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A surprisingly effective method can enhance both short-term and long-term memory, benefiting everyone from students to Alzheimer’s patients. The key? Being intentional about giving your brain some down time.

It is easy to assume that working harder guarantees better performance. But studies show that by spending 10-15 minutes in quiet reflection, your memory improves far more than if you had tried to fill that time with intense study.

In 1900, a study showed that after participants learned a list of meaningless syllables, one group took a six-minute break before learning a second list, while the other continued and learned the new list immediately. When tested 90 minutes later, those who had rested remembered nearly 50% of the list, compared to 28% for those who didn’t. The results showed that newly encoded memories are fragile and prone to interference without time for consolidation.

More recently, this study was revisited and applied to those who had suffered a neurological injury, such as a stroke. The results were spectacular. In some cases, amnesic patients showed an 11-fold increase in the information they retained when given a rest during study.

The exact mechanism in the brain that causes this is still unknown, though some clues come from a growing understanding of memory formation. It is now well accepted that once memories are initially encoded, they pass through a period of consolidation that cements them in long-term storage.

The research shows that scheduling regular periods of mental rest, without distraction, could help us all hold onto new material a little more firmly. We live in an age of endless distraction and information overload. It is only natural that our brains benefit when given a chance to recharge.

While prevailing health advice can at times be relatively intuitive (“eat less and exercise more to lose weight)- there are many proven health tips that buck conventional wisdom. Here are Time Magazine’s favorites:

1. Drink Coffee to Have a Better Nap– A Japanese study found that a “coffee nap”—drinking around 200 milligrams of caffeine (about one to two cups of coffee) followed by a 20-minute nap—boosted alertness and performance on computer tests. The 20-minute nap aligns with the caffeine kicking in, which clears the brain of adenosine, a molecule that causes drowsiness. Since both napping and caffeine reduce adenosine, this combination doubles the alertness effect..
2. For healthy teeth, don’t brush after eating – Acidic foods—like citrus fruits, sports drinks, tomatoes, and soda—can soften tooth enamel, making it “like wet sandstone,” according to Howard R. Gamble, past president of the Academy of General Dentistry. Brushing right after eating these foods can accelerate enamel erosion, so Gamble advises waiting 30 to 60 minutes before brushing after you eat.
3. To wear a smaller size, gain weight – The weight in question, of course, is muscle weight rather than fat. Muscle takes up less space than fat- so focus on building muscle and “gaining good weight” by moving heavier amounts and cutting back on overall calories.
4. To eat less, eat more– Opting for a 100-calorie snack pack of cookies or pretzels might seem healthy, but it can leave you hungrier, due to its high carbohydrate and sugar content. Instead, protein-rich snacks like peanut butter or string cheese with an apple will help you feel full faster and stay satisfied longer, ultimately leading to fewer calories consumed overall.”
5. Skip energy drinks when you’re tired– Energy drinks can have up to five times the caffeine content of coffee, but their energy boost is short-lived and often accompanied by side effects like jitteriness, irritability, and a racing heartbeat. Any boost you gain from an energy drink will likely be followed by a crash- leading you to want another energy drink!
6. Drink a hot beverage to cool off– reaching for a hot coffee on a hot day will cool you off faster than drinking an iced one. When you sip a hot beverage, your body senses the change in temperature and increases your sweat production. Then, as the sweat evaporates from your skin, you cool off naturally.

Everyone’s health profile is different, of course. But these general guidelines and tips–as unexpected as they are– may help us take stock of our own habits and build out a better understanding of our own wellbeing.

It is natural to experience periods of heightened worry, stress, and unease. Fortunately, research from numerous studies has provided us with effective techniques to calm an overactive, anxious mind. These are:

1. Use the 4-7-8 breathing method: This method requires you to sit comfortably, exhale through your mouth with a “whoosh,” then inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale for 8. Repeat three times. This practice helps calm the body and works well for sleeplessness, too.
2. Listen to this specially designed song: “Weightlessness,” an eight-minute song created by sound therapists, reduces stress by gradually slowing its beat from 60 beats per minute to 50 beats per minute, helping listeners’ heart rates sync and lower. The author noted that he returns to this song regularly for stress reduction.
3. Get 45 minutes of vigorous exercise: Research shows that exercise reduces anxiety, especially vigorous 45-minute sessions. However, anxiety was positively affected by moderate 80 minute exercise and 2 hours of light exercise. Of course, shorter, more intense workouts may be more practical for busy schedules.
4. Get some nature: Being in nature, even if only for a short walk, can have markedly productive effects on your anxiety. However you can– even if only along a commute, or putting plants around your desk– increasing your interaction with nature has proven positive effects on your mental well-being.
5. Save it for later: This is less about shutting anxiety off than it is making it manageable. You can address stress by actively deferring it. However you keep your schedule- by hand or via phone/computer, schedule a time later in the day to address the source of your anxiety. Writing down worries and dedicating time for them sets boundaries, often reducing their impact by the designated time.

The brain works in unexpected and impressive ways. We hope these tips help you manage the moments when its anxiety responses are working overtime.