Brexit blind panic is no joke for Irish
IF the consequences of Brexit, be it hard or soft, were not so serious it would be classified as comedy rather than the tragedy it is.
The fact the British government will tomorrow be a week out from the withdrawal date and has still no exit plan is farcical.
The false promises of “sunlit uplands” and “easiest trade deal ever” have been replaced with blind panic among politicians who have betrayed the British public.
It is now 1,001 days since the referendum, yet Theresa May and her ministers cannot even give a lucid definition of what Brexit actually means, let alone how they might achieve it.
It is not surprising the Irish Government and the EU are frustrated and exasperated by the antics of British politicians who have shunned their responsibilities.
Mrs May has painted herself into a corner to such an extent she now has to throw herself at the mercy of the EU by begging for more time to extract her government from a mess of their own making.
The fallout from a hard Brexit could prove devastating for the Irish economy resulting in huge job losses.
To their credit, the Irish Government and the EU have done everything possible to prepare for the consequences of Brexit.
That is more than can be said for their counterparts across the water.
Do you forget people’s names as soon as you’re introduced? Forever lose track of your car keys? And find it hard to remember study notes or shopping lists?
You’re not alone. But instead of giving up, there are easy ways to improve your memory.
Mark Channon is one of the first Grand Masters of Memory (awarded to people who can successfully recall 1,000 random digits) and worked with Joey Essex, Gok Wan and Valerie Singleton in a new Channel 4 show, Can I Improve My Memory?
He gives them genius tips on how to remember quickly and by the end of the show puts them to the test in front of a live audience.
Here, Mark (markchannon.com) shares his unforgettable tips on strengthening our power of recall. ■ Can I Improve my Memory, Channel 4, March 22. When people get anxious about the things they forget then it’s more likely their memory will fail. Start to be okay with not remembering where you left your keys – they’re not important things to get stressed about. The more relaxed you are, the more you remember.
Start to involve your visual and spatial memory. Make a memory palace by imagining images working up your body.
For instance, imagine you have Gladiator swords in your feet, a squidgy brain between your knees, dancing girls on your thighs, a golden ring on your behind. And imagine one million dollars wrapped around your waist.
It’s easy to remember these weird images because it’s visual and hard to get out of your head. Each image is a trigger for a memory. What you’ve memorised there are the best picture winners from the Oscars 2001 to 2005 – Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Chicago, Lord of the Rings and Million Dollar Baby.
Once you’ve read a book, think, “What are the five things to remember from that?” This method is the opposite of reading things
MEMORY EXPERT
over and over again. If you practise recalling, you’re recreating a memory and in your brain the connections are getting stronger.
That’s why practising retrieving, or recalling, is a good technique. So if you condense a lot of information to bullet points, close your eyes and try to remember them – realise
Presenter Michael Buerk with stars Joey, Gok and Valerie which point you forgot and practise again to really make things stick.
If you exercise, you’re creating new neurones and connections in your brain. Likewise, when you sleep it’s like a cleanse. If you’re not doing either well, that will have an impact on your brain especially as you get older and wear and tear sets in.
It doesn’t need to be anything crazy – read a new book, or go out more in a new social situation, which is the perfect opportunity to make an effort to remember people. As you learn new information, you make new connections in your brain. morning by creating a story or imagining pictures, after a couple of weeks it will become a habit. Then it will start to show up in your day.
Maybe you’ll be in a meeting and instead of writing five things down, you’ll memorise them. It primes you and raises your attention. Sometimes when you’re introduced to someone, you’re thinking about what you’re going to say.
Practise focusing on them and listening at a deep level – how are they feeling? What are they thinking? That way you will remember more about them.
Listen attentively. To remember their name, create a picture in your mind. So for a person called Julie, I would imagine a jewel on their face. Don’t share the image with them. Forgetting your car keys, wallet or even where you’ve parked your car happens because we’re not paying attention. So create a good habit.
Imagine after you’ve put the key down it starts dancing. The more ridiculous the better. Then do a little celebration – a little fist bump.
The first few times you do that consciously, then after around three days, it will happen automatically. By then, when you put your keys down you might not imagine them dancing but you’ll pay more attention to where you left them.
Make a memory palace by imagining images working up your body MARK CHANNON