Many veterans, especially if they have experienced war, have issues when it comes to memory. This could be due to a number of reasons, but the biggest reason is stress. As a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Afghanistan, I am serious about wanting to help my fellow veterans improve their condition. It is important for their self-image as well as their ability to hold down a job and relate to their family and friends.
Being in a war changes a person. It doesn’t make any difference if that person admits it or not. You were living under conditions you never dreamed were possible, and put your mind and your body through more than people who have not experienced it can understand. It helps to talk it out with people who have gone through it themselves, and not keep it bottled up. Trying to forget does not work, as hard as you try to resume a normal life and put it in the back of your mind.
I would like to show you how the use of the same memory techniques I use to remember a deck of cards, or names in a crowd, will help you to stay focused, control your emotions, and help to make better decisions.
Research released in the journal Science shows working memory training releases the neurotransmitter dopamine to specific area of the brain to enhance memory performance. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is essential in the control of the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. It helps to regulate our emotional responses and physical movements. Our working memory is the part of our brain that actively holds information, and is needed for complex tasks such as comprehension (understanding), reasoning and learning. It also controls our ability to pay attention, short-term memory and the ability to retrieve information from our long-term memory.
You have already shown that you are a leader, no matter what rank you held in service. Each man or woman who enters battle does so with not only their safety uppermost in their minds, but those of the people around them. They learn that they may have to take orders that they don’t like, but also that there are times when they have to make split-second decisions that will affect other people.
Memory training is not simply training to improve your memory. It helps you to learn how to concentrate and avoid the distractions around you. It teaches you to set goals and keep your eyes on the target. It shows you that the physical training (PT) you get in the military should be kept up because it increases the blood flow to the brain. You are in a position to become a leader in all walks of life, and a role model to those who did not serve.
Memory training also shows you the way to de-stress and become a more calm and happy person. Stress is the worst trigger for extreme anger, depression, self-doubt and making bad decisions. By learning how to calm yourself and handle the anxiety you feel on an everyday level you will find you are better able to move on in your life, and become a confident and better father, husband, wife, mother, employee or boss in your civilian life. What happened in your past is past, and although you will never forget, you can move on and live in the present.
About the author:
Ron White is a two-time U.S.A. Memory Champion and memory training expert. As a memory keynote speaker he travels the world to speak before large groups or small company seminars, demonstrating his memory skills and teaching others how to improve their memory, and how important a good memory is in all phases of your life. His CDs and memory products are also available online at BrainAthlete.com.
Sources:
Memoryzine.com – Dopamine Released After Brain Training Improves Working Memory Performance: http://memoryzine.com/2011/09/11/dopamine-released-after-brain-training-improves-working-memory-performance/
Psychology Today — Dopamine: http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine
