My YouTube recommended feed has the most random videos on it.
I stumbled upon a Big Think video on "9 Tactics to Build a Stronger Mind." Here's what I learned:
To create a memory that lasts longer than 1 millisecond, be mindful of a task rather than acting on autopilot. E.g., looking for your car keys after keeping them in a spot different from your "usual" spot
Causes higher adrenaline & cortisol levels. In the long run, it shrinks the hippocampus (part that forms memories). This inhibits neurogenesis (birth of neurons). We can combat stress through:
Yoga
Meditation - 5 mins of literal focused breathing helps too
Exercise
No, 5 hours isn't enough. With a lack of sleep your:
Frontal lobe slows / becomes inefficient -> you can’t pay attention -> you can't form new memories -> hippocampus can't save info to long-term storage -> you don't remember what you had for dinner last night
(this point excited me)
Increases attention (& suppresses sleep, so regulate intake)
You can’t remember names, so you associate the name with something memorable / personal
An example - Mr. Hanks -> Tom Hanks -> Thanks (don't ask how my brain works, even I don't know)
[aka the Baker-Baker Paradox]