? La bella Lingua! | Main | A different approach to language learning ?
January 30, 2005
STRESS Relief
One of the reasons meditation improves memory is because it helps us reduce stress. Stress is counterproductive to learning. Another reason it helps our memory, is it can help our focus and concentration abilities. Meditation is a practice that can clear our minds and release our stress so we can gain a balanced state of mind.
Think of it this way: The mind gets overloaded with worry and stress. The mind gets overwhelmed and shuts down. Our memory fails us. Have you ever knew something really, really well, gone into a test and drew a complete blank? Then after the test remember it again? I have. That’s stress somehow blocking our memory.
There are many kinds of meditation and playing music is one. You are focusing your attention on the beat and the sounds and nothing else. Many people meditate on their own breathing. It’s kind of the same idea. It gives us something to focus on. Notice how you feel when you finish playing? You don’t feel quite so overwhelmed.
There is nothing so magical or mystical about meditation and it’s better to not treat it that way. It’s just a step we take to clear out the noise and the distractions and look at things with a fresh perspective. We can go all out and take meditation classes, buy a video or simply start by taking silent walks or finding some quiet time at home, shutting off all the noise (distractions) and letting go. That’s why hot baths with candel light with soft music are so effective for some people. And things like working on a craft can have the same effect.
A lot of things help us reduce stress. I meditate, pray, read books, play my trumpet and harmonica, paint, draw, sculpt, do woodcarving, dye Ukranian Easter eggs, write, exercise, sleep and many other things. Eating properly can also help relieve our stress. Not that I know of any certain foods that are anti-stress but the lack of proper nutrition, and sleep, can hinder our capacity to deal with stress.
So you want to reduce your stress? Take up meditation, continue your hobbies, they are important to life also, play your music, take that quiet time for yourself, go to the fitness center, get on your bike and pedal. Any of it helps. None of it allows stress to rule.
The Stress of Learning a foreign language
In my experience the stress of learning a foreign language is similar to the stress of performing. We are required to learn so many words per day and take quizzes and speak phrases on demand. I have found that when I acted in a play in High School, taught computer classes or played my trumpet in church there was one key ingredient that helped reduce my stress. That was PREPARATION TO THE POINT OF CONFIDENCE. When I did not prepare enough for the performance I was more stressed. When I prepared enough I was more confident and the stress was minimal, because I knew that I had already done what was going to be required of me and knew what to expect and how to do it. Then it’s just a matter of doing it one more time out of the many.
With Korean when I walked into the classroom not knowing the vocabulary I was supposed to learn I was more stressed. Then my learning in that class was hindered. But when I knew all the words and grammar points I was confident and more relaxed and learned a lot during class.
This last semester I realized I had more instances of not knowing what I was supposed to know and not being prepared for class than I had in previous semesters. That accounts for a lot of my stress.
With teaching computer classes I was always really stressed until I had my outline defined. I knew as long as I had that I had a plan to follow and when the plan was done, I was done.
With performing my trumpet I played a song to death until I didn’t crack and I felt it in my bones, until I could play it with my eyes closed. Then I was confident and less stressed.
Posted by carl1236 at January 30, 2005 11:54 PM | Attitude