Why does the brain become "blank" as soon as an important moment?

Review expert: Yin Tielun

Deputy Chief Physician

Many friends may have experienced this scene: you have spent quite a long time to prepare an important test, but you look at the test questions in the examination room, but you feel that you have known each other but have no way to write. I ca n’t remember, the more nervous, the more blank your brain is ...

Sometimes, I clearly think of the perfect answer to the teacher's question in the classroom, or I thought about a wonderful joke when a friend meeting. When I was about to stand up to tell everyone a joke, I suddenly became my mind. A blank in it, I just repeatedly repeated things in my mouth and suddenly I couldn't remember a word ...

Source 丨 hippopx

What is going on in these situations?

How is memory formed?

What we perceive in daily life and what we learn need to take three steps: acquisition, coding, and storage to become our memory.

The first is to get. The information obtained from the outside world contains a variety of sensory experiences, such as vision, smell, hearing, etc. Each sensory experience will activate the specific area of ​​the brain respectively. At this time, we have the initial feeling of things, that is, the first impression, that is, the first impression Essence

Followed by coding. By strengthening the symposium connection when the sensory experience occurs, our cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and almonds can encode information containing initial sensory experience into neuros signals and chemical signals.

Finally, storage. These signals mentioned above are encoded into a network structure and stored in the structure of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and almond body, forming a basic short -term memory.

Source 丨 hippopx

Take learning as an example. Learning is the first storage of knowledge. Nervous impulses from hippocampus to smelling cerebral cortex to form a solid factor; and the test is the output of memory storage. The nervous impulse is transmitted from the olfactory cerebral cortex to the hippocampus. Essence

And what we usually call "forgetting" means that the network structure of memory has been changed, or the electrical signal input is wrong. If the human memory network is changed due to the damage to the brain, then we cannot re -establish the memory, and it is difficult to recover the previous memories. But if there is a problem with the input signal in a short time, and a short forgetting, this is the commonly referred to as "the brain is in water"; if then the correct input signal is adjusted back then, the memory is successfully retrieved, and the memory will be successfully retrieved. Suddenly realizing.

If some memories are often called, the sensory experience it contains will be enhanced by the hippocampus, which will gradually become a stable long -term memory. On the contrary, if this part of memory is not used in a certain period of time, the synapse connection will slowly weaken. After a period of time, the memory will slowly dilute and disappear.

How does stress affect memory?

In the two steps of the acquisition and encoding of memory, moderate pressure can actually help the brain to obtain the sensory experience and enter the memory. When people are stimulated by external pressure, the brain will control the renal gland cortex to release cortical steroid hormone, which will promote the enhancement of hippocampus activity and help the consolidation of memory. For example, when we have time pressure in the first two weeks of the final exam, the memory during this period will become better than usual.

Source 丨 pixabay

So why can't I remember the knowledge we need during the exam? The reason is that the memory behavior of the human body depends on the forehead, which controls the brain's thinking, attention and reasoning ability. During the exam, our nervous emotions caused pressure. At this time, the brain defined this scene as "dangerous situation", which in turn promoted corticosteroids to stimulate the almond nucleus, thereby suppressing the activity of the forehead. "". If we try to remember, it will further cause pressure, which will cause more corticosteroids and form a vicious circle, which is even more difficult to recall the knowledge we need.

For the human body, too much stress or long -term stress will cause varying degrees of damage to the brain. The chronic pressure accompanied by long -term emotional tension and anxiety will bring the continuous secretion of long -term corticosteroid hormone, which causes excessive stimulation to the hippocampus, which will weaken our ability to form new memory.

How to deal with stress?

First of all, if you have expected the source and situation of stress, you can prepare by simulating a similar environment. For example, in the exam, in the usual exercises, you should try to pursue the same as the test scene, such as preparing stationery, walking in the middle without walking around, etc. You can also create a sense of time oppression when you pass the time. process. Such long -term exercises will reduce your sensitivity to test pressure. In the exam, if your brain is blank, you might as well take a few deep breaths, let go of your own thinking, so that you can enter a peaceful, unable to worry, so it is easier to think and reason normally.

In fact, thinking about the "simulation test" in high school in high school, many times are the process of helping everyone to adapt to this pressure.

Source 丨 hippopx

For usual work or study, we need to stabilize emotions, reduce stress, and achieve "relaxation". This requires us to combine work and rest, adhere to a healthy, sustainable working model, and pursue efficient work, so that our body and brain can be soothing every time.

In addition, you can also improve the focus of doing things and do not use it with one dedication.In addition, we also need to pay attention to a healthy diet, do not overeating, and avoid too much high -calorie food.Physical exercise can also act effectively.Experiments have proved that increasing heartbeat and breathing frequency will change the chemical components in the brain, reduce anxiety, and improve happiness.Proper pressure will bring positive results. In this regard, we can make reasonable use of stress.For example, setting a deadline for ourselves when doing something, deliberately creating a tense atmosphere, which helps us improve our focus and work efficiency in a short time.

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