Having a lapse of memory is perhaps one of the most frustrating things that can happen to you. While memory retention is constantly being studied, tips based on the information that is available right now are included here.
When trying to improve memory skills, be sure to pay attention. You may think you’re focusing your attention, but you mind may actually be wandering instead of focusing efficiently. Forget about your problems and stay focused on the information presented. Focus on the subject in order to solidify your memory.
Sticky Notes
Try writing sticky notes if you are having trouble remembering things. Put them in places that you know you will frequently look at, such as next to your computer or cell phone. These sticky notes will ensure that you do not forget important things.
Just like you have to exercise your body to strengthen your muscles, you have to exercise your brain to strengthen your memory. Many studies have shown that puzzles and mental stimulation even help fight senility.
Socially Active
Staying socially active can help keep your memory stay sharp. Remaining socially active will keep your spirits up, and help you stay alert. If you stay at home alone all the time, you brain will not be engaged and stimulated. Memory cells will be strengthened during engaging conversation with other people.
Take time for relating the information you want to memorize to information you already retain. If you build some links this will help you learn new information and put it in your long term memory. Memory thrives on this process of relating a new bit of knowledge to one already secured.
Passing knowledge onto others often promotes improved memory. For instance, if you have trouble recalling a story about swimming with your grandchild, try telling more people about it. This also allows you to properly encode the memory into your brain, making it much easier to call upon when needed.
Information should never be crammed into your brain. You can even make up your own unique methods of remembering things, like study sessions. You should never try to learn something all during one study session. The causes your brain to overload, and you will tend to forget much of what you learned quickly. Make sure you study regularly so that your brain is stimulated into remembering.
A good way to remember things that you hear or that you’re told is to actually put the information into words of your own. Think of it as rewriting someone else’s work. This way you can recall info easier. Unless you fully understand an idea, you will not be able to successfully memorize it.
Term Memory
Learn to relate important new information with existing information in your mind. This will help you expand your memorization abilities. Building associations between data held in short term memory and information you’ve already got in long term memory helps you to hold onto the new information longer. It also aids in incorporating the new information into your long term mental database.
Now that you’ve read some great memory-related tips, you can begin to put these tips into live action. If you improve your information retention capacity, you’ll notice that navigating daily life is much easier than it was before.