10 Quick Learning Mind Tricks, Including Psychology

These mind tricks will help you learn faster than usual!
Ever been in a situation where you have to learn something new for work, a thesis, or a more advanced class at school? If you answered yes, then you must have found it difficult to keep on going and it felt like you were learning slowly. This is partly because it is hard to remember everything you learn. This blog will give you 10 tips mind tricks that will help you learn psychology fast, for whatever work you need to get done and get it done quickly!

1. The sleep sandwich How do you learn a lot of information in the shortest amount of time? Most people try cramming. They study their notes or review their lines for hours. They'll pull an all-nighter if they have to, but despite all of their hard work, they end up forgetting about 50% of the stuff they wanted to remember. Why is that? Because it never finds a place in their long-term memory. You can expose your brain to countless new stimuli, but it only retains a small percentage of them because you need time to store information in your memory. That's the problem with late-night cram sessions. If you aren't giving your brain the chance to encode all the stuff that you need to remember, that's the, For this reason, scientists recommend the sleep sandwich. Instead of one long study session, you should study, sleep, and then study some more. Sleep sandwiches are an excellent way to learn faster because sleep helps you retain more information. Storing memories is one of the most important functions of a good night's sleep. While you're conscious, going to bed, your unconscious is actively storing all kinds of stuff in your long-term memory. But when you pull an all-nighter, you're preventing your brain from actually learning and retaining those memories. Not to mention, you're hurting your brain's overall performance. Tiredness leaves your brain feeling foggy, slow, and unproductive. So come on, don't bother studying until 4:00 in the morning. If you need to squeeze in some last-minute learning, study for a few hours, get a good night's sleep, and then pick up where you left off in the morning.
2. Mastery through modification. Have you ever heard of the illusion of mastery? It's a common pitfall that you might run into when learning something new. If you study for a few hours, you get a handle on a few basic tricks, and suddenly, hey, you think you're a master. Learning to draw is a great example. Many people think of themselves as competent artists after one good sketch. They see the quality of their first drawing and assume they know everything they need to know. It feels easy and boring, but just because something feels simple doesn't mean you have it mastered. So how do you stop yourself from falling into this trap? A great way to learn about any subject is to use modifications all the right way. Let's say that you've gotten good at drawing faces from the front. It's starting to seem a little stale and you feel like you aren't learning anything, so it's time to put yourself to the test. Just make a small modification to your original routine. Draw a face from a slightly different angle. Yeah, challenge yourself to go faster or use a different drawing tool. Each one of these minor changes plays a critical role. They stop your practice from becoming boring or repetitive, they help you work on your weaknesses, and most importantly, they keep you humble throughout the learning process.
3. Weaving subjects In 2008, a group of researchers discovered something counterintuitive about learning. You'll learn something faster by studying something else. In this study, researchers asked people to identify certain artists based on six of their paintings. Half of the participants saw each artist's paintings and blocks, while the other half saw their paintings all scrambled together. Who do you think retained more information? The scrambled group performed significantly better. Why is that? Well, because interweaving different styles and subjects help solidify new information in your memory.
4. Chewing gum. Some people chew gum to freshen their breath; others just like that minty, fruity taste. But did you know that chewing gum could help your brain learn faster? For starters, a series of studies found that chewing gum has all kinds of cognitive benefits. People who chew gum tend to be more alert and experience less stress. This was first discovered by a 2011 study that had people take several quizzes in a distracting environment. The chaotic testing room would have thrown people off. It was designed to create anxiety and significantly lower their productivity. But even in that distracting environment, people who were chewing gum stayed more focused and produced fewer stress-related hormones. In other words, chewing gum helped them stay calm and concentrate. But that's not all. A 2009 study discovered that the act of chewing makes you more vigilant and lengthens your attention span. In 2015, another group showed that chewing gum helps you stay happy and motivated while you work. So the next time you sit down to work, don't forget to grab a stick of gum. Two more studies from the early 2000s found that different flavors of gum make your brain more receptive and flexible. There are dozens of studies showing the many advantages of this very simple habit. It helps you learn faster, perform better, and concentrate longer.
5. Intellectual hydration. Did you know something as simple as a glass of water can boost your brainpower? A 2012 study discovered that hydration during a test can have a huge impact on your grades. College students who drank water during their exams performed up to ten percent better. That's a full letter grade higher, all because of a few sips of water. Of course, hydrating doesn't just affect your test-taking skills. It helps you digest information, store new memories, and solve more complicated problems. Why is that so? Well, because water keeps your brain functioning like it's supposed to, but here's the best part: there is no wrong time or place to stay hydrated. According to a 2014 study, it quickens your short-term memory, strengthens your long-term memory, and leaves you feeling enthusiastic about learning something new. So whenever you're studying, reading, or even listening to a podcast, grab something to drink. Trust me, your brain will thank you for it. 
6. Multiple media: Do you study the same way every time? Have you been using flashcards or study guides for every test that you've ever taken? If you have, you might need to mix things up by trying to use multiple media. While you study, you could use flashcards. By blending styles, you activate new parts of your brain, store more detailed sensory information, and begin to understand concepts from different perspectives, so don't fall back on the same old tricks every time. Experiment with multiple media to learn more information faster. 
7. Speed minute. Read The average person can read about 200 words per minute. That's around 2 minutes per page. Yeah, I know that seems fast, but it's not as impressive as it sounds. That's the same speed people used to read a hundred years ago. Here's the problem: The total amount of information in the world is doubling every single year, so how do you keep up? The simplest answer is also the best. If you can absorb information faster, you can learn faster in a matter of weeks. You can teach yourself to read between 700 and a thousand words per minute. You won't be able to read everything the world has to offer, but you'll blaze through a good chunk of it.
8. is a musical stress reliever. Many people can't study without music in the background. Some people swear it helps them be more productive, while others need music to concentrate, so that raises the question: does music help you learn faster? Many studies have shown that music makes your mind more receptive to new information. It also improves your memory by engaging different areas of the brain, but the biggest advantage of listening to music often flies under the radar: it is a major stress reliever. It significantly reduces test anxiety and increases overall feelings of relaxation, so you can perform at your best. In other words, music boosts your mood, speeds up your cognition, and helps you think clearly. That means you can be more confident and productive no matter what you're working on.
9. Practice in pieces What happens when you read through all your notes in one sitting? How much do you remember? The human brain isn't designed to store massive volumes of information at the same time. Every day we can interact with all kinds of stimuli. You hear thousands of sounds and see millions of shapes, but your long-term memory is a lot slower. That's why practicing in pieces is such an efficient way to learn. Instead of spending a whole day going through all your notes, just go through a few pages each day. If you spend smaller chunks of time learning small chunks of information, then you'll find yourself retaining a whole lot more.
10. When you have to learn something new, you probably start searching for shortcuts. Everyone wants to know the fastest and easiest way to memorize things, but the truth is that taking the hard road is almost always more efficient in the long run. Try something like handwriting your notes. It's a lot slower than typing and less convenient, but those handwritten notes stick in your memory. Even if it seems like a waste of time, you'd have to retype your notes repeatedly to have the same cognitive impact. My point here is that shortcuts don't always help you learn faster. More often than not, the most challenging path is also the most effective. Hey, thank you for watching Top Thought, and be sure to subscribe because more incredible content is on the way.