How to Improve Your Memory -
8 Great Tips!
There are many
ways in which you can
improve your memory and the more you work at it, the better
it becomes!
Memory is the mechanism by which we are able to
store, retain,
and recall information. As simple as it may sound, the process is a
complex one which involves many different parts of the brain and serves
us in a wide variety of ways.
As with so many of our other functions, the saying "use it or lose it"
applies as aptly to the brain, as with anything else. The more you
exercise your brain and nurture it with a good diet and healthy habits,
the better you'll be able to process and remember information.
Before we get into how to improve your memory, it would be helpful to understand how it works.
For example here are parts of the brain used for memory:
- The hippocampus is the primitive structure deep in the brain that plays the single largest role in processing information as memory.
- The amygdala is an almond-shaped area near the hippocampus, which processes emotion and helps imprint memories that involve emotion.
- he cerebral cortex (the outer layer of the brain), depending on what kind of processing the information involves, such as language, sensory input or problem-solving, stores most long-term memory in its different zones.
neurons,
which are the millions of cells activated by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
Memory can be short-term or long-term. In short-term memory, your brain stores information for a few seconds or a few minutes. It is capable of holding, on average, about seven items at a time.
Long-term memory involves the type of information that requires a conscious effort to retain, and then recall. This would include studying for tests, factual data, or personal events; such as the first time you were able to ride a bike, or recalling your favorite movie.
Another type of long-term memory is procedural memory, which
involves
skills and routines that you perform so frequently that they don't
require conscious recall.
How to Improve Your
Memory - 8 Great Tips!
1. Exercise your brain. The best way to exercise your brain is to engage in new experiences or expose it to varied sensory stimulation. When you break with routine or do something that is challenging, you create new brain pathways. An illustration of this would be writing, or dribbling a basketball with your non-dominant hand, or taking a totally different route to work. An example of sensory stimulation, would be smelling a particular fragrance while listening to a certain piece of music. To stir up brain activity in yet a different way, you can pick something usually done by rote, or on automatic pilot, and consciously change the way you go about it.
It is also a well know fact that people who engage in activities that
exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games,
can delay the rapid memory decline that occurs as we age.
2. Pay attention. It is very difficult to
remember something if you've never learned it in the first place. It
takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of
information through the hippocampus and direct it to the proper memory
center. If you do not concentrate, get distracted easily, or are doing
several things at once, your chances of retrieving specific information
will be non-existent.
3. Incorporate as many senses as possible. While
there are many different learning styles, such as visual, auditory and
kinesthetic (touch), no matter which type you are, you can incorporate
all of them in the process of trying to remember something. If you're a
visual learner you can read out loud, even recite rhythmically to
remember better. If you're an auditory learner, create a mental image
or look at pictures as you read out loud. Relating information to
colors, textures, smells and tastes is also very helpful.
4. Organize Information.A good way to
remember new things is to make associations and connect
information to what you already know. Building on what you know helps
you remember new material. Also, write important things down in
notebooks, calendars and post-it notes, then reorganize the information
in a comprehensive way in order to retain it.
5. Review frequently and over-learn. Go over what
you've learned the same day you learned it, and review it frequently.
When you review and over-learn information, it becomes embedded in your
memory and therefore, so much easier to recall. It is also much more
effective than trying to cram.
6. Use Mnemonics. Mnemonics are a memory tool or
technique used for remembering difficult information. They are clues of
any kind that help us remember something, usually by associating it
with a visual image, a sentence, or a word. For example, "30 days hath
September, April, June and November" is a rhyme for remembering the
number of days in each calendar month. Another example of mnemonics
would be to "chunk" information. Chunking is when you arrange a long
list into smaller units or categories that are easier to remember. To
remember a long number, you could chunk it into groups of 2, 3 or 4 for
easier retention. You can also code and structure information by using
vivid mental images. When you make the images colorful or even unusual,
they are much easier to recall when you need them.
7. Practice good health habits. Exercise
regularly. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for
disorders, such as diabetes and heart disease. Poor health,
of any kind, contributes to memory loss. Likewise, get plenty of sleep
and eat properly. Sleep is necessary for concentration and clear
thinking, while good eating habits supply the nutrients needed to
nourish your brain.
8. Stay motivated and maintain a positive attitude. When
you are positive about learning and experiencing new things, you
automatically improve your memory. On the other hand, if you tell
yourself you have a bad memory, you will actually impede your brain's
ability to remember. Maintaining a
positive attitude sets up expectation of
success.
By incorporating the above tips and strategies into your routine, you
will be able improve your memory significantly. Not only will you learn
and retain more in school and at work, you will achieve more
satisfaction in your personal and business relationships.
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