Easy Strategies and Techniques to Improve Your Memory
All of us can benefit from improved memory and concentration. Both long and short-term memory is required to learn, grow, integrate, and synthesize information. At its most basic level, understanding and learning rely heavily on memory and mental sharpness. Over time, however, our mental agility and memory skills can begin to deteriorate; Alzheimer’s and stroke are just a couple of examples, and and an increase in age also contributes to memory loss.
Memory is a skill; it is learned, developed, and maintained depending on the type of information and level of input received. As a result, you can train your memory and learning skills to encourage further growth and openness to learning. Key memory skills at a young age can lay the foundation for future potential; still, tapping into this fantastic resource may prove difficult for some.
Students of all ages can benefit greatly from sharpening their memory skills, and using specific strategies and techniques to encourage a strong memory. Whether in school, in a new environment, or simply taking a new perspective on a subject, we can all improve our retention, ability to integrate information, and grow our future learning capacity as a result! Sound too complicated? It really isn’t, especially when you can contribute to sharpening some key skills and areas. Your brain goes through a basic three-stage process when presented with new information: Registration, Retention, and Retrieval.
Registration is the step where you are approaching and ‘learning’ new information; this can range from an immediate reaction (such as an advertisement), or a long-term approach (when you are studying information for the first time). You then go through the Retention stage, where your mind is consciously, but most often unconsciously, making an attempt to keep that information in order. It’s at this stage that you can actually influence the retention rate if you can organize the Registration information in an easy way. After Retention, comes the Retrieval stage. Retrieval is a result of adequate integration of information, and if you have used some key techniques and ‘cues’ to learn, this will be a smooth and easy process. Successful retrieval allows you to literally ‘grab’ stored knowledge and information at your leisure and when you need it!
Practice these techniques and strategies to enhance or increase your memory in just a few short weeks; you may be surprised at the difference!
Take a new road or route to work. This process encourages your brain to think of new ways to reach a familiar destination. When you are trying to locate a place, you are doing a ‘visual’ search through your memory bank; do this with a new route, and you will be setting up a new network for your mind to assimilate and retain.
Exercise more! Yes, once again exercise can benefit you in more ways than conditioning your body. When you exercise, blood flows to the brain and muscles at a higher rate; you’ll be sharper, more alert, and refreshed enough to create new thoughts and process new information.
Recall using cues. When you are required to remember a series of information or data that is unfamiliar, mentally create a ‘cue’ in your head. For example, if you are trying to remember someone’s name you have just met, connect their name with a visual aid familiar to you that will help you remember their name easily (e.g. the name ‘Simon’ can bring to your mind the handheld game, ‘Simon’ and link it to that person; the more outrageous, the better, as your mind will remember items with emotions of humor, happiness, or even anger).
Play the Memory card game: you know the old deck of card game that requires you to turn over two cards at a time to find a match? Play it to practice and sharpen your most basic memory skills; your attention and time will pay off!
Read out loud: Reading out loud allows you to listen and learn at the same time; this is helpful when learning a new language or tackling a difficult subject, and can help you to integrate the meanings and sounds of new words.
Exaggerate: Use visual imagery techniques to recall information by connecting the cue to an exaggerated version. For example, if you are required to remember a series of ingredients for a recipe, exaggerate the ingredients (in your mind) to epic proportions. The more prominent and colorful your images are, the more easier it will for you to remember.
Remember the rule of 7: Your brain and memory can usually store only 7 items at one time in short-term memory; use this to your advantage by making easy lists and categories with no more than 7items. When you become skilled at this, you will see that you can organize more information with greater accuracy using subcategories within these seven areas.
Teach it: A great way to learn something new, is to try to teach it to someone else. Even if this is done by creating an outline or learning aid, it will help you to speed up your process of learning, and memorizing it will be much easier.
Watch your diet: Increase fresh and natural foods loaded with Vitamin C, and natural fish oils. Studies have shown that our brains do need adequate nutrition to perform efficiently, and maintaining a balanced diet can help immensely.
Use mnemonic devices, acronyms, and other word play strategies: Creating a game is a great way to remember difficult items; it also encourages your mind to think and approach information differently, and will increase your chances of long-term memory storage. Use acronyms to memorize lists, and mnemonic devices to encourage cues.
These are just ten tips and strategies to increase your memory skills, and are a great start to enhance learning. Create your own approach, and you will benefit greatly from an increased memory span, leanring at a higher rate, and efficient memory retrieval. Practice sharpening your skills on a daily basis, even with familiar objects and attention. You’ll be contributing to increased brainpower, as every bit of practice counts!
