You are chatting with a friend and would like to recommend a book you just finished reading or a recently viewed movie. Suddenly, the title does not occur to you! You have it on the tip of your tongue, but the more you try to remember it, the more it escapes you. It can happen to anyone. We all know how difficult it is to fix in the mind the information we are exposed to every day. Fortunately, there are several solutions to train short-term memory, improve long-term memory, and stimulate the mind to remember important details.
Steps
Method 1 of 13: Repeat the Most Important Information aloud
Step 1. Say the address, phone number or date you want to memorize out loud several times
It is a very simple solution, but the most effective if you think some information may be useful in the short term.
When you repeat something aloud, technically you are not memorizing it, but you are going to produce a pattern and sound effect that will allow you to remember what you need
Method 2 of 13: Create Mind Associations
Step 1. Process a mental image to make it easier for you to remember names, dates and objects
If you know a person named Vincenzo, try to imagine him looking at a Vincent Van Gogh painting. If you want to remember where you parked your car, read the name of the street and imagine the character he is named after sitting in the back seat. It is a way to greatly improve your ability to recall certain information and can even become a fun exercise!
To give another example, if you always get the names wrong and you met a person named Natalia, you could think about Christmas Eve and imagine her dressed as Santa Claus. If you've found a brand of potato chips you like and say it's called "Umbrella Chips", imagine a pile of potatoes sitting on the beach under an umbrella
Method 3 of 13: Focus on one thing at a time
Step 1. Turn off the TV when studying and the phone while driving
When you juggle various activities, attention gets lost in too many things, thus preventing you from correctly processing the information you need to remember what you are doing. If you want to have a clearer memory, focus on one thing at a time. Keep your phone in your pocket, take off the earphones and think about what you need to do.
The so-called "multitasking" can have long-term effects. Studies show that people who do multiple things at the same time have a harder time getting rid of distractions than other people
Method 4 of 13: Write and Take Notes
Step 1. Write down what you want to remember later
The very fact of taking notes allows you to recall information even without consulting it! While memorization is a purely mental act, on the other hand writing is a physical act. So, by combining these two processes, you help the brain remember.
Oddly, studies seem to indicate that it is difficult to achieve the same effect by writing something on your phone or computer, so you may want to use pen and paper if you really want to remember a friend's birthday or dentist's appointment
Method 5 of 13: Take a Little Walk
Step 1. There is a lot of scientific evidence that walking stimulates memory
If you are trying to remember something, see if it helps to go down the street and walk a few minutes. Whatever happens, you will do some movement and relax. At best, however, you will remember the name of the book you read as a child and it changed your outlook on life!
- According to some research, walking backwards for a few minutes helps to recall certain details. Try this method if you're short on time. It might sound silly, but don't underestimate the possibility that it reminds you of something important.
- Even the habit of walking can improve memory skills. Practiced a few times a week, it can literally increase the volume of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for forming memory. Therefore, walking is good for the brain!
Method 6 of 13: Change the Routine to Store Important Information
Step 1. Stand up to fix the information that interests you in your mind or sit in the open air when you have to study a difficult subject
Lie down or do a few hops with your legs apart while repeating something you want to assimilate. Repetition is a good habit, but it also risks making you do something mechanically without helping you process what you are doing. In these cases, even a simple change, like picking up your laptop and working in the kitchen, can help you get what you need in your mind.
Routine involves little effort and attention. This is why we sometimes forget to stop by the supermarket or post office on our way home from work - we are basically not used to doing it. It is called procedural memory, that is, the one that leads us to acquire automatic motor behaviors. So, by changing the procedure, it is easier to form a memory
Method 7 of 13: Drink Coffee or Tea
Step 1. Try drinking a cup of green tea or having a coffee
The concept behind this tip is pretty simple: caffeine and theine wake you up by stimulating brain activity, so they can help you retrieve information.
Caffeine helps recall past things, but does not form new memories. As a result, even if you drink gallons of coffee while studying, they won't allow you to memorize a lesson
Method 8 of 13: Eliminate the sugars
Step 1. A high sugar intake impairs long-term memory, so avoid them if you want to keep yourself mentally clear
Take coffee, even with milk, but forget about the sugar. Try removing chocolate bars and junk food from your diet as well. Not only will you be healthier and happier, but you will have less difficulty remembering things.
A high-fat diet can also have the same effect, although the consequences associated with excessive fat intake on memory have not been as thoroughly researched as those of sugar. Try to follow a balanced diet, avoiding the consumption of processed foods if possible
Method 9 of 13: Solving Puzzles and Playing Strategy Games
Step 1. Play a game of chess, solve a crossword puzzle, or gather some friends to play cards
This method does not directly affect memory, but it keeps the brain active. When you play games that involve a lot of mental effort, it's a bit like the brain is lifting weights. There is a lot of evidence to support the fact that mind and strategy games improve cognitive function, thereby favoring memory skills.
According to some research, video games can also help memory. Just be careful not to overdo it and opt for those that require a rich and articulate mental application
Method 10 of 13: Meditate During the Week
Step 1. Meditate regularly if you want to gradually improve your memory
By doing this, you bridge the gap between what happens in your mind and what happens to your body. Even if you won't see results right away, meditating for 20 to 30 minutes a day can improve your memory skills within a month. So, to start, find a quiet place to relax, sit back and do some guided meditation.
Even if you don't have the distinct perception that meditative practice stimulates memory, doing it regularly can still promote mental energies, emotional well-being and physical health, so it's definitely worth a try. Keep it up
Method 11 of 13: Increase Physical Activity
Step 1. Run, cycle to work or hit the gym a couple of times a week
Physical activity helps blood to circulate throughout the body, promoting its flow to the brain. Find a fun way to train so you don't throw in the towel. For example, if weightlifting isn't your strings, you could play basketball or swim a couple of times a week.
While this method does not directly affect memory, exercising regularly is one of the best ways to gradually improve memory skills
Method 12 of 13: Sleep Well
Step 1. Go to bed within a reasonable time and get 8 hours of sleep each night
If you have to prepare for a major exam, you are more likely to get a good grade by resting regularly than by studying like a madman all night. Sleep helps process information, so get at least 8 hours of sleep a night if you want to remember what you study.
Although the relationship between sleep and memory is not yet fully understood, it appears that sleep helps to consolidate memories, turning new information into something to be stored in the mind
Method 13 of 13: Notice the Moment You Memorize Something
Step 1. The conscious act of memorizing something at a given moment allows the brain to remember it later
Unfortunately, every time you remember something, the brain tends to slightly distort the facts and details, a bit like it happens in that game - the wireless phone - in which each player has to whisper a sentence in the ear of the neighbor. To avoid this effect, think about the things to remember by saying aloud, "I'm memorizing it right now." By doing so, you will be able to recall details and details when you try to remember them.
