What did I do doing during Lockdown?
Dear Gillian
On several occasions you have asked for feedback and right now I’m bursting with it!
I have just completed working through the Memory Tune Book – and I’ve absolutely loved it!!
This wonderful time of lockdown has freed me from so many ongoing commitments and allowed me time to get into the course daily.
I’ve been conscientious beyond belief in working through the information and exercises – so much so that I wake in the night trying to put names to faces, recalling word lists, stories and shapes!! And when I go out walking I look for working memory challenges – eg. using numbers and letters on car number plates in a variety of ways, counting and remembering dogs – different breeds, who is walking them etc etc.
The repetition and practice exercises, along with your suggestions for similar ones, has stimulated me to look for challenges everywhere, to find old mental arithmetic and brain gym books from my teaching days. It’s even taken me back to my Dip Essen studies on the brain and cognitive development!
I think that some of the best brain gym exercises are on TV 1 each morning at 9 am! The Les Mills exercise programs, especially the Tuesday and Thursday active ones, are full of cross overs for helping to integrate both sides of the brain. Then there is the brain work required to follow the steps, keep time to the music and change the movement sequence at the correct time.
And yoga, I believe, also does much for the brain as well as the obvious physical benefit it provides. So the Monday, Wednesday and Friday sessions on TV 1, have more than replaced my weekly lessons.
I loved your suggestion of noting times when my memory failed me, and keeping a sleep diary was particularly relevant for me! I noted well your emphasis on the fact that we must continually and consciously be creating a need for the brain to make new connections. Knowing the skills is one thing but giving time to practise them is another!
I’m still recalling faces, stories, word lists and shapes from the book and memorising phone numbers of friends. And I’m finding great pleasure in not having to refer to my credit card for details each time I want to order online!
Just one thing I missed in the book was the idea of loci. I have become accustomed to using that technique for remembering lists. It works well for me but I’ve now also mastered the technique of creating stories for remembering words in lists.
I found The Memory Tune book to be not only a revision of the pilot course but an extension of it. It contains considerably more information – in particular, regarding the physical needs and composition of the brain. It is so soundly designed and so attractively presented! I found it fun and exciting to work through and has left me with much more work yet to do!
I shall always remember this lockdown as a worthwhile, life changing experience – a large part of which has been the many hours I have devoted to Memory Tune.
With grateful thanks
Jenny Watson
Jenny, we are delighted to read that you have gained so much from Memory Tune – and we re looking forward to hearing from the many others who are going through the course right now. Congratulations!
