How to Improve Your Memory

Guide Note

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Yes, and you can train your brain to improve your memory. How to Improve Your Memory demonstrates how your mind remembers things, as well as some simple steps to increase its memory capacity.

Table of Contents

Memory Tips

  1. Pay attention.
  2. Get moving.
  3. Challenge your brain.
  4. Eat right.
  5. Get your Zzz's.
  6. Take a deep breath.
  7. Keep a calendar.

Disclaimer

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

Introduction

  • Whether you're studying for a test, trying to remember the name of a new acquaintance or just conjuring up details of that fun vacation you took five years ago, memory is an integral part of our everyday lives. So it's all the more frustrating not to remember even the simplest bits of information when it counts. No matter what your age, the simple steps listed below can help improve your memory.

Step 1: Understand Your Memory

(Creative Commons photo by terren)
(Creative Commons photo by terren)
  • The human mind is infinitely complex, which is why thousands of doctors and researchers devoted to its study have only scratched the surface of how it works. But thanks to decades of that research, and modern technology, scientists have begun to unlock the secret of how our brains store and retrieve information.

The Making of Memory

  1. The information your brain takes in at any given time is encoded (or registered) then stored for future retrieval.1 But just how long it stays put depends on what type of memory the information becomes in one's brain.
  2. If a memory is categorized as "long-term," it is either declarative or procedural.
    • Declarative is the type of memory that you learn, store and retrieve with conscious effort.1
    • Procedural refers to the things you unconsciously learn, usually motor skills, through automatic repetition (such as locking your front door or turning off the stove).2

Types of Memory

  1. Sensory: Remembering what an object looks like after only seeing it briefly is an example of sensory memory. Because one's exposure to the visual or audio object is momentary, you cannot prolong sensory memory with rehearsal.1
  2. Short-term: Recalling information after brief exposure (up to a minute) is an example of short-term memory, and can include some sensory memories.3 In studying short-term memory capacity, scientists have concluded that humans remember a string of information better when they use "chunking."1 For example, a phone number with a distinct area code, prefix and suffix is easier to recall than a continuous line of numbers such as 5125557640.
  3. Long-term: Calling to mind your high-school locker combination or childhood phone number are examples of long-term memory. Long-term memories are stored in a different part of the brain using repetition and can be retained over a lifetime.4 This information travels from short-term to long-term with the help of the hippocampus.5

Retrieving Facts

  • Once all those nuggets of information are consciously or unconsciously stored, retrieving them is another issue altogether. The following steps explain the connection between storage and retrieval as well as how to improve your methods for both.

Step 2: Focus First

(Creative Commons photo by kris krüg)
(Creative Commons photo by kris krüg)
  • Focusing your attention as you encounter information you're going to want to retrieve later can help you remember it.

Paying Attention

  • Have you ever attended a social function and been introduced to seven people, but at the end of the night you barely remember one of the new names you learned? This is a function of short-term memory, and its capacity can be increased.
  1. Many of the facts we forget simply fall through the cracks because we aren't paying enough attention when we learn them. Focused attention is the key to burning things into memory because without it, information can't be transferred from short-term to long-term memory.6
  2. A good memory is often the product of good habits, so the next time you're introduced to someone new, pay attention to his or her name and try repeating it during the conversation.2
  3. The same method can apply to recalling where your car keys are: Make a mental note of where you're setting them down.
  4. Expert also say you should limit multitasking if you're having trouble recalling what it is you just did, read, typed, etc.6 If you focus on one task at a time, your retention rate will be much higher.

File Data Properly

  • Equally as important as paying attention to the instructions your teacher just gave you or the name of your uncle's brother's friend who introduced himself is deciding what to do with that information. Proper data storage is crucial to retrieving that memory later on.
  1. Facts and figures can become a haze of information that runs together if not organized correctly. Experts say that putting memories into categories is essential to retrieving them later.6
  2. Think of your brain as a file cabinet—if you're studying for a test, divide up your facts before you start to memorize them. If you're meeting a group of people for the first time, try organizing them and their names by association, age, hobbies, etc.

Be Deliberate

  • Not far removed from the goal of paying attention is that of being deliberate and purposeful in your actions. Below are a few expert tricks of the trade for making sure you don't forget where you set your car keys.
  1. Talk Yourself Through It: If you're worried about whether you remembered to turn the iron off or can't locate the keys to your car, next time say out loud what you're doing: "I am putting my keys on the computer desk," etc.6
  2. Picture This: Before you go down to the basement to find the waffle maker, visualize yourself doing it so don't forget why you're there the second you walk in the door.2
  3. Spread the Word: If you learned about a concept in class or in a book that you don't want to forget, try relaying (or "teaching") it to someone else. Repetition aids in memorization.7

Step 3: Work Out Your Mind and Body

(Creative Commons photo by Chip Griffin)
(Creative Commons photo by Chip Griffin)
  • We all know the numerous benefits of exercise for our bodies, but the payoff doesn't stop there. Working out your mind and body can reap great rewards for your memory.

Mental Games

  • Just like regular exercise keeps your body in shape, regular workouts will boost your brain.
  1. Learn new skills: Study a language or start a new hobby.3
  2. For more mental challenges, check out these games for the brain.8

Physical Exercise

  • Here's how getting off your couch and into your sneakers can boost your brain's memory capacity.
  1. People with fairly sedentary lifestyles who undertake active workout routines have been shown to improve their performance on memory tests.9 Researchers pinpointed greater blood flow to the brain as the catalyst.
  2. Exercise also increases the amount of blood and oxygen flowing to your brain, which also boosts your memory capacity.10
    • Check out Mahalo's Mahalo's Guide to Getting in Shape for tips to point you in the right direction. Consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your workout routine.

Step 4: Treat Yourself Right

(Creative Commons photo by Kanko*)
(Creative Commons photo by Kanko*)
  • Staff meetings, play dates, study sessions, commuting—it's no wonder our memories often get lost in the shuffle. Taking time out to tend to your needs is an ideal way to keep your brain working at its highest capacity.

De-stress

Food for Thought

  • Researchers have also discovered that supplements such as Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Phosphatidyl Serine and Ginkgo Biloba can help increase the mind's might.14

Step 5: Sleep On It

(Creative Commons photo by kaibara87)
(Creative Commons photo by kaibara87)
  • Believe it or not, one of the most powerful ways to improve memory can be done in your sleep! Sleep is an essential component of your brain's ability to sort and store information you take in while awake.

Auto-pilot Maintenance

  • Consolidation of information is one of sleep's most important jobs.15 When you sleep, your brain works overtime to divide the information from the day into two categories: keep and discard. Getting a healthy amount of rest is vital to keeping your mind sharp and jumble-free.

Every Little Bit Helps

  • New research suggests that even short stretches of sleep, or "cat naps," can boost your brain's memorization capacity.16 In a study published by the Journal of Sleep Research, participants in an experiment remembered more information after less than an hour of sleep than people who played video games instead. This comes in handy especially for students—a power nap could do wonders during a long study session.

Step 6: Give It a Rest

(Creative Commons photo by Abdullah Sarraj)
(Creative Commons photo by Abdullah Sarraj)
  • Nothing could be easier than sleeping to improve your memory, but there are a few other seemingly effortless ways to do the trick.
  1. Set frequently used items in the same place every time. Keys are a hard-to-find common culprit. Try setting them, along with your wallet or purse and cell phone or cordless phone, in the same place every time you walk in the door. This way you can save yourself the energy of remembering trivial, everyday details.2
  2. Buy a day planner or pocket-sized calendar. Save your brain the strain of having to recall all your plans for the coming month. Otherwise you could end up getting burned out or forgetting your engagements altogether! Why use up valuable memory space for clutter such as next week's dentist appointment when you can save yourself the trouble? Instead, jot appointments down so you can use your memory for more important things.11
  3. Involve all your senses. Have you ever noticed how potently a memory from years past will come to mind when you smell a certain scent? Because your olfactory sense is such an effective vehicle for memory, some experts suggest utilizing aromatherapy to boost your brain.17 For instance, try inhaling rosemary when learning important facts, then later smell it again if you have any trouble recalling them.11

Conclusion

  • You don't have to be a rocket scientist to improve your memory-making and memory-keeping capacity. It can be as simple as taking a deep breath, forming a few new habits, getting a good night's sleep and breaking a sweat now and then.

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References for How to Improve Your Memory

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wikipedia: Memory
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 RealSimple.com: Tricks to Improve Your Memory
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 wikiHow: How to Improve Your Memory
  4. ↑ Columbia University: A Center at Columbia on Mind, Brain, and Memory
  5. ↑ KidsHealth: Memory Matters
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 AARP: Five Tools for Improving Your Memory
  7. ↑ About.com: Top 10 Memory Improvement Tips
  8. ↑ Games for the Brain: Brain Games
  9. ↑ WebMD: Get Fit, Improve Memory?
  10. ↑ MayoClinic.com: Memory Improvement: Exercise Keeps Your Mind Sharp
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 HowStuffWorks: Improving Memory: Lifestyle Changes
  12. ↑ TIME: How to Get Smarter, One Breath at a Time (January 10, 2008)
  13. ↑ WebMD: Tea, Chocolate Chemical May Boost Memory
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 AOL Body: Easy Memory Boosters
  15. ↑ New Scientist Environment: Sleep Well Before Learning Something New (February 11, 2007)
  16. ↑ MSNBC: 6-minute catnap sharpens memory (February 26, 2008)
  17. ↑ Macalester College: Olfaction and Memory

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