beans and give them a good grind. Also keep in mind that once coffee beans have been ground, it does not take long for them to get stale. So, if you also want your coffee to be as fresh as possible, bursting with aroma and flavor, you should always use fresh coffee beans and grind with a burr grinder from PoundCoffee.com.

Burr grinders get their name from the burrs inside them, which are basically abrasive surfaces that revolve in order to grind the coffee beans between them. Conical and flat burr grinders are the two types that are most commonly available today. When using a burr grinder, you may even alter how fine the ground coffee will be by adjusting the distance between the burrs.

Burr coffee grinders used to be manual, vintage machines, but modern day burr grinders are electrical appliances, which makes them even more ideal. With a burr grinder, you can ensure that the beans are ground uniformly and you will have control over the size of the grind. Modern day burr grinders are even equipped with a safety feature like a safety lock feature that ensures that the machine automatically turns off if the upper burr is not locked.

Conclusion:
If you were looking for a reason to start drinking coffee every day, perhaps the fact that it can improve your memory and help you avoid developing Alzheimer’s might encourage you. On the other hand, if you are already a coffee enthusiast and want to enjoy the freshest cup of coffee every morning, prepared right at home, then you should consider investing a burr grinder rather than a blade one.

We like medical guardian as a medical alert system because of the features which offer value for the investment. There are many options that show that it is a necessity to subscribe to a medical alert system, however, you need to ensure you read between the line to ensure it suits your lifestyle as well as cover diverse areas. Apart from medical safety plan, what else does it offer?

The best family safety plan should be able to cater for fire services, first aid plan, and thugs. Why subscribe to a plan which has limited functions when you have a variety for a slightly higher figure but gives you limitless function.

The connectivity of the family safety plan should also help you in the choice. They all work in a network signal which has its advantages. In case you are out of network, then be sure your communication is thwarted. Choose a satellite signal, which can capture signals even when out fishing in the deep seas.

Technological advancement has helped in the innovation of the family safety tools. They install it in the house but you have a portable gadget in form of a wrist watch, such that just like the phone you carry it around without feeling its bulky. You are sure your safe at whatever point. The advantage of this wrist watch it has a self-rechargeable battery, so, you are sure you are always networked in the case of emergency. You never plan for an emergency. In fact, it comes when you are less prepared hence choose a safety plan that will cater for your emergency needs all the time.

The mobile-like radio operates in a simple interface which is used by both beginners and experts. You have subscribed to your family safety plan for your grandparents or your aging parents to cater for their emergency medical needs, their eyesight is not stable. You need to have a plan which can support this deficit. In just a click of a button, you can always connect to the customer care center and locate the customer with a GPRS location in case he may not be able to make a comprehensive phone call.

After sales service is important to enhance operations and improve on customer service. You have to track an inactive gadget and system to check on its efficiency and effectiveness. How do you feel when a company calls you to just check on you? Of course, it feels good. You feel valued and appreciated. It is not just a matter of getting the service from the company but also a matter of getting feedback on the efficiency of the system for business growth.

A subscriber gets the service to enhance his life. Why not take advantage of infrastructural development and technological innovation. I help a country to improve the lifestyle of its citizens as well as promote overall health. It decreases the rate of mugging and hugger because the gangsters are certain they have a backup plan. In fact, it promotes productivity and self-innovation for self-employment. It gives a notion of “ no short cut to life”

How to master a foreign language?

Consider that for some reason you decide to learn a new language. Now there could be a number of good reasons why you might want to do such a thing. Maybe you are interested in a particular country or culture and believe that learning the local dialect will aid your understanding of the people. Or (which is more likely) maybe you are just someone who is planning a holiday abroad, and doesn’t want to be constantly embarrassed because you have to spend minutes at a time flicking through a phrase book whenever you need to know the price of an item in a shop or a drink in the bar.

Well whatever your reason for wanting to learn a new language, this section of the site promises to outline a system that with a little practice (and I do mean a little), will enable you to master the basics of any given language that you choose, in as short a period of time as 10 days. Yes, that’s what I said – just 10 days.

Before outlining the details of this system, I would just like to mention that if you were to use conventional techniques in order to master a new language, then you would probably be expected to spend between 1-3 years before you would be considered to be truly proficient in that language. The method that I shall now outline requires no such unnecessary time wasting.

The method

The first step is to transform a foreign word into a form that is immediately understandable, and thus memorable. For example, let us take the Spanish word for head ‘cabeza.’ Now at first glance, this word might appear (at least to someone who is unfamiliar with the Spanish language), to be nothing more than a random collection of syllables. As a result of this, it is difficult to visualize. Just like a random series of numbers to someone who is unfamiliar with the peg system.

So if you wanted to commit this particular word to your long-term memory, in a way that will make it easy to recall, then the first thing that you would need to do, would be to transform it into a form that you can immediately visualize.

You could accomplish this task by simply breaking down the word ‘cabeza’ into the three distinct sounds, cab-beez-a. Now I feel sure that most people will have little difficulty in visualizing a cab, or a bee, or even a bale of hay!

So the first step is complete. You have succeeded in transforming a seemingly meaningless collection of syllables, into three meaningful words. The next thing that is required is for you to link these words together, in the manner that I described in how to link together memories, then to link all of those words to the English word ‘head.’

To do this you could try visualizing a large New York taxicab, filled with giant bees. Add to that image, an enormous head sticking out from the taxis sunroof. Perched on top of which, is a huge bale of hay.

Close your eyes and really try to visualize this image. If you do this, then you should find that you will have absolutely no difficulty remembering that the Spanish word for head is cab-bees-hay, ‘cabeza.’

The above method may seem like a bit of a long-winded way to commit to memory foreign language vocabulary, but with just a little practice (and time), you should find that you will develop the ability to break down or transform a foreign word into an image (or group of images). Then to link together these images in your mind’s eye, in only a few short seconds.

In fact, after using this system for a while, you may even find images beginning to form in your mind as soon as you hear a new foreign word, together with its English counterpart. Perhaps at this point, I should offer you a few examples, to help you to understand more clearly how this system operates.

Examples

The Spanish word for murder is ‘muerto.’ Now try to think about how you might go about making a vivid (and thus memorable) image in your mind, out of this particular word.

Start by breaking the word down into its basic sounds. These are moo-hurt-toe. Now all three of these sounds are easy to visualize, as they are in fact words themselves. The next thing that you need to do, is to link the three words that you have created, to the English word ‘murder.’

To accomplish this, you could imagine a cow with a hurt toe, being brutally murdered. Silly I know (and more than a little gruesome), but if you close your eyes and really try to visualize the above image, then you should find that it is difficult to forget. Especially if you fill the image with color and sound.

Another example could be the French word for bread – ‘pan.’ Now, this is an incredibly simple word to visualize. All that you really to do in order to remember this word, is to imagine a large pan, with a piece of French bread for a handle. Or alternatively, you could try imagining a pan piled high with French bread. Really attempt to see this image and I assure you that the word pan and the word bread, will forever remain linked together in your memory.

The Spanish word for house – ‘casa ’ may be committed to memory by transforming it into the English word case. To do this you could try imagining yourself living in an enormous case, complete with windows and a door.
See yourself on the doorstep, placing your key in the lock, with passers by looking at your home with shocked expressions pasted on their faces. Again this is another memorable image. Which should be easy to remember.

The French word for garden – ‘jardin,’ may be memorized by visualizing a lovely green garden. In this garden you could imagine that there is a seven-foot glass jar, with a distraught looking James Dean imprisoned inside of it, angrily thumping his arms against the glass. Jar-Dean ‘jardin.’ A ridiculous image yes, but also a memorable one.

The main thing to remember is to make your link images as ridiculous, colorful, loud, and as all round vivid as you possibly can. You see by doing this, you will create a deeper impression in your memory. In effect, what you will be doing, will be not just filing a memory away in your mental library, but building huge neon signposts that point straight to it.

One possible method for memorizing the French word for wine – ‘van,’ would be to visualize a large van, which is crammed full to bursting point with crates of the finest wine.

Tiempo is the Spanish word for time. In order for you to memorize this word, you might try imagining a clock (representing time), which has hanging from its center – a long, brightly colored tie. Protruding from the seam of which, is a long wooden pole. Tie-hem-pole, ‘tiempo.’ This image should be easy to recollect.

For my final example, I have chosen the Spanish word for face – ‘cara.’This word is easily committed to memory, by simply imagining someone’s face (maybe even your own), with the wreck of a car embedded in the center of it. Disgusting I know, but memorable.

Remember that it is the vividness, together with the absurdity of an image that makes it memorable. That is why most conventional textbooks are so hard to digest.

You should find that if you apply the above system to say ten words or phrases of your chosen language a day, for a period of approximately ten days or so before you travel to the country concerned, then you will know enough of that particular language, to be able to get by quite adequately.

It is simply a matter of picking the words that you are most likely to use on your trip. For example, you will probably need to ask for directions or order food and drinks in a bar or restaurant.

Pegging – The Major System

The system of pegging that I will be outlining over the course of the next few pages, is one of the most important techniques that has so far been developed in the field of Mnemonics, since the discipline was first practised during the time of the ancient Greeks. Second only to the system of linking in its overall usefulness.

A version of pegging was first put forward by a man named Stanislaus Mink von Wennsshein, around the year 1648. Since then the technique has been modified extensively by a number of researchers in the field. Notably by the Englishman Dr Richard Gray, in the year 1730. In more recent times the memory experts Harry Lorayne and Tony Buzan, amongst others, have modified the system further.

Basically what pegging does is to turn a number (any number), into a set of phonetic sounds or letters. These sounds are then joined together to form words, and these words may then be linked together to form a series of images. Finally these images may then be committed to memory. This enables an individual to recall numbers of up to (and above) 100 digits, with relative ease.

By combining the peg system with the system of linking (outlined in chapter four) you will find that you will be able to memorise huge lists of information, in an ordered and structured way.
So without further ado, here is how you do it!

The method

The first thing that you need to do in order to learn how to peg, is to memorise the basic phonetic sounds that will be used to represent the numbers 0-9. To speed up your mastery of this number/letter code, I have offered a few memory aids. With these aids, the code should not take you more than around about 20 minutes or so to commit to your long-term memory.

The number/letter code

In the number/letter code, the number 1 is represented by the letters t or d. This is made easy to remember if you observe that both of these letters have only one downstroke.

The number 2 is represented in this code, by the letter n. This has two downstroke’s.

The number 3 is represented by the letter m. Again this is easily remembered if you make a note of the fact that the letter m possesses three solid downstrokes.

Number 4 is represented by the last letter of that number, that is four = r.

The number 5 is represented by the Roman numeral for the number 50 L.

Six is represented by its own mirror image the letter j. It can also be represented by the sounds ch or sh.

The number 7 is represented by the letter k, which when broken apart is found to contain three number sevens. It may also be represented by the letters c or g.

The number 8 is represented by the letters f or v. You may notice that when written by hand, the number 8 and the letter ? both contain two loops.

The number 9 is represented by the letters p or b. By turning either of these letters around, you will find that you are able to produce a number 9.

Finally the letters that are used to represent O are z or s. The first sound of the word zero.

So to summarise. The letters used to represent the numbers 0-9 are:

0	–	z,s
1	–	t,d
2	–	n
3	–	m
4	–	r
5	–	L
6	–	j, ch, sh
7	–	k, g, or c
8	–	, v
9	–	b, p

If you have taken a few minutes to go over the above code, then you should find that you are now able to translate any number into its respective letters (or sounds), and then into an image that may easily be recalled.

For example, if you want to transform the number 74 into a memorable image, then all that you need to do, is to remember that the number 7 and the number 4 are represented in the above code, by the letters c and r. These letters may be used as the first and the last sounds of a word, the middle of which may be filled in with a vowel, or any other letter that is not a part of the number/letter code. If you use the letter a, then you have the letters c, a and r car.

A simple image to visualise.

The number 22 consists of two Ns. In order for you to form a memorable word from these letters, you just need to insert a vowel between the two letters. If you use the letter U, then you have the letters n, u and n nun. Again a relatively simple image to recollect!
The number 27 is made up of the letters n (2) and k (7). By the simple act of inserting the vowel e, between these two letters, you are able to form the word neck.

So using the above three examples, if you wanted to remember the six digit number 742227, you would simply form a mental image that links together the words car, nun and neck. For example you might try imagining a car being driven by a nun, whose neck is so incredibly long that it protrudes from the sunroof.

As was explained previously on this site, comic images are far easier to commit to memory, than are dry facts or pieces of text.

Providing that you are totally familiar with the number/letter code, then you should have absolutely no difficulty at all in remembering the above image, and as a result the six-digit number that the image represents.

This system may be used to memorise dates, addresses, measurements, or even calculations. And the amazing thing about it, is that you are not only able to use the system to remember vast amounts of information, you can also organise that information however you like. This is due to the fact that all of the peg images are numbered.

I will now show you the 100 basic peg words, which with the aid of the number/letter code, should be relatively simple to memorise. Once you have committed these words to your long-term memory, you will have a list of 100 images, which you may link to whatever you like.

This should enable you to remember long lists of numbers or objects (in the correct order), with an ease that should pleasantly surprise you. There are also a variety of other uses that pegging may be put to. However I will elaborate on that point a little later on.

The 100 basic peg words

0 Sow 5 Law 10 Doze 15 Dual 20 Noose 25 Nail
1 Dye 6 Shoe 11 Dad 16 Dash 21 Net 26 Notch
2 Knee 7 Cow 12 Dune 17 Duck 22 Nun 27 Neck
3 Ma 8 Fee 13 Dim 18 Dove 23 Gnome 28 Knife
4 Row 9 Bay 14 Deer 19 Dab 24 Nero 29 Nip

30 Mice 35 Mail 40 Rose 45 Rail 50 Lasie 55 Lily
31 Mud 36 Mash 41 Rat 46 Rush 51 Loot 56 Leech
32 Moon 37 Make 42 Rain 47 Wreck 52 Lane 57 Leak
33 Mum 38 Movie 43 Ram 48 Roof 53 Lame 58 Lava
34 Mower 39 Map 44 Rear 49 Rope 54 Lure 59 Lip
60 Chess 65 Chill 70 Case 75 Cool 80 Fuss 85 Fall
61 Chat 66 Cha cha 71 Cat 76 Cash 81 Foot 86 Fish
62 Chin 67 Chalk 72 Can 77 Coke 82 Fan 87 Fog
63 Chime 68 Chief 73 Comb 78 Cave 83 Foam 88 Fife
64 – Chair 69 Chip 74 Car 79 Cub 84 Fur 89 Fab
90 Bus 95 Ball
91 Bat 96 Bush
92 Bun 97 Book
93 Beam 98 Beef
94 Beer 99 Bib

How to remember names and faces?

The most common complaint made by people who consider themselves to be in possession of a poor memory, is that they are continually forgetting peoples names. They remember the faces (images are easy to recall), but the names fail to stick. The problem of forgetting names can be a big one. Particularly if you work in an environment which involves meeting a large number of new clients, who may take offence if you are continually getting their names wrong.

In fact they may even be so insulted, that they decide to take their business elsewhere. A terrible calamity indeed! The problem of forgetting names is an extremely common one, which is experienced by most people throughout their lives. But fortunately it is a problem that can be easily rectified. With of course the aid of mnemonics.

In this section I will explain two basic methods, which when used in conjunction with one another, will enable you to remember a large number of individual names associated with their respective faces, after hearing them only once. This is an incredibly useful skill to have and is particularly useful on such occasions as parties, business meetings and various other kinds of work-related or social gatherings. The methods that I will outline are as follows:

1. The Observational system
2. The Association system

But before outlining these systems I would just like to bring to your attantion a particularly pertinent fact. That is that faces are not processed by the human brain in the same sort of way that other information is. In 1971, the scientists Goldstein and Chance conducted a series of tests in which subjects were shown a number of photographs of women’s faces, magnified snowflakes, and ink blots. 14 from each were shown for 3 seconds at a time and following an interval of 48 hours the subjects recall was tested.

It was then found that faces were the most easily recalled, this was followed by ink blots, and finally by snowflakes. Thus showing that facial recognition (unlike name recognition) is a key part of human perception.

The human brain contains a number of different sections, which are responsible for different functions. And although these sections are very indistinct, with some sections possessing the ability to take over the functions of other sections if those sections are damaged in some way, these sections do exist.

For example we all have a ‘Broca’s region of the brain, which plays an important role in speech. There is also (more relevantly) a particular section of the brain that is responsible for the recognition of faces. When this region is damaged, an individual may completely lose their ability to recognize faces. Even those that belong to close relatives or friends. This condition is known as ‘Prosopagnosia,’ from the Greek meaning ‘failure to recognize faces.’

The fact that we all possess such a specialised region in our brains, which is dedicated to the recognition of faces shows us that facial recognition is essential to being human. Now, following that short semi-detour from the field of mnemonics, I will continue to outline the all important mnemonic technique for linking names to faces.

The Observational system

The first thing that you need to do upon meeting someone new whose name you want to commit to memory, is to somehow give their name meaning, so that it may be easily visualised.

For example the name ‘Jhonson’ can easily be broken down into the two words Jhon and Son. These words possess meaning, and anything that contains meaning is far more memorable than something that does not.
The name ‘Rosenberg’ can also be broken down to form the three words Rose, Hen and Berg (iceberg). These words also possess meaning and are thus far more memorable than the abstract name ‘Rosenberg.’
The name ‘Greensmith’ could be separated into the two words Green and Smith. The colour green is obviously fairly easy to visualise. Also smith (to me anyway) immediately conjures up the image of a blacksmith.
As a final example, the name ‘Standish’ may be split apart to form the two words Stand and Dish. Again these two words are simple to visualise.

Some of the names that you will come across are obviously far easier than others to visualise. For example the names Green, White, Brown and Black (being colours), already possess meaning and thus require no further processing in order for you to visualise them. So to do the names Peacock, York, Smiley and Forester.

Other names may however, require a little more effort to transform into a meaningful phrase, or set of images. But with a bit of practice, you will I’m sure be amazed at just how easy you will find it to turn any name at all – no matter how abstract, into an easily visualisable form. However to help you on your way, I have listed at the end of this section, a large variety of different names, together with appropriate mental imagery.

The purpose of splitting an abstract name into a non-abstract collection of words, is to allow your brain to categorise the information that is contained within the name. Something that the human brain has some difficulty doing with the name in its abstract form.
Also the act of transposing a name into a meaningful form, forces an individual to observe that name, and as was explained in an earlier section, observation is the most important prerequisite of an individual’s memory.

The Associational system

After breaking down a name that you wish to recall into an easily visualisable image (or set of images), the next step is to link that image to the individual concerned.
To accomplish this, you simply need to pick out the features or characteristics of the individual that stand out the most to you. This could be a dimple on his chin, or a freckle on her nose, or even a limp in their left leg.

Other things that you could use are – big ears, a hooked nose, wide forehead, a large or a small mouth, full or thin lips, or even a pair of bushy eyebrows. You could also choose something less visual, such as a lisp, or a stutter as the feature of the person that stands out the most to you.

Whatever the feature that you choose is, linking it to a name should not present you with much of a problem. That is it shouldn’t if you are familiar with the concept of linking. I have listed a few examples below to show you exactly what I mean.

Examples

1. In order to remember that a woman whom you have just been introduced to – who happens to have long, red hair – goes by the name of Miss fields. All that you would need to do, would be to simply visualise an image of her, lying in a large, green field, with her long red hair spread out around her head.
   See it twisting around the long green grass. You might also try exaggerating the length of the hair, in order to emphasise the link between her hair and the field. This is so that when you see her (and her hair) again, you will immediately be reminded of her name ‘Fields.’
2. To remember that a man that you have just met at a party, is called Mr Taylor, first pick out his most outstanding feature (say thick eyebrows) and imagine him with eyebrows so long that they reach down to the floor.
   Imagine him in this amusing predicament, whilst he is in the process of being measured for a new suit by his tailor. Thus powerfully linking his most outstanding feature to his name.
3. In order to remember that the name of a tall, thin man, that you have just been introduced to is Mr Adamson, you might try visualising the biblical first man ‘Adam’ (complete with fig leaf), holding a little boy in his arms. Adams son – ‘Adamson.’
4. To remember the name of a dimpled young lady named Miss Standwick, you could try picturing her face, with a number of large candle wicks standing in her exaggeratedly oversized dimples. Stand wicks – ‘Standwick.’
   If you really try hard to visualise the above image, then you should have absolutely no difficulty at all in recalling Miss Standwick’s name.
5. Finally, in order for you to remember a Mr Hill (who happens to possess a wide forehead), you could imagine the mans forehead, with a miniature mountain stuck in its centre. You might even like to visualise a large, snowy peak on its top. This is in order to make the image that much more amusing and thus more easy to recollect.