7 Tips to Improving Memory

    Are you like me and often have difficulty remembering things?  I found these 7 tips to improving your memory in an article by Dr. Mercola entitled, "How Your Brain Stores Trivial Memories, Just in Case".  A couple of the ideas seem particularly helpful to me so I'm going to try them next time I need to remember something trivial.  
     You can read the entire article here.  

7 Quick Tricks to Improve Your Memory

There may be times when you’re looking for a quick way to remember a piece of information or a new skill. The tips that follow, from Forbes,14 are well worth trying to boost your ability to recall information accurately and quickly.

1. Convert the Information into a Picture

Data can be abstract, so forming a picture helps your brain consolidate it. For example, if you park in row D3 of a parking garage, imagine 3 dolphins swimming.

2. Imagine a “Memory Palace”

A memory palace is a place in your mind where you assign pieces of information. Your palace may even have different rooms that you imagine yourself walking through when you need to recall something.

3. Create a Story

Your brain has an easier time remembering stories than fragments of data, so try to connect information and put it into a story whenever possible.

4. Do Something Out of the Ordinary

If you have trouble remembering where you put your keys, jump in the air or shout “yeehaw” next time you put them down. When you remember doing this wacky behavior, you’ll probably also remember where you put your keys.

5. Connect Your Senses

If you’re trying to remember a name, involve multiple senses, such as visualization. For an “Edward” with large eyebrows, you might associate the “E” in Edward with the “E” in eyebrows.

6. Make a Point to Remember

Rather than just letting the data go in one ear and out the other, make an effort to commit to memory. You might repeat it out loud. Ask for the data to be repeated or use it in conversation to help you remember.

7. Take Your Time to Memorize Large Amounts

If you’re giving a presentation that requires tapping your memory for a large amount of data, review the data gradually over time instead of cramming for it. Gradual memorization will help the data to be stored in your cortex, which is a more protected, longer-term area of your brain.