5 ways to improve your memory

5 ways to improve your memory

by ABC Health and Wellbeing

Losing keys, forgetting names and not remembering important information for work or study? For most of us, memory lapses aren't a sign of a serious illness but they are nonetheless frustrating. Thankfully, you can boost your recall.

Pay attention and avoid distractions

One reason we forget things is that we never fully processed them into our memory in the first place. To encode a long-term memory in your brain, you need to actively attend to the information. Sometimes, simply reminding yourself to focus on the task at hand – say meeting someone new and learning their name – is all that's needed. However, stating what you're doing out loud can also help memory – eg "I'm putting my glasses on the kitchen table". If you're trying to process more complex information, try minimising distractions like television or phone calls.

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Write or record new information

Another way to help yourself stay focused on learning something new is to take a more active role – such as by writing or recording important points. Taking study notes for instance is generally more effective than simply reading or listening to a body of information. Keeping a pen and notebook (or using your smartphone) can be handy to record things, like say, where you parked your car in a large shopping centre car park.

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Group things together

Organising information into groups makes memorising easier. That's why we often recite phone numbers in clusters of three or four digits. Grouping can also make what you're learning less "abstract" and give structure to the recall process. For example, if you have forgotten your shopping list try to recall items by types of products (i.e. dairy, stationary, toiletries).

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Develop association techniques

Developing associations – say with a relevant image, acronym, sentence (acrostic) or rhyme – is another memory boosting trick. These memory clues are called mnemonics. For instance, the sentence "Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit" can be used to remember the notes on the lines of a treble clef in music (E, G, B, D, F). Likewise, when you meet someone new called Rosemary, creating a mental image of her face smelling the herb rosemary can make it more likely you will remember her name.

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Avoid memory lapse triggers

Fatigue and alcohol are two known triggers for memory lapse, so avoiding these can help in situations where you need to stay sharp. Aim to get a good night's sleep before an exam and if important information is likely to be exchanged at say, a work lunch, consider sticking to non-alcoholic drinks.

Published 20/01/2014