Memory Techniques

Instructions Step 1: Know the type of memory Understand memory — episodic memory is when you remember events by picturing them as episodes in your head, semantic memory deals with facts and generalized information, and procedural memory deals with how to perform a task or strategy. Step 2: Understand encoding Understand the strategy of encoding …

Transcript Woman: Want to ace a memory test? Man: Quick tips! Woman: If you’re right-handed, this won’t work for lefties, then 30 seconds before the exam, looking left to right without moving your head. It may increase interaction between your brain’s hemispheres. Genius!

Instructions : Consult your doctor if you experience loss of mental function, confusion, or decreasing alertness while performing any of these steps. Step 1: Concentrate on the task at hand Concentrate on the task at hand. Often lapses in memory are due to having too much on your mind or multi-tasking. Step 2: Adopt regular …

Instructions Step 1: Break info into small bits Break information into small bites and memorize, then add another item and build a list. Write the information down in small groups and repeat it. TIP: Reading and then reciting words takes the few seconds necessary to convert short-term recognition to long-term memory. Step 2: Memorize landmarks …

Instructions Step 1: Improve recall Improve memory more easily with visualizations of the past, using pictures, music, or mental cartoons to recall what would otherwise be lost. In some cases, assign a mantra or try mnemonic devices to remember better and retain quickly. Step 2: Use it or lose it Test yourself by using the …

Instructions Step 1: Look at pictures Spend a few minutes looking at pictures in a book that are unfamiliar to you. Close the book. Step 2: Make a list Make a list on a piece of paper of as many of those objects that you can remember. Open the book again and check how well …

Instructions Step 1: Celebrate New Year’s Day Celebrate New Year’s Day every year on January 1st. The day of the week will change from year to year, but the date to start anew is always January 1st. This may be a good day to get a new calendar and jot down your favorite holidays. Step …

Instructions Step 1: Prepare your mind by believing you can memorize Find a quiet place to think with no distractions and prepare your mind by convincing yourself that you can effectively learn and remember the information. TIP: Start memorizing well before any deadline or test you might have. Don’t try to tackle too much information …

Instructions Step 1: Choose your palace Select a place with many rooms that you can vividly picture in your mind’s eye, such as your home or workplace. Step 2: Chart a path Chart a specific route through every nook and cranny of your “palace.” Always start in the same place, follow the same path, and …

Instructions Step 1: Eat vegetables Eat your vegetables – studies show that vegetables can help keep you sharp. Some of the best include spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, rhubarb, leeks, and broccoli. Step 2: Ingest phytochemicals Get a healthy dose of the phytochemicals anthocyanin and quercetin. Foods with anthocyanin include berries, grapes, and …

Instructions Step 1: Create and memorize lists Create and memorize lists, organized alphabetically, logically, or however helps you to recall information. Test different systems to find the best one. Step 2: Sing or rhyme Sing or rhyme the information so that you can recall it through the familiarity of music or word patterns. Step 3: …

Instructions Step 1: Position hands Ball your hands into fists and hold them front of you. Step 2: Begin on the left Count the months on your knuckles and the grooves in between, starting with January on your leftmost knuckle, which is your left pinky. Step 3: Count Don’t count your thumb’s knuckles or any …

Instructions Step 1: Move or wave your hands. Canadian researchers have found that gesturing activates both the language and memory part of the brain, increasing your chances of remembering the word you’re looking for. TIP: Wave your hands while you’re trying to memorize something. One study found that this makes you three times more likely …

Instructions Step 1: Pick three names Pick three common names that might belong to the person in question. Discreetly call out those names. Step 2: Send a text If you have an idea of who it might be, try sending a text while you watch to see if he picks up his phone. Step 3: …

Instructions Step 1: Play games Do crossword puzzles, play Sudoku, take up bridge — games like these stimulate the mind, helping the brain grow new neural pathways, improving your mental ability. Step 2: Drink grape juice Drink purple grape juice (not white). Research has found that drinking eight ounces of Concord grape juice a day …

Instructions Step 1: Take a deep breath Take a few deep breaths before you’re introduced to someone. When you’re stressed out, the brain activates an enzyme that impairs short-term memory, reducing the chances that you’ll remember what you hear. Step 2: Lock eyes Look the person in the eye as they say their name. Research …