***WHEN IT’S DIFFICULT TO LEARN ...

When it comes to learning and remembering things there are often no easy answers.
Where some people find learning a relatively easy task, for others going through the whole process of trying to cram information into their brain can be frustrating and stressful, through no fault of their own. In actual fact, learning and using our memory is not so much to do with IQ or intelligence but more to do with technique. It’s not necessarily the super intelligent folks who are really smart. As my father often said to me "Common sense is not all that common!” In school we may be taught lots of information but has anyone ever stopped to teach us how to actually learn?

There are many proven ways that we can start, little by little, to use our brains in a more effective way. Let’s take a look at the all-important question of how to go about learning, how to store information in your mind in such a way that when you need it and go to find that information…it is there.

We all know the feeling when the information we want to remember simply won’t come back to us. Those times when we can’t remember where we put your keys or glasses? Have you ever bumped into someone you know but you panic inside as their name escapes you? You know the feeling? The harder you try to remember the more frustrated you become as the name is just ‘gone!’ If a person is asked to perform a task in front of others the anxiety and stress this brings can actually get in the way of being able to think, remember or read.

Often, when we stop focusing on the problem and move on to do something else, we can suddenly remember where those keys are, and the person’s name can hit you out of the blue. You may find that you are perfectly able to think, remember and read when there is no pressure. So here is the question…Where does that information go? Where does the answer come out of?

The answers lie inside your own head, in fact, “it’s an inside job!”
Think of how you store things in your home. You will notice that you have a place for coffee, a different one for milk, a completely different place for your t-shirts.
Sometimes you may not put things back in their place.
However, everyone’s living space is not always neat and tidy, you will need to replace the coffee you drink, sometimes we leave the milk out of the refrigerator and those of you with children certainly know what it’s like when they can’t find their favourite t-shirt.
Your kitchen or closet may become untidy and difficult to use. Every so often you may do a big clean-up and re-organise things. You usually feel a whole lot better when this is done. Everything looks and feels better when there is order. People will usually compliment you on how well it looks too. You may even get a system in place to keep your living space tidy. You feel delighted when you know that you are able to find things again.

Your marvellous brain uses a storing and tidying system too. The brain tends to organize and store experiences for you in a really amazing and automated storage system. The brain stores different kinds of information in different locations in your brain. There’s a storage place for memories, a different place for sounds, pictures, feelings and just about everything else.

As with a kitchen or closet space, the brain may get dis-organised and untidy. People may find it hard to remember things they’ve learned. They may find it difficult to concentrate on a task or get a clear head space to think about things. When this happens it feels bad. It’s not very nice when you can’t remember things you may have worked hard learning, and you get nervous if someone asks you a question because you are afraid you won’t know the answer. When this happens to a child he or she may get nervous and upset. They can try harder but in fact, fall even further behind in class. With kids, things can go from bad to worse very quickly. Fear and stress can block the brain’s ability to learn and remember. Memory and learning can virtually shut down and feelings and emotions may get blocked too.
The worse it gets the worse it gets…but the opposite is also true.

So how then can I help organize your brain so that it can do its work better? Sometimes the brain needs a good spring clean and de-clutter. You can get rid of old blocks and habits just as you can de-clutter your living space. And yes, just as you can decide to buy a nice plant to cheer up a corner in your house you can also learn how to change thoughts from negative, depressing or stressed thoughts to more helpful, positive and relaxed thoughts. Studies have shown that learning is ‘state dependent’ 1. The state a person is in when learning has a bearing on how the brain encodes and stores the information and on how it is retrieved. If a child or adult is in a negative state the brain can shut down its ability to learn and remember even the simplest of tasks. It is more difficult to learn well if you are in a negative or stressed state.

You can learn how to spring-clean and de-clutter your mind. Anne Marie Ferris has spent 25 years teaching and learning how to solve the problems associated with learning. I have developed “The FerrisWheel” - a unique system for clearing the emotional and neurological blocks to effective learning. We can show you how to clear your own blocks to learning. You can learn how to concentrate, spell, read and remember in a simple yet powerful programme that works with virtually every kind of difficulty you may encounter.

What would it feel like to wake up in the morning full of enthusiasm for the day ahead, getting the spring back in your step, smiling when life throws you challenges? Let us show you how to overcome all your limitations and break through to success.
We can assist you in turning your brain around, getting organized and learning how to use your wonderful brain. Absolutely everybody can do this, irrespective of age or intelligence.

Think about what you want to change, contact us and we will show you, step by step, how to make the changes which will make a BIG difference to your life. How would your life change if you learn how to improve your mood, memory, test results, relationships or career? You name it, you can learn to do it!

1. Baddeley, A., M. W. Eysenck, and M. C. Anderson. 2009. Memory. Psychology Press, New York, NY, US.