Guest Post by Louise Baker
We live in an increasingly complex world. Every day, it seems we are asked to remember more things – passcodes for various accounts, anniversaries and birthdays, tasks to complete, and more. While organizational tools such as day planners and PDAs can help keep track of it all, it is still important to remember much of this information. If you struggle with data recollection, you may feel like you can’t do anything to improve your situation. You may think that you were born with a bad memory, and that you are stuck with it. Fortunately, that is not the case. Memory is just like any other thinking skill – there are things that you can do to improve you ability to remember things. Below are five simple tips that you can use to improve your memory.
- Give your brain some exercise. Imagine if you did a fitness regimen that consisted of nothing but pushups all day long. You would soon have well-developed arms, chest and shoulders, but the rest of your body would look the same as it did when you started. Your brain works the same way. If you perform the same tasks over and over every day, it gets into a rut and its overall ability to function is diminished. You can exercise all of the parts of your brain by giving it new tasks – something as simple as trying to perform a task with your eyes closed can help.
- Write things down. Many people think that if they have a good memory, they don’t need to bother writing things down. In fact, the opposite is true – writing things down helps improve your memory. This is because your brain is thinking about the item for an extra amount of time as you as writing, and that extra amount of time is often enough to lock that item inside your brain.
- Understand an item completely. If someone asks you to perform a task, and their description of the task isn’t clear, it will be harder for your brain to visualize the task, and as a result you may forget it. Ask questions about the item you are being asked to remember if you do not totally understand it. Get a firm understanding of the item. If it is a physical thing, try to picture the thing. If it is a task, visualize yourself performing the task. If there are “holes” in your visualization, get more information until the visualization is clear.
- Use small lists. Phone numbers are easier to understand because they are broken into groups. 800-555-1212 is easier for the brain to remember than 8005551212.
- Live healthy. Studies have shown that people who get proper amounts of sleep remember things better than the sleep deprived, and that non-smokers have better memories than smokers.
By using these tips, you can help improve your ability to remember the important pieces of information in your life.
Louise Baker is always forgetting where she left her keys. For her her day job, she writes about getting an Online degree. Her most recent article was on 45 Of The Weirdest College Scholarships.
Hi Adam.
That point about writing things down is a great one to make. It is not found on most memory-aiding lists because people think that writing something down counters any memory methods, as the whole point of memory is to not have to write things down, but they can in fact be written down and then the paper can be tossed away.
Also, regarding the point about understanding something completely, that is something I have noticed as well. If I only understand something 50%, I might as well understand it 10%, because I am always uncertain about it, and it fades from my memory. When you comprehend something fully, it gets locked in, as you say there.
Hey, good job with this post! Not sure if this post was written by Adam or Louise (as the the byline has a different name), but I agree with your points here on improving memory. Two of my favorite tips here were number one and number four. We need to constantly feed our brain different tasks so that it can get out of its comfort zone and learn new things. It’s also important to separate things into small chunks of information like smaller lists. This is probably my favorite way to remember more with less energy.
Thanks Adam, very nice tips. Writing things down is one of the best ways to improve one’s memory. Even if some people think that they don’t need to write things down, chances are they will forget something. This has happened to me so many times in the past. Thanks for sharing
Hi Adam,
You are right on here. Writing things down is one of my biggest “secrets” to success. I don’t rely on my memory to get things done but instead keep an impeccable record of tasks, expenses & income etc. We have to be willing to do all the small things that nobody wants to do to get ahead in life. People are quick to tell me, “you got lucky in life” or “you got it easy.” What they don’t see is all the behind the scenes work that all successful people know and practice.
Bud, I love memory training and have written about it several times. Memory training can help hold Alzheimer’s at bay, and keep your brain age young.
The only thing I would add is in the live healthy section. I highly suggest taking a fish oil supplement, not just for the memory benefits, but also for general health and wellness.
Cheers on a great post.
I always play “Brain Age” on my Nintendo DSi before trying to fall asleep. I do the same for ten minutes as SOON as I wake up. It’s a great way to get your brain running, even if you are studying math or literature.
You can remember a lot more if you use ALL the parts of your brain, something brain activities, like Brain Age, allow you to do.
Great post!
I was not the author of this post Joshua.
In addition to writing things down, I would recommend being consistent with the medium you record your information.
Working in an office environment I frequently observe people hunting for the post it note or scrap of paper they wrote a piece of information on.
I’d recommend having a notebook to record all your information, better having one location to help your memory than trying to remember where you left your notes.
Hi Adam,
Good stuff, I am such a forgetful person myself…my iphone is my savior.
If it wasn’t for my iphone, I’d be lost
–Parker
Great information! You could always do “brain teasers” and read. Taking a class once in awhile will keep your mind sharp!
Ouch, see what happens when all you do is jump in and read the body! Sorry about that, and let me give credit where it is due. Adam, you did a fine job sir, and I am off to sit in the corner!
Tweeted! This is short and sweet, the perfect article to remember with ease.
Hello,
Great info. I have never really associated visualisation with memory but makes so much sense! Am off to do my exercises,
Many thanks,
Kate
Adam,
Great post, memory enhancement is always valuable. There was a point where I could remember things without writing them down, but that is in the past, and I must make checklists and use a calendar. I live by checklists and would lost without them.
I also think that simple repetition and practice is one of the best ways to learn and remember things. This can’t always be done, but I think people try to remember and learn too many new things sometimes. I have tried to learn completely learn things recently, instead of moving from one thing to the next. I feel less overwhelmed by focusing on a few very important things at a time.
Do you think it is inevitable and we must accept that we are going to have to learn a much higher level of information these days? How can we just focus on remembering what is most important?
Great Article – memory is something I need to develop better. Writing down is Gold. Also the exercise of closing your eyes to perform a task is very interesting – do you have any examples?
Drew
These are some great tips regarding memory improvement. I’d also like to comment on the visualization technique. When trying to remember something, I like to associate the word or concept with a picture. I find it especially effective to make the visualization really out of the ordinary and vivid. This ensures that it will be easier to remember. The crazier the picture, the better you’ll remember whatever it is you want.