5 Hacks To Improve Your Memory

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Technology has made it possible to get things done a lot quicker. Yet, I often find myself struggling with memory. The other day, I used google maps to direct me to a neighborhood venue. The thing is, I have driven to this location a number of times. But for the life of me, I could not remember which streets to navigate through.

Have you been challenged with memery (ha!) issues lately? Well, do not fret. Here are five memory hacks anyone can apply to their lives and businesses.


The Memory Palace (for your Grocery List)

  1. This method has you pick a familiar place you know well and can envision easily. For instance, your home, neighborhood, or workplace. Then you picture yourself trudging through an identifiable course in that location. Then, you associate an item on your list with each location.
    So, let’s say you’re trying to remember a long grocery list, and you choose to use your neighborhood to mentally visualize it. You then visualize the first article on your list strewn about the lawn. The next item on your list: beer – you might depict your neighbor passed out drunk in his driveway.
    This method is easier than it sounds. You are basically empowering the spatial memory part of your brain to help you out. The memory palace (or method of loci) doesn’t require years of practice. There has been many a study about this method. (1)
  2. Password Hell-o!

    Do you know where the safest place to store your passwords is? Inside your head. It is recommended that you don’t the same password for all your logins. Choose a focal password, maybe a shortened or acronym of a favorite phrase or song. You might now create a system for altering it at each site. Maybe use the first three letters of the site name. No more clicking “Forgot your password?”!

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  3. Remembering Names with Repetition

    I once learned this technique: Simply repeat the person’s name multiple times after you’re introduced, as in: “Nice to meet you, Lisa. So, Lisa, where do you ….” Then there’s a visualization technique. You imagine writing the person’s name on their forehead in your mind. Or associate them with an image, like imagining someone named Lana as, maybe, Lana Del Rey.

  4. Write it down!

    A few years ago, I was studying for two certifications. Talk about information overload! As the test date was approaching rapidly, I had no confidence in my method of retention. But then I looked back to when I was in school. How did I do it then? I wrote down my notes. So, I locked myself in my room and wrote everything down. Oh, and I passed both tests!

  5. SLEEP…Yep! Napping is Necessary!

    I am a master in the art of napping. This helps a lot since I hardly manage to get the recommended 7 to 8 hours. Sleep has immense advantages for your life. While you sleep, your brain sorts out the information collected in your short-term memory. It also sorts through your daily activities. So, take a nap. A nice power nap (Twenty minutes) will give your batteries a nice recharge. Additionally, if napped for a full 90 minutes, your REM cycle will help you remember what you just learned in class or in a meeting.

Though there are many other techniques for memorization, I hesitate to put too much information in one writing. Also, I can’t remember all of them right now.

Enjoy making memories! – E

  1. Memory Fitness: A Guide for Successful Aging, Gilles O. Einstein, Mark A. McDaniel

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