We use memory constantly in so many different ways. We use it to remember people’s names, what we need to do in a day, our shopping lists; we use it to study for school, and to remember important items for our work. How can we improve our memory? There are many ways.
Most often when we do not remember something like someone’s name or where we placed our keys, it is because we were distracted when we received the information. Developing a habit of pausing in these cases and verbally stating the information will quickly help you improve. Repeat a person’s name, and say out loud something like, I’m setting the keys on the table.
Habit can also help us to improve our memory. Make an effort to reduce both your physical and mental clutter. It is easier to remember where something is when it has a regular home and there is not a lot of unneeded stuff there. Similarly, it is easier for us to remember what we need to do if most of what we do follows a routine. Everyone reaches a point where they have more than they can keep orderly. Simplify as much as possible and develop regular routines.
Sometimes we need to absorb a lot of information for school or work. Very helpful to retaining this kind of information is to recall the material every few minutes. If, for example, you are reading, at first pause after every paragraph, close your eyes, and recall the main points of the paragraph and any new definitions. Do not check your answers by rereading the paragraph. Instead, proceed and you will improve your reading retention with practice. Gradually increase the length of your reading to a page, then a chapter, before pausing to recall.
Note taking and keeping a journal are very helpful tools to memory. In taking notes, fold your paper to make a small column on the left. On the left write only one or a few words to describe the subject, and on the right more detailed notes. This lets you find specific information later and can help you to test your memory by seeing if the title on the left allows you to recall the important points on the right.
A journal keeps a record of your life, things you have learned, people you’ve met, aspects of your business, the progression of your goals, or anything else you deem important. The simple process of reviewing at the end of your day and writing things down will help you to remember.
In some situations of memory and learning, repetition and visualization are very helpful. The more times we repeat an action or verbally repeat things, we will better be able to remember them. This is why commercials and advertising are so repetitive. You can repeat almost any skill, and verbally repeat any data. Visualizing is used increasingly in professions to improve peak performance. You can replay in your head a time when you made a perfect golf stroke, played a piece on the piano without mistake, or confidently spoke in front of an audience. Visualizing can help you remember peak performance.
Association is another technique of memory. We recall information more easily if we can connect it with another thing we remember. An example of this is we may remember a new person’s name if they share the same name with someone we already know. We can deliberately select association so we can remember better. If you want to remember where you parked your car, you might associate it with the lamp post it is near. But associations do not always have to make sense. Once in a class the students were asked on the first day to introduce themselves and also to name a vegetable that began with the same letter as their first name. Interestingly, it was easier to remember each other’s names because you would first think of the vegetable, and then have the first letter of their name, which would help you to recall their name. Odd associations and strange events are easier to remember because they are different.
Grouping is a technique you can use to remember sets of things. For example, if you wish to memorize the names of all the states in the U.S.A., you might try to remember that there are four states that begin with the letter A, three that begin with the letter C, etc. to help you remember in more manageable amounts. This can also be done to remember such varied things as anatomical terms, learning a song, or what you need to do today (ex: 4 phone calls, 6 tasks).
These techniques will help you to improve your memory under many circumstances. Pause when you receive information you wish to retain. Learn to use review and repetition to your advantage. Write things down. Simplify routines and eliminate clutter. Group. Use association to link information to things you will remember.
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