作者：杰夫·考博
Ever wish you were just a little bit better at remembering the things you would really like to learn?
你是否曾經(jīng)希望擁有更強(qiáng)的記憶力來記住你真正愿意學(xué)習(xí)的東西呢？
You can find plenty of memory improvement tips out there, and a whole industry has grown up around the concept of “brain training,” but figuring out what’s worthwhile and what’s not can be an extremely confusing process. I won’t claim to be an expert, but I decided to go “learn about” in an effort to cut through all the confusion and come up with some practical wisdom to put to work in my own life. Having now sifted through a wide range of writings on the topic, it seems to me that improving your memory boils down to five key areas.
在此，你能找到很多提高記憶力的小竅門，以及由“訓(xùn)練大腦”這個(gè)概念展開的整個(gè)系列，但（你會(huì)）發(fā)現(xiàn)解決“這樣做是否值得”這個(gè)問題的過程是十分棘手的。我不會(huì)自封專家，但我決定努力“研究”消滅所有的疑惑并提出我在自己的生活中適用的實(shí)用技巧。對(duì)眾多的關(guān)于記憶的文字進(jìn)行了篩選，在我看來，提高你的記憶力的關(guān)鍵濃縮到五個(gè)方面。
Here are the first three: sleep, physical exercise, and stress management. The next two - diet and memory techniques – are covered in part two of this series.
這里是前三個(gè)（要點(diǎn)）：睡眠，體育鍛煉以及焦慮應(yīng)對(duì)。剩下的兩個(gè)-飲食和記憶技巧將會(huì)在第二部分呈現(xiàn)。
Sleep
睡眠
If you are like me, you know from practical experience that your memory doesn’t tend to function as well when you are sleep-deprived. As it happens, a wide range of scientific studies support the idea that sleep is necessary for helping to “consolidate” memory, or at least certain types of memory. (See About Memory for a good list of studies.) A recent MIT study brought us a significant step closer to understanding the sleep-memory connection by showing that “mice prevented from “replaying” their waking experiences while asleep do not remember them as well as mice who are able to perform this function.”
如果你和我一樣，從實(shí)踐中得知你的記憶在睡眠不足的情況下無法好好工作。如果是這樣的話，大量的科學(xué)研究（結(jié)果）支持“睡眠有助于‘鞏固’記憶”這個(gè)觀點(diǎn)，至少是某種特定的記憶。（更多相關(guān)研究參見關(guān)于記憶）麻省理工大學(xué)近期的一項(xiàng)研究通過顯示“被阻止在睡夢(mèng)中‘重做’醒時(shí)經(jīng)歷的老鼠和能夠完成這個(gè)過程的老鼠”（的實(shí)驗(yàn)），帶我們向更進(jìn)一步了解睡眠-記憶之間的關(guān)系邁出了一大步。
The bottom line: Sleep is important; get enough of it if you want to make sure your memory is functioning properly.
結(jié)論：睡眠很重要；你需要充足的睡眠來確保你的記憶能夠良好運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)。
Of course, that begs the question: what is enough? Unfortunately there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer to that question. The safest bet seems to be to aim for at least the standard 7-8 hours a night recommended for most adults and to pay enough attention to how you feel and act based on that amount of sleep to adjust up or down as needed. For more information on sleep needs from infants up to adults, I recommend an article on sleep requirements from Parenting Science.
當(dāng)然，這會(huì)涉及到一個(gè)問題：什么才是足量（的睡眠）呢？不幸的是，“萬全答案”是不存在的。最安全的做法是成年人至少保證標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的7-8小時(shí)的夜間睡眠，并且時(shí)刻關(guān)注你在這個(gè)量的睡眠（時(shí)間）下的感受和表現(xiàn)以視自身情況做出調(diào)整。欲知更多關(guān)于從嬰兒至成人的睡眠需求信息,我推薦一篇為人父母的學(xué)問上關(guān)于睡眠需求的文章。
Physical Exercise
鍛煉身體
Physical exercise is a somewhat grayer area than sleep when it comes to memory, but there seems to be a reasonable body of evidence suggesting that physical fitness and cognitive fitness are linked. At a minimum, a short-term effect of exercise, and in particular aerobic exercise that is continued over a period of at least 30 minutes, is an increase in blood flow and corresponding oxygen supply to the brain. This can help boost cognitive function, including memory. A regular exercise habit can help to improve circulation in general and also ward off stress and depression – two established enemies of optimal cognitive function.
就記憶而言，相較于睡眠，體育鍛煉是個(gè)灰色地帶，但似乎有大量的有力的證據(jù)證明勻稱的體態(tài)和良好的認(rèn)識(shí)能力是有聯(lián)系的。至少，鍛煉的短期效果，特別是持續(xù)30分鐘以上的有氧運(yùn)動(dòng)會(huì)增加腦部的血流量以及氧氣供應(yīng)。這可以大大提高認(rèn)知能力，（其中就）包括記憶力。一個(gè)規(guī)律的運(yùn)動(dòng)習(xí)慣可以改善血液循環(huán)，也可以祛除兩個(gè)已知的最優(yōu)認(rèn)知能力的大敵-焦慮和負(fù)面情緒。
Research also suggests that physical exercise may directly benefit the hippocampus – an area of the brain that is essential to memory. A recent study, for example, showed that “elderly adults who are more physically fit tend to have bigger hippocampi and better spatial memory than those who are less fit.” As one of the lead researchers on the study puts it, “Basically, if you stay fit, you retain key regions of your brain involved in learning and memory.”
研究同時(shí)也顯示了體育鍛煉會(huì)直接作用于海馬體-大腦中掌控記憶力的區(qū)域。就拿最近的一項(xiàng)研究來說，它顯示了“年長(zhǎng)的成年人中，比起那些體型不良的人來說體格健美的人擁有更發(fā)達(dá)的海馬體和更好的空間記憶能力。”就像這項(xiàng)研究的一位帶頭人說的，“簡(jiǎn)單來說，如果你保持健美，你就保全了你腦中和學(xué)習(xí)記憶相關(guān)的關(guān)鍵區(qū)域了。”
So how much exercise should the average person be getting? There’s plenty of debate on the topic, but one reasonable starting point is the Center for Disease Control’s “How much physical activity do you need?”
那對(duì)于一般人而言，到底要進(jìn)行多少體育運(yùn)動(dòng)呢？此問題尚無定論，但有個(gè)合乎情理的出發(fā)點(diǎn)：疾控中心的“你需要多少體育活動(dòng)？”
Stress Management
壓力管理
As noted above, stress is known to have an impact on cognitive function, and this includes memory. For starters, stress can interfere with sleep, which we have already identified as important to memory. But stress also impacts the brain more directly in both positive and negative ways.
正如上文提到的，眾所周知壓力是會(huì)影響認(rèn)知能力的，而認(rèn)知能力中就有記憶這一項(xiàng)。起初，焦慮會(huì)影響睡眠-我們已知的影響記憶力的關(guān)鍵因素。而后，焦慮也會(huì)給大腦帶來正面以及負(fù)面的影響。
On the positive side, when we are presented with problems or challenges, our bodies are stimulated to produce norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that is essential to memory. This can be a good thing when studying for a test or preparing for some other challenge. But too much stress over too long a period takes its toll. The work of neurologist Robert Sapolsky and a range of other researchers have shown that chronic stress can, over time, lead to degeneration of the hippocampus, thus interfering with our capability to process and store memories. (see Memory and Stress).
好的方面在于，當(dāng)我們面對(duì)問題和挑戰(zhàn)時(shí)，身體會(huì)因受到刺激而分泌腎上腺素-對(duì)記憶力有強(qiáng)大影響力的神經(jīng)遞質(zhì)。這對(duì)于學(xué)習(xí)考試或是準(zhǔn)備迎接其他挑戰(zhàn)來說很棒。但是長(zhǎng)期的、過多的壓力也會(huì)釀成惡果。神經(jīng)病學(xué)家羅伯特·薩博斯基和其他研究者的研究成果表明長(zhǎng)期的焦慮，輔以時(shí)間的作用，將會(huì)導(dǎo)致海馬體縮小，(據(jù)此)不難得出我們產(chǎn)生和儲(chǔ)存記憶的能力會(huì)下降。（參見記憶力與焦慮）。
So what are some approaches to managing stress? Getting enough sleep and exercising regularly are an excellent starting point – and these come with the memory benefits already noted. Additionally, there is some evidence that meditation and other well-known relaxation techniques may have a direct impact on the hippocampus – at least in the elderly. At a minimum, long-term practice of meditation or other relaxation techniques helps ward off chronic stress, an established enemy of memory. If you don’t feel like meditation is right for you, you might consider the simple breathing exercises advocated by alternative health practitioner Andrew Weil.
那么，管理焦慮的途徑又那些呢？足夠的睡眠和有規(guī)律的鍛煉會(huì)是個(gè)很棒的起點(diǎn)-這些也會(huì)帶來以上提到過的很多記憶上的幫助。值得一提的是，一些證據(jù)表明冥想和其他眾所周知的放松方式有助于消除長(zhǎng)期焦慮-一個(gè)已知的記憶力的大敵。如果你覺得冥想不適合你，你也可以試試另類健身實(shí)踐者安德魯·威爾力挺的簡(jiǎn)易呼吸訓(xùn)練。
If you are getting the sense that promoting and maintaining good memory is largely a matter of good lifestyle choices and habits, you are right. Stay tuned for more on that as well as some practical memory techniques in part two of this series.
如果你意識(shí)到好的生活方式選擇和習(xí)慣是提升并保持良好的記憶力的關(guān)鍵，那你就對(duì)了。欲知更多信息及一些實(shí)用記憶技巧，請(qǐng)繼續(xù)關(guān)注此系列的第二部分。
Go to part two of this series >>
Jeff Cobb
杰夫·考博
Mission to Learn
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