Maria Memory Tips 1

Have you ever gone to the top of your stairs to fetch something and by the time you get there…you can’t remember what it is? Mmm sound familiar? I think for time to time we all do this. Perhaps it is because we all live such busy lives and our memory is on over-load… maybe it is a sign of aging, but I am not going to admit to that one! Maria is concerned that her memory is deteriorating and her issue has influenced the topic of the blog today.

If our brains were computers, we'd simply add a chip to upgrade our memory. Because the human brain is more complex than even the most advanced machine, upgrading human memory requires slightly more effort.

Memory can be short-term or long-term. In short-term memory, our mind stores information for a few seconds or a few minutes: the time it takes to dial a phone number you just looked up; or to compare the prices of several items in a shop.

Such memory is fragile, and it’s meant to be; our brains would soon read “disk full” if we retained every phone number we called, every item we ordered in a restaurant, and the subject of every ad we watched on TV. It’s also meant to hold an average of seven items, which is why we can usually remember a new phone number for a few minutes, but need our credit card when we’re buying something online.

We need to make an effort with long term memory because it’s personally meaningful to us (e.g. data about family and friends), or we need it (such as job procedures or course work for an exam), or it made an emotional impression (a movie that had us riveted, your first kiss).

How can we improve our memory?

Here are some Memory Tips for Maria:

Be motivated and keep a positive attitude

Simple yet so important...telling yourself you have a bad memory actually hampers the ability of your brain to remember, while positive mental feedback sets up an expectation of success. So note when you do remember something well and congratulate yourself.

Pay attention

So no multitasking when you need to concentrate. Take on board information in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Tailor information acquisition to your learning style

As a professional speaker, I am very aware of different learning styles, in order to make the greatest impact with as many of my audience as possible. Most people are visual learners; they learn best by reading or otherwise seeing what it is they have to know. Some are auditory learners who learn better by listening. They might benefit by recording information they need and listening to it until they remember it. Others are kinaesthetic learners and activities assist them to learn. Involve as many senses as possible.

Even if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember; if you can recite it rhythmically, even better. Relate information to colours, textures, smells and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain.

Relate new information to what you already know

Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge or an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.

Organise information

Write things down in address books and datebooks and on calendars; take notes on more complex material and reorganize the notes into categories later. Use both words and pictures in learning information.

Understand and be able to interpret complex material

Focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Be able to explain it to someone else in your own words.
Rehearse information frequently and overlearn

Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and review it at intervals thereafter. I call this spaced repetition and it is more effective than cramming. If you’re able to overlearn information so that recalling it becomes second nature, so much the better.

There are many other tips such as mnemonics and acronyms, information chunking and the use of humour and stories…these will follow in another entry…

My last practical tip:

Consider taking Siberian ginseng with ginkgo biloba…I do. There are several hundred scientific studies showing the diverse benefits of these natural herbs and improved memory is one of them….the first challenge is to remember to take the supplement three times a day!

More anon Maria