These days, everyone is overwhelmed with information, and with all the little things to remember (names, numbers, daily tasks, facts, passwords, schedules, etc.), having a good memory is becoming more and more important. If you are like most people, you have times when you feel like you are “losing your memory” or just can’t remember information you used to know.

The good news is that if you are not satisfied with how well your memory is working, you can improve your memory in a relatively short amount of time, and it’s easier than you think. This article will give you five tools you can try today to improve remembering, learning, and thinking ability. But first, let’s review some of the myths about memory that are not true:

Before you start to work on improving your memory, it’s important that you have realistic expectations about your memory abilities. Be careful to not set impossible goals, such as: • Being able to pay attention to several things at once (“multi-tasking”) and remember them all with great accuracy • Expecting to improve your memory without effort (claims that you can “learn in your sleep” or that there is a single “trick” for improving your memory are not true) • Assuming that you’ll remember everything you’ve ever experienced Your memory skills are the foundation for just about all your other thinking abilities (problem solving, new learning, generating ideas, etc.). Thus, improving your memory skills can help you reach your potential in other areas of your life, too.

Memory Myths Memory is like a sponge that absorbs everything – this is not only impossible, but also impractical, and only creates unrealistic expectations about how much you should be remembering Memories are snapshots, and cameras don’t lie – the truth is that memories are not etched in stone; we don’t remember things with complete accuracy later on because memories are reworked using new experiences and different perspectives Memory loss is inevitable as you get older – the truth is that memory lapses occur at any age, and that the natural decline in memory that occurs with aging isn’t as great as popularly believed, especially not if you continuously make efforts to keep your memory sharp

The good news about memory is that there are a wide variety of techniques that can improve your memory, if you use them regularly. The bad news is that laziness makes your memory skills dull. The old truth of “use it or lose it” applies to your memory, too.

Memory Tools

Tool #1: Pay Attention
The biggest problem people have with memory is not paying attention to new information. Without attention, memories don’t get into your mind, and can’t be saved. One big obstacle to paying attention is multi-tasking. You may feel that you are paying attention to many things, but you really aren’t (such as listening to your spouse while watching TV, or checking e-mail while talking on the phone). If you have a set of things you really need to do and remember, do them one at a time.

Tool #2: Categorize Information
Organize new information in a meaningful way, much like you organize file folders so you can easily find information later. One way to do that is to use organizing systems such as Mnemonics (memory strategies – see tool #5 below) rather than trying to memorize a bunch of unrelated information. Another way to categorize memories is to use “chunking” or packing memories together to make one “bundle” instead of many separate memories. For example, instead of trying to remember 5 different items, try to come up with a mental picture that shows all 5 items on your desk. The picture is one “bundle” which is easier to remember than 5 different memories.

Tool #3: Repeat, Reflect, Refresh
After you hear or read new information you want to remember, repeat it several times to yourself to make it “stick.” This works well when learning someone’s name for the first time. Repeat the name silently to yourself as you are talking to the person, and use their name during the conversation. Reflect on new information by thinking about it, making connections to what you already know. For example, when learning a new software program, think about how this program is similar to others that you already know. That way, your brain connects the new information to old information, making it easier to remember later. Also, don’t forget to refresh your memories shortly after you learned something new. Review the information a few times over the next few days to really learn and remember it.

Tool #4: Avoid Memory Depressors
A good memory depends on a healthy brain. Therefore, make sure your lifestyle is one that keeps your brain in good working condition. The most common reason for poor memory and poor thinking ability is sleep deprivation. Too little sleep can set you up for a host of memory problems and lack of mental clarity. Alcohol, drugs, cigarette smoking, and medications with memory-depressing side effects are also common reasons for why people have trouble remembering things. Regular physical exercise has been shown to increase mental clarity, focus, and thinking ability in adults, and a lack of exercise can make your memory worse. A big problem, as far as memory is concerned, is simply laziness: about learning new things, keeping yourself mentally challenged, and making efforts to pay attention and remember important information. If you don’t keep your mind and memory sharp through regular use, you can’t expect to have great memory abilities.

Tool #5: Learn More about Memory and Memory Techniques
Remembering things well is often a matter of knowing how to learn things well in the first place. That’s why it’s important to have the right knowledge about memory and how it works. You can learn more about memory and how to improve it through books and internet sites (such as the ones recommended below). You can also spend some time learning Mnemonics, which are memory strategies that help you “chunk” and organize information in easy and fun ways so you can recall it easily later. A good example of a mnemonic is the sentence that kids learn when they have to memorize the order of the planets. The sentence is, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.” Here, every word begins with the letter of a planet, making it easy to remember all the planets, in the correct order. The word “nine” in the sentence also is a good reminder that there are nine planets. Remembering this one sentence is much easier than trying to remember all nine planets separately. Lots of other mnemonic strategies are listed and explained on our website. Check out Our Memory Page for more examples.

Resources:
• Improving Your Memory for Dummies by John Arden (2002). Paperback, 312 pages.
• Memory Improvement Tools Online

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