Simple Memory Tricks That Help Me Every Single Day..
How many times have you forgotten your password for something, your friend's phone number, the address for the office or the name of that guy you used to know? Sometimes we forget where we put our keys or if we turned off the oven, and when we forget, that can really take us out of balance.
Here are some simple tricks to remember these things, despite our difficulties.
Forgetting Boring or Mundane Details
Problem: You tend to forget meetings,
addresses, passwords and phone numbers, as well as historic dates and
birthdays.
Don't take it hard. In a reality where we are flooded with huge amounts
of information, the brain isn't able to process everything at once. Even
though it has a folder called 'declarative memory' where it plans to
keep factual information of this kind, it isn't made to remember such
things, and if we don't make a special effort to remember these facts,
they will have a short shelf-life.
Solution: The only way to turn boring information into part of our
long-term memory is to store it correctly so we can access it later. If
we don't make a conscious effort, it will be gone. The best way to do
this is to add meanings, as we are configured to remember such things.
For example: Connect a memory to something else you never forget, like a
holiday. "My niece's birthday is 2 weeks after New Year's Eve."
Another great way to remember boring facts and lists is to construct a
short and simple story. For instance, if you need to remember a list of
numbers, break them down into a few numbers and give each a part of the
story. So, if you need to remember the number 821576 (as a password or
code), you can imagine a story in which an 82-year-old grandfather has
15 grandchildren and is married to a 76-year-old named Margaret. The
more details you give the story (his name is Jack and he is a retired
race car driver), the easier it will be to recall these numbers.
Forgetting to Carry Out Automatic Tasks
Problem: You don't remember if you turned
the stove off, turned on the washing machine or made sure no lights are
left on in the house.
While we do these automatic tasks, we use the 'Procedural memory', the
memory we use to store chains of actions (a simple one would be to first
check if any lights are on, then to turn them off). This type of
long-term memory is used to carry out action chains we learned, like
riding a bicycle, tying our shoelaces or making coffee. Because of the
automatic nature of this action, we usually don't really concentrate on
doing it, and just let our body go through the motions.
Solution: In most cases in which we think we forgot to do something like
this, we probably DID remember to do it. But, if you find yourselves
constantly doubting yourself, attach another action to the action you're
obsessing about, and use it to make sure you remember doing it. For
example, every time you turn off the stove, say loudly: "I turned off
the stove", or take a long sip of water. Any action that will be easy to
remember will help. Then when you doubt yourself it will be much easier
to remember if you have something else to remember.
Forgetting People's Names
Problem: You run into someone you met a few
days ago, but you already forgot their name! You're not alone - this is
one of the most common memory problems. The problem could be in the
storage of the memory (you didn't pay much attention when you met the
person) or in retrieval (you can't get out the name when it counts), or
just a combination of both.
Solution: Most people learn visually
instead of orally, which explains why we usually remember faces, but are
quite bad with names. Next time you meet someone new, look at them
really well and repeat their name for yourself at least three times. Use
it in the conversation, as we tend to remember those better than just
names. Try giving the name meaning, or rhyme it.
For example, if you meet a man named Mark, you can secretly call him:
"Mark of the Ark", or imagine him marking a paper. We know it sounds
silly, but the more extra meanings you give to a word, the easier it
will be to remember it! Remembering a collection of sounds is much
harder than trying to remember an association.
You Get Distracted
Problem: You go into a room and forget why
you did so. You were looking for something, got distracted by the dog or
something on TV, and then suddenly you can't remember what it was!
Solution: Get a mental image of the thing you are looking for before you
go look for it. If need be, associate that object with other objects or
a logical chain of actions. So for instance, if you are on your way to
the storage room to find your old bathing suit, on your way think of
summer, pools and sunshine. This type of mental organization makes these
associations to your current situation easier, and when you get there,
you will not lose track of what you were doing.
If you do still find yourself in that situation, ask yourself: What was
the chain of actions that brought me here? The little things you were
doing just before this will give you a clue as to what you are doing
there.
Losing Daily Items
Problem: You don't remember where you put the keys, wallet or your sunglasses. This is usually an attention problem. When we go into the house in a huff, while lost in thought or maybe talking on the phone, our mind wanders and we might place objects in various places without remembering where. As usual, if we don't make it clear to the brain that we must remember these things, it will let them disappear.
Problem: You don't remember where you put the keys, wallet or your sunglasses. This is usually an attention problem. When we go into the house in a huff, while lost in thought or maybe talking on the phone, our mind wanders and we might place objects in various places without remembering where. As usual, if we don't make it clear to the brain that we must remember these things, it will let them disappear.
Solution: This is a very similar problem to forgetting the lights on. Try not to put anything down while doing something else, and try to add an action to the putting down. Say: "This is where I'm putting my keys - on the armchair of the sofa." or "I'm putting my glasses in the blue box." Then you don't have to remember the exact location, just what you said, which is much easier, and even if you don't remember it perfectly, it will give you important clues of where to look.
Another and perhaps even better way is to stick to your habits. This is one of those rare times when obsession actually pays off. Religiously place your items in the same place over and over again. Designate an easy-to-reach place where everything goes, and later sort them from that place into their rightful places.
For instance, you can keep a big bowl next to the entry door, where you put keys, wallet, glasses etc. When you are not busy and can pay attention, go back to the bowl and put everything in its rightful place. Now that you are paying attention, you'll probably remember where they are.
Having trouble Remembering...ahh...what was it? Oh yes - Words.
Problem: Having a hard time remembering
words, names of books and plays, names of actors, old tunes etc. This is
a universal problem and it gets worse the older we get. It doesn't
matter how much we pressure ourselves or force ourselves to remember -
it just won't happen if our minds are preoccupied.