Improving your memory is easier than it sounds. Most of think of our memory as something static and unchanging. But it’s not — you can improve your memory just as you can improve your math or foreign language skills, simply by practicing a few tried and true memory building exercises.
There are two kinds of memory — short-term and long-term. Short-term memory is the kind of memory our brain uses to store small pieces of information needed right away, like someone’s name when you meet for the first time. Research has demonstrated that short-term memory’s capacity is about seven pieces of information. After that, something has to go.
Long-term memory is for things you don’t need to remember this instant. When you study for a test or exam, that’s long-term memory at work. A memorably moment in your life, events with family or friends, and other similar kinds of situations also get stored in long-term memory.
So how do you go about improving your memory? Read on to find out.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 19 Jun 2013
|
Another tip for improving your brain is to learn to write with both hands. It takes about a year or so to accomplish this task. It requires a lot of thinking because making the writing legible
is very difficult at first.
wow…some great tips…i hope i can remember them! i have always had difficulty remember things…i do multitask all the time…i will concentrate on single tasking…for now on.
Bad memories about the use of mnemonic devices. I used them a lot in college and once I wrote a naughty mnemonic in pencil in the margin of my exam but forgot to erase it when I was through. Oh, the embarrassment when I got that exam back and saw the big red question mark next to the naughty mnemonic. I, did however, make an A+ on my test. They work, and naughty mnemoics are particularly easy to remember. Just be very careful and remember to erase the mnemonic before you turn in your exam.
Great reminders all the way around. I particularly like the second suggestion of using your senses. This is how I often help people remember their family stories by describing memories with their senses.
I’d add teaching and talking aloud, too. When you hear a story it helps bring out your own similar experience. If you have to teach someone else what you know, then it forces you to learn the information, not just memorize it (yet, you are exercising your memory muscles…).
Sometimes we are just so busy that we go thru life on auto-pilot — we just don’t take the time to THINK!
In order to remember a list of medical terms for a test, I use a picture with symbols of the list, ie for hypothermia, hypoglycemia, hypokalemia, hypercalemia, acidosis,hypovolemia, and hypoxia, I draw a cube (icecube for hypothermia) with the top on (hypoxia) with a low level of water in it (hypovolemia), a sugar cube (hypoglycemia)and a lemon (acidosis) and a banana (hypo/hyperkalemia) I can remember the picture, then I can remember the list.
I’ll try to apply these useful tips in future .As I have experienced I can remember most when I write things down.
Keep on sending me tips!
Thanks PC
i struggle with memorizing any help will be acceptable or suggestion
One NLP technique is to repeat :
As I get older my memory gets better.
Thanks for the tips really helpful.
It’s some small steps which can make a difference, but not much. I’ve tried many things in the past, such as trying to concentrate more and sort out the information.
I can recommend Ben Pridmore’s books on improving memory. He is probably the greatest memory artists in the world and applying those methods are just amazing.
I have also used the website http://www.memoteq.com to learn memory techniques which are used in memory competitions by real memory artists, it’s a good starting point if you wanna dramatically improve your memory.
But overall. Improving the memory is not that hard once you have all the necessary tools. I would say that you should learn memory techniques.