Professional Tips and Advice for Improving Memory
Take a moment and try to answer the following questions: How many times
have you tried to remember where you put your keys, your wallet, or your
TV remote? And in some cases, have you forgotten the name of a person
you knew only a few minutes ago or your best friend's cell phone number?
And did you recently learn something new only to have it completely
evaporate from your brain?
If you feel that you often forget things, you’re not alone, because
forgetting the things we have mentioned so far isn’t uncommon at all -
but there are proven and effective ways to deal with it. We've collected
four types of things that we all tend to forget, and each has a memory
training method recommended by experts in the field that can help you
get started remembering all those little things. In addition, here are 5
tips for daily activities that you can do to strengthen your brain and
improve your memory abilities in a simple and proven way.
1. Long item lists always elude you?
The Loci method will help you Do you ever get to the grocery store and find it hard to remember the list of products you have to buy? Or when you land abroad, you discover that you’ve forgotten to take some important items from home? If you do all this, the Loci system, also known as the "Memory Palace," can help you remember lists of different items. The method is very simple – all you have to do to start is sit in front of your clearly written out list and think of a familiar place, such as your home or your childhood room. Then, place the items on your list around the area you imagined, in a completely arbitrary manner.
For example, let's say that we need to remember the following 3 items: toothpaste, mobile phone charger, and a pair of socks. Let's imagine the entrance to our house, and start putting down the items - the toothpaste will be put in the mailbox, the driveway will be loaded with phone charges and the pair of socks put on the entrance rug. As strange and detached from reality the picture you paint in your mind is, the easier it will be to remember, experts, say. When you get to the moment when you need to recall all the items, imagine the place you chose when you were in front of the list and start - mentally - retracing your steps and collecting the items from where you put them. In reality, you will see how miraculously you’ll be able to remember the whole list of items…
Why does it work? According to the experts, visual images and locations,
even if they are only in our minds, represent representations that are
more easily remembered than random lists of words. A multi-item
environment, even one that we create only in our heads, gives our memory
something to rely on, so it is easier for it to separate the various
pieces of information and retrieve them quickly, without too much
hassle.
2. Weak in recalling series of numbers or dates?
The chunking method will do wonders in your memory A recent survey in the US found that more than 50% of Americans can’t speak out any phone number, not even that of their best friends or relatives, without looking at their contacts on their mobile phone. Americans are not alone in this matter - most of us already have trouble recalling sequences of numbers, whether it's our credit card number or the birthdays of friends or distant relatives. To train your mind to memorize all these sequences of numbers so that you don’t have to rely solely on technology, you can try the chunking method: divide the long series of numbers into small series of 3-4 digits in each group and try to give each one some personal meaning.
For the sake of illustration, let's assume that your friend's phone
number is 7182541967. To remember it, divide it into groups of 3-4
digits, such as 718-254-1967. Now go a step further and give each chunk a
personal meaning, for example, 718 is like July 18th, your spouse’s
birthday, 254 when you turned 54 your grandson turned 2, 1967 was the
year you graduated high school. You can do the same with your bank
password, birthday dates you want to remember, or any other detail that
contains a long series of digits. The next time you try to remember the
series, start to recall the small groups with the meanings you gave
them, and you will see how the entire sequence really jumps out at you.
Why does it work? According to experts, most people in the world can
store in their memory a series of up to five digits that appear
arbitrarily one after the other, which of course makes it very difficult
for us to memorize long sequences. The division of the long sequence
limits the amount of information we need to remember, and the personal
link organizes it in our brains. So, in the same way, that we wouldn’t
have trouble remembering 4 random numbers, we can now remember four sets
of numbers without difficulty.
3. Have trouble remembering factual information?
The Mnemonic method will make your life easy Many times, when we learn a series of random facts that are related to each other, we might realize that after a short time we find it difficult to recall them and perhaps they will even completely be forgotten. For example: can you name the presidents of the United States in order? Or the stages of human cell division? In order to sharpen our factual memory capabilities and begin to remember things we learn, we can use the "mnemonic" method. As part of this method, we will take the first letter of each of the items we want to remember, and from the letters of all the items together we will create a sort of memorable sequence that can be expressed and can hold in our memory the full names of those items. One of the most well-known examples of using this is in math – “PEMDAS - the initials of the order of operations. Another often used is Roy G. Biv to remember the colors of the rainbow. Try it yourself with various facts you’ve learned and you will certainly see results.
Why does it work? According to the experts, the first letter of each of the items in the series is used by our brains as a hint. The clear order in which the letters appear in the mnemonic device focuses on the possibilities of our brain and helps it to retrieve memories more quickly and accurately. In addition, when we create a mnemonic device, we need to repeat the series of information we’ve learned, isolate their first letters and rearrange them logically - this is a repetitive process that allows us to look at the information again and improve brain performance as well as memory.
4. Tend to forget people's names?
Try the image-based method In the course of our lives, we meet a large number of new people, some of whom we connect with and keep in constant contact with and others a little less. So how can we remember the names of those we don’t see or keep in touch with as often? The graphic image method can help us with this. How does it work? Very simply - when you come across a person whose name you want to remember, imagine a familiar person with the same name or the name of a particular item whose pronunciation resembles that of the person standing in front of you. Then take one of the visual characteristics of the person whose name you are trying to remember, such as the color of his/her hair, the shape of his/her eyebrows or the dimples that adorn his/her face, and incorporate them in your imagination in a certain situation with the familiar person or item you’ve imagined.
For example, let's say you’re at a party and meet a guy named Ben whose
name you want to remember. First, you can imagine Big Ben in London.
Then take a look at his outer appearance, what color is his hair? Is it
brown? Imagine Big Ben with a brown toupee on it. Although this is a
strange visual to imagine, you’ll be surprised at how this will help you
recall the name of the person the next time you meet them face to face.
Why does it work? While names are quite easy to forget and faces usually
blend with one another, as soon as we associate the name with a visual
cue, memory binds the information together, making retrieval easier and
more convenient.
5 daily activities to strengthen your brain and improve your memory
Apart from memory techniques experts also suggest taking part in these simple daily activities to improve memory. We picked 5 of these selected tips for you.
1. Food and nutrition - The recommended diet for improving memory capacity includes as many vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, fish, chicken, olive oil and wine as possible. On the other hand, it is recommended to limit the intake of red meat, butter, cheese, sweet snacks, and fried food. Adherence to such a diet will reduce your risk of cognitive impairment by 35%, due to the lean protein, antioxidants, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids absorbed by the recommended foods that help reduce your risk of dementia.
2. Smelling rosemary oil - Though it may sound unusual, the practice of smelling rosemary oil is scientifically supported. British scientists have found that the aromatic scent of rosemary can enhance and preserve long-term memory capabilities. This effect is believed to stem from the increased activity of certain chemicals in the brain that are stimulated by the scent of rosemary. To harness these benefits, simply drip four drops of rosemary oil into a small spray bottle filled with water. Spray this mixture into the air of the room you are in once an hour. This simple routine can help improve your memory by leveraging the natural properties of rosemary oil, making it a convenient and pleasant addition to your daily activities.
3. Read printed books - The fact that reading books contributes to
strengthening and improving the brain has been known for many years.
However, in the age of technology, it’s important to know that this
activity helps only if you’re reading books printed on paper. In a
recent study, a comparison was made between readers of printed books and
digital readers, and their ability to reconstruct the order of events
that occurred in the plot of a book they read. The findings of the study
showed that readers of printed books were able to reproduce the plot
much better than readers of digital books. The researchers speculate
that this is due to the movement of the fingers between the lines, as
well as the feeling of paper in hand, which contributes to the ability
to remember and reconstruct the details of the plot.
4. Exercise a few hours after learning something new - Recent studies
highlight the benefits of engaging in vigorous exercise, such as running
or cycling, about four hours after acquiring new information. This type
of exercise enhances our heart and lung endurance, which is linked to
improved memory capabilities. The delay between learning and exercise
appears crucial because it allows the brain time to process and store
the new information. Engaging in intensive training immediately after
learning may not be as effective, likely because the brain needs an
initial period to consolidate the information. By waiting a few hours,
you give your brain the opportunity to solidify the newly acquired
knowledge before stimulating it further through physical activity. This
method activates brain regions involved in retrieving and recalling
information, thus improving long-term memory retention.
5. Go to bed soon after learning new information - If exercising isn't
feasible due to time or energy constraints, sleep is a powerful
alternative for memory enhancement. Sleep encourages brain changes that
stabilize and retain memories over the long term. The timing of sleep is
critical—reviewing the information just before bedtime can
significantly aid in this process. As you sleep, your brain continues to
work on consolidating the information learned, making it more stable
and easier to recall later. This is because sleep helps to reinforce the
neural connections made during the learning process, embedding the new
knowledge more deeply into your memory. Thus, incorporating a brief
review session before going to bed can maximize the benefits of sleep on
memory retention.