Working-Memory Training Report – Nanz – Session 34

Session number: 2-15

Average n-back: 4.8

Have you ever noticed that sometimes your brain is sticky – it is easy to remember – and sometimes it is soft…and these n-backs just fluff off….dissolve into to air? I am really curious what makes the difference …any ideas? I have tried all sorts of variations…clean desk, doors closed, no noise, dogs outside, phone off, meditation, coffee, time of day – now admittedly I have not done these tests with scientific rigor…the one I really want to test again – is vacation. The stickiness sensation is so real – I even felt it go away in the middle of a session…for no observable reason – other than I got to 6 and I was so anxious to pass it to get to 7 that I really upped the trying…I wonder if relaxation is a key for me….Hmmmm..thanks for listening!

This post was submitted by nanz.

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2 Responses to “Working-Memory Training Report – Nanz – Session 34”

  1. martin says:

    Yes. I’ve noticed this too, Nanz.

    It’s very unpredictable. Sometimes I feel relaxed and think I’m going to have a good session, but my brain is full of fluff. Then other days I don’t want to train because I’m feeling frustrated or tired and it’s like I’m popping up sticky notes with the letters and positions written on them.

    (I’ve tried to reprogram my response to this so that I give myself license to have days when I will score relatively poorly, since this is part of the big picture.)

  2. Shaun says:

    The factors are myriad, but my sense is they are psychological. That seems true. Some may be lifestyle factors, others might be thinking habits, more might be situational.

    Some instances of lifestyle factors include (a) have you slept well in the last week, (b) have you exercised regularly recently, (c) what’s your nutrition been like…

    Some instance of situational factors include (a) do you have an critical deadline approaching, (b) how are your relationships with your friends doing this week, (c) what’s going on with you finances this week…

    Some instances of thinking habits include (a) what are you attributing your sticky or non-stick mind too, are these attributions internal or external, permanent or changeable, controllable or out of your control, (b) are you worrying and how do you manage it, (c) what are the goals that you have set for yourself in the training… are they too high… too low… just right for flow…

    There are just so many things that impact on the quality of our concentration and brain stickiness… those are just a sampling of them…

    Warm regards,
    Shaun

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