how to improve your memory essay

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How to boost brain power at any age

Tip 1: give your brain a workout.

• Tip 2: Don't skip the physical exercise

Tip 3: Get your Zs

Tip 4: make time for friends, tip 5: keep stress in check, tip 6: have a laugh, tip 7: eat a brain-boosting diet, tip 8: identify and treat health problems, tip 9: take practical steps to support learning and memory, how to improve your memory.

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your mind, boost your mental performance, or preserve your memory as you age, these tips can help.

A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether you’re a student studying for final exams, a working professional interested in doing all you can to stay mentally sharp, or a senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there’s lots you can do to improve your memory and mental performance

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered that this old adage simply isn’t true. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change—even into old age. This ability is known as  neuroplasticity . With the right stimulation, your brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and react in ever-changing ways.

The brain’s incredible ability to reshape itself holds true when it comes to learning and memory. You can harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase your cognitive abilities, enhance your ability to learn new information, and improve your memory at any age. These nine tips can show you how.

By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways that help you process and recall information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute habitual tasks with a minimum of mental effort. But if you always stick to these well-worn paths, you aren’t giving your brain the stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. You have to shake things up from time to time!

Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it.” The more you work out your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. But not all activities are equal. The best brain exercises break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways.

Four key elements of a good brain-boosting activity

• It teaches you something new. No matter how intellectually demanding the activity, if it’s something you’re already good at, it’s not a good brain exercise. The activity needs to be something that’s unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone. To strengthen the brain, you need to keep learning and developing new skills.
• It’s challenging. The best brain-boosting activities demand your full and close attention. It’s not enough that you found the activity challenging at one point. It must still be something that requires mental effort. For example, learning to play a challenging new piece of music counts; playing a difficult piece you’ve already memorized does not.
• It’s a skill you can build on. Look for activities that allow you to start at an easy level and work your way up as your skills improve —always pushing the envelope so you continue to stretch your capabilities. When a previously difficult level starts to feel comfortable, that means it’s time to tackle the next level of performance.
• It’s rewarding. Rewards support the brain’s learning process. The more interested and engaged you are in the activity, the more likely you’ll continue doing it and the greater the benefits you’ll experience. So, choose activities that, while challenging, are still enjoyable and satisfying.

Think of something new you’ve always wanted to try, like learning how to play the guitar, make pottery, juggle, play chess, speak French, dance the tango, or master your golf swing. Any of these activities can help you improve your memory, so long as they keep you challenged and engaged.

What about brain-training programs?

There are countless brain-training apps and online programs that promise to boost memory, problem-solving skills, attention, and even IQ with daily practice. But do they really work?

Increasingly, the evidence suggests no. While these brain-training programs may lead to short-term improvements in whatever task or specific game you’ve been practicing, they don’t appear to strengthen or improve overall intelligence, memory, or other cognitive abilities.

Tip 2: Don’t skip the physical exercise

While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

[Read: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise]

Exercise also enhances the effects of helpful brain chemicals and reduces stress hormones. Perhaps most importantly, exercise plays an important role in neuroplasticity by boosting growth factors and stimulating new neuronal connections.

Brain-boosting exercise tips

• Aerobic exercise is particularly good for the brain, so choose activities that keep your blood pumping. In general, anything that is good for your heart is great for your brain.
• Does it take you a long time to clear out the sleep fog when you wake up? If so, you may find that exercising in the morning before you start your day makes a big difference. In addition to clearing away the cobwebs, it also primes you for learning throughout the day.
• Physical activities that require hand-eye coordination or complex motor skills are particularly beneficial for brain building.
• Exercise breaks can help you get past mental fatigue and afternoon slumps. Even a short walk or a few jumping jacks can be enough to reboot your brain.

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function at your best. The truth is that over 95% of adults need between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night in order to avoid sleep deprivation. Even skimping on a few hours makes a difference! Memory, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills are all compromised.

But sleep is critical to learning and memory in an even more fundamental way. Research shows that sleep is necessary for memory consolidation, with the key memory-enhancing activity occurring during the deepest stages of sleep.

Get on a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning. Try not to break your routine, even on weekends and holidays.

[Read: How to Sleep Better]

Avoid all screens for at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted by TVs, tablets, phones, and computers trigger wakefulness and suppress hormones such as melatonin that make you sleepy.

Cut back on caffeine. Caffeine affects people differently. Some people are highly sensitive, and even morning coffee may interfere with sleep at night. Try reducing your intake or cutting it out entirely if you suspect it’s keeping you up.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

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When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as wrestling with the New York Times crossword puzzle or mastering chess strategy, or is it more lighthearted pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie—that come to mind? If you’re like most of us, it’s probably the former. But countless studies show that a life full of friends and fun comes with cognitive benefits.

Healthy relationships: the ultimate brain booster

Humans are highly social animals. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Relationships stimulate our brains—in fact, interacting with others may provide the best kind of brain exercise.

Research shows that having meaningful friendships and a strong support system are vital not only to emotional health, but also to brain health. In one recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health, for example, researchers found that people with the most active social lives had the slowest rate of memory decline.

There are many ways to start taking advantage of the brain and memory-boosting benefits of socializing. Volunteer , join a club, make it a point to see friends more often, or reach out over the phone. And if a human isn’t handy, don’t overlook the value of a pet —especially the highly-social dog.

Stress is one of the brain’s worst enemies. Over time, chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in the formation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss.

Tips for managing stress

• Set realistic expectations (and be willing to say no!)
• Take breaks throughout the day
• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up
• Set a healthy balance between work and leisure time
• Focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to multi-task

[Read: Stress Management]

The stress-busting, memory-boosting benefits of meditation

The scientific evidence for the mental health benefits of meditation continues to pile up. Studies show that meditation helps improve many different types of conditions, including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Meditation also can improve focus, concentration, creativity, memory, and learning and reasoning skills.

Meditation works its “magic” by changing the actual brain. Brain images show that regular meditators have more activity in the left prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with feelings of joy and equanimity. Meditation also increases the thickness of the cerebral cortex and encourages more connections between brain cells—all of which increases mental sharpness and memory ability.

Try one of HelpGuide’s free Audio Meditations .

You’ve heard that laughter is the best medicine , and that holds true for the brain and the memory, as well as the body. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain.

Furthermore, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to learning and creativity. As psychologist Daniel Goleman notes in his book Emotional Intelligence, “laughter seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely.”

Looking for ways to bring more laughter in your life? Start with these basics:

Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is to talk about the times when we took ourselves too seriously.

When you hear laughter, move toward it. Most of the time, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and try to join in.

Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily—both at themselves and at life’s absurdities—and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.

Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your loved ones having fun.

Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy” fats (such as olive oil, nuts, fish) and lean protein will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health, though, it’s not just what you eat—it’s also what you don ‘ t eat.

[Read: Eating Well as You Age]

The following nutritional tips will help boost your brainpower and reduce your risk of dementia:

Get your omega-3s. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially cold water “fatty fish” such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.

If you’re not a fan of seafood, consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such as seaweed, walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.

Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat (from sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream) increase your risk of dementia and impair concentration and memory.

Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect your brain cells from damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant “superfood” sources.

Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain aging.

Drink wine (or grape juice) in moderation. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is key, since alcohol kills brain cells. But in moderation (around 1 glass a day for women; 2 for men), alcohol may actually improve memory and cognition. Red wine appears to be the best option, as it is rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Other resveratrol-packed options include grape juice, cranberry juice, fresh grapes and berries, and peanuts.

Do you feel that your memory has taken an unexplainable dip? If so, there may be a health or lifestyle problem to blame.

It’s not just dementia or Alzheimer’s disease that causes memory loss . There are many diseases, mental health disorders, and medications that can interfere with memory:

Heart disease and its risk factors. Cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, have been linked to mild cognitive impairment.

[Read: Blood Pressure and Your Brain]

Diabetes. Studies show that people with diabetes experience far greater cognitive decline than those who don’t suffer from the disease.

Hormone imbalance. Women going through menopause often experience memory problems when their estrogen dips. In men, low testosterone can cause issues. Thyroid imbalances can also cause forgetfulness, sluggish thinking, or confusion.

Medications. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications can get in the way of memory and clear thinking. Common culprits include cold and allergy medications, sleep aids, and antidepressants. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects.

Is it depression?

Emotional difficulties can take just as heavy a toll on the brain as physical problems. In fact, mental sluggishness, difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness are common symptoms of depression. The memory issues can be particularly bad in older people who are depressed-so much so that it is sometimes mistaken for dementia. The good news is that when the depression is treated , memory should return to normal.

Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something—that is, encode it into your brain—if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory. If you’re easily distracted, pick a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Involve as many senses as possible. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells, and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. 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 what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.

For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Practice explaining the ideas to someone else in your own words.

Rehearse information you’ve already learned. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. This “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than cramming, especially for retaining what you’ve learned.

Use mnemonic devices to make memorization easier. Mnemonics (the initial “m” is silent) are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually by helping us associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.

6 types of mnemonic device

• Visual image – Associate a visual image with a word or name to help you remember them better. Positive, pleasant images that are vivid, colorful, and three-dimensional will be easier to remember.  Example: To remember the name Rosa Parks and what she’s known for, picture a woman sitting on a park bench surrounded by roses, waiting as her bus pulls up.
• Acrostic (or sentence) – Make up a sentence in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember.  Example: The sentence “Every good boy does fine” to memorize the lines of the treble clef, representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F.
• Acronym – An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letters of all the key words or ideas you need to remember and creating a new word out of them.  Example: The word “HOMES” to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
• Rhymes and alliteration – Rhymes, alliteration (a repeating sound or syllable), and even jokes are memorable way to remember more mundane facts and figures.  Example: The rhyme “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November” to remember the months of the year with only 30 days in them.
• Chunking – Chunking breaks a long list of numbers or other types of information into smaller, more manageable chunks.  Example: Remembering a 10-digit phone number by breaking it down into three sets of numbers: 555-867-5309 (as opposed to 5558675309).
• Method of loci – Imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you know well, or in specific locations in a familiar room or building.  Example: For a shopping list, imagine bananas in the entryway to your home, a puddle of milk in the middle of the sofa, eggs going up the stairs, and bread on your bed.

More Information

• Improving Memory - Understanding age-related memory loss. (Harvard Medical School Special Health Report)
• Achieving Optimal Memory - (Harvard Health Books)
• Don’t Forget! Playing Games With Memory - Games that test memory along with advice for improving recollection. (The Exploratorium, San Francisco)
• If Fish Is Brain Food, Can Fish Oil Pills Boost Brains, Too? - Evidence that eating fish is more effective than fish oil supplements. (NPR)
• Keep Your Brain Alive Exercise - Memory improvement exercises. (Neurobics.com)
• Derbyshire, E. (2018). Brain Health across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review on the Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements. Nutrients, 10 (8), 1094. Link
• Ertel, K. A., Glymour, M. M., & Berkman, L. F. (2008). Effects of Social Integration on Preserving Memory Function in a Nationally Representative US Elderly Population. American Journal of Public Health, 98 (7), 1215–1220. Link
• Gomes-Osman, J., Cabral, D. F., Morris, T. P., McInerney, K., Cahalin, L. P., Rundek, T., Oliveira, A., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2018). Exercise for cognitive brain health in aging: A systematic review for an evaluation of dose. Neurology: Clinical Practice, 8 (3), 257–265. Link
• Leanos, S., Kürüm, E., Strickland-Hughes, C. M., Ditta, A. S., Nguyen, G., Felix, M., Yum, H., Rebok, G. W., & Wu, R. (2020). The Impact of Learning Multiple Real-World Skills on Cognitive Abilities and Functional Independence in Healthy Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 75 (6), 1155–1169. Link
• McKim, D. B., Niraula, A., Tarr, A. J., Wohleb, E. S., Sheridan, J. F., & Godbout, J. P. (2016). Neuroinflammatory Dynamics Underlie Memory Impairments after Repeated Social Defeat. The Journal of Neuroscience, 36 (9), 2590–2604. Link
• Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need To Know | NCCIH. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2022, from Link
• Okereke, O. I., Rosner, B. A., Kim, D. H., Kang, J. H., Cook, N. R., Manson, J. E., Buring, J. E., Willett, W. C., & Grodstein, F. (2012). Dietary fat types and 4-year cognitive change in community-dwelling older women. Annals of Neurology, 72 (1), 124–134. Link
• Rasch, B., & Born, J. (2013). About Sleep’s Role in Memory. Physiological Reviews, 93 (2), 681–766. Link
• Seidler, R. (2007). Older adults can learn to learn new motor skills. Behavioural Brain Research, 183 (1), 118–122. Link
• The impact of diabetes on cognitive decline: Potential vascular, metabolic, and psychosocial risk factors | Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy | Full Text. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2022, from Link

More in Healthy Aging

What’s normal, what’s not, and when to seek help

It’s not necessarily Alzheimer’s disease

Preventing or Slowing Down Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

What you can do to reduce your risk or delay symptoms

Nutrition tips to boost energy levels and increase resistance to illness

No matter your age, it’s never too late to get started

Tips to staying healthy as you get older

Tips to help you increase intimacy and enjoyment as you get older

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Tips for overcoming insomnia and other age-related sleep problems

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How to Memorize an Essay

Last Updated: January 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 123,802 times.

Memorizing an essay is a great way to ace tests, rock presentations, and increase your overall knowledge. If you want to memorize an essay word for word, take things slowly by studying short parts one at a time. Memorization techniques such as visualization and physical cues can help you recall this information on demand. Of course, sometimes you don’t need to memorize things exactly. You may find it more useful to memorize the main ideas or important quotes instead.

Learning Each Part of the Essay

• Use a partner to test you on what you've memorized. If you miss a word or forget a line, they can prompt you by telling you the next word or two.
• You might also want to arrange to practice in front of an audience of a few people. This will help to add some pressure, which may be beneficial to you later.

• For example, you might study it for 15 minutes and take a 10-minute break before studying for another 15 minutes.
• Try writing out the essay once or twice. This can improve your memory. [7] X Research source
• Avoid cramming the night before. Memorizing something in 1 session is not the most effective way to learn it. Repetition in small chunks will help more than cramming the essay all in 1 long session.

Recalling Information

• For example, the first part of the essay might be about tiger conservation, so you might visualize tigers as you go through this part. The second part may be about their habitat, so you might think about a jungle.

• For example, if the main parts of the essay are about family, cooperation, and communication, you might imagine a photograph (family), a table (cooperation), and a telephone (communication).
• When you need to recall the essay, imagine yourself walking from the photograph to the table and then to the telephone in the proper order.

• Pacing can help improve recall. Some people even find doing a simple dance to be useful as they try to memorize the essay.

• Practice hand gestures with your speech. Put certain gestures at specific spots in the essay.
• If you are allowed to use flashcards, you might write the basic outline on a series of cards. Glance down at these as you go along.
• You might ask a friend in the audience to give a signal if you are forgetting a line.

Remembering the Main Ideas of an Essay

• When you need to remember the essay, you can redraw the chart to help you remember all the different pieces you need to recall.
• You can also draw images in your chart or sketch out the main events of the essay in comic form.
• ↑ https://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/how-to-memorise-an-entire-essay-or-speech/
• ↑ https://www.improvememory.org/blog/how-to-improve-memory/memorization-techniques/how-to-retain-information/
• ↑ https://www.bw.edu/Assets/conservatory/wellness/memorization-tips.pdf
• ↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/7-easy-monologue-memorization-tips/
• ↑ https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-ways-to-memorize-a-speechwithout-sounding-like-a-nervous-robot
• ↑ https://effectiviology.com/external-memory-cues/
• ↑ https://collegeinfogeek.com/flash-card-study-tips/
• ↑ https://zapier.com/blog/best-book-note-taking-system/

Community Q&A

• Sleep and a healthy diet can improve your memory overall. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• If you need to present the essay, try practicing in front of family and friends. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Record yourself reading the essay out loud and listen to it repeatedly Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Cramming the essay the night before may not help you remember the entire essay. It is better to start early. Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 4

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About This Article

Memorizing your essay can be a great way to nail your test without having to think about it on the day of. Try to learn small chunks, like a paragraph or a few sentences, at a time since they'll be easier to remember. You can also try reading your essay out loud to remember it faster. If you find memorizing the whole essay too difficult, break it down and memorize only the main points. Then, you’ll be able to write your essay around them on the day of your test. If you need to remember quotes, try writing them on flashcards and memorizing them one at a time. For more tips from our Teaching co-author, including how to visualize your essay in a memory palace to help you remember it, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Improve Your Memory Explicatory Essay

Human’s memory is often compared to a “computer’s information-processing system” (Myers 272). People’s memory stores certain facts in certain places, and whenever it is needed some facts are retrieved. However, sometimes it is difficult to find the necessary information in one’s “computer”. Fortunately, various researchers have conducted numerous experiments and surveys which enable to work out effective strategies to improve one’s memory.

One of the major principles of memory is that the process memorizing is divided into three stages encoding, storage and retrieval (Myers 272). One of the most effective ways to memorize some information is based on the research concerning working memory (Myers 273).

Thus, if a person needs to memorize some information, he/she should repeatedly retrieve the necessary data. For instance, if a student needs to memorize the most important facts of a chapter, he/she should read the chapter several times. It can be a good idea to read it twice a day for a week, and then go back to it within larger intervals, e.g. twice a week, once a week, three times per month, twice a month.

Another effective technique is based on the fact that there are two types of processing information: automatic and effortful (Myers 274). People process such information like where they meet friends or have dinner automatically, but to process some information written in a text book or in an annual report requires certain efforts.

One of the major reasons why people process information automatically because the actions associated with the information can be repeated in character and/or the new information evokes a lot of associations in the brain (having dinner: eating, visiting restaurant which is basically similar to others, but has some peculiarities (novice facts), socializing with friends, various emotions).

Thus, associations are very helpful for processing some information. If a student needs to memorize some facts, he/she should work out certain associations. One of interesting ways to find associations is putting questions like: “Where did it come from or originate? What caused it?” (Atkinson 171). Interestingly, Socrates and Plato used this method (Atkinson 171). Thus, a person creates clues which will help to find the necessary information when needed.

One more tool to memorize some information is based on such phenomenon as iconic memory (Myers 279). Admittedly, people always have an image for every word or fact they are processing. Furthermore, Sperling’s research which proves that people have photographic memory can help work out some strategy to memorize the necessary information (Myers 279).

For instance, if a student needs to process (and/or memorize) a chapter form a textbook, he/she can try to “photograph pages”, i.e. memorize where exactly this or that fact occurs. What pictures, tables, diagrams are there on that page? Eventually, a student will have an image of the most important passages of the chapter.

It goes without saying, that it will be more effective if an individual uses several methods simultaneously. For example, “picturing” the necessary messages will be more effective, if the student also creates certain associations, i.e. makes links between the new data and the old facts.

On a final note, it is possible to state that the understanding of the major principles of memory (such as three stages of processing information, automatic or effortful processing, photographic memory) enable people to work out effective methods of improving their memory.

Works Cited

Atkinson, William Walter. Memory: How to Develop, Train and Use It . New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2007.

Myers, David G. Exploring Psychology in Modules, 8th Edition . New York: Worth Publishers, 2011.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, April 15). How to Improve Your Memory. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-improve-your-memory/

"How to Improve Your Memory." IvyPanda , 15 Apr. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-improve-your-memory/.

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IvyPanda . 2019. "How to Improve Your Memory." April 15, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-improve-your-memory/.

1. IvyPanda . "How to Improve Your Memory." April 15, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-improve-your-memory/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "How to Improve Your Memory." April 15, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/how-to-improve-your-memory/.

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Forgetfulness happens to all of us. But if you’re struggling to remember things on a regular basis, you may be wondering how to improve your memory in a way that lasts.

In this article, we’ll be covering some memory improvement tips and tricks, including how to manage some common causes of forgetfulness, how to improve your health for better memory, and what behavioral tricks will help you remember things better.

Why Do You Need to Improve Your Memory?

There are many, many causes of forgetfulness, most of them common and not worth really worrying about. If you’re concerned that your forgetfulness comes from a health condition, you should talk it over with a doctor.

If your health isn’t a concern and you’re just trying to better remember things, it’s a good idea to pinpoint exactly where you’re struggling. Once you can identify things that contribute to your memory trouble, you can start finding solutions. Some common causes for forgetfulness aside from health concerns include:

Stress is one common trigger for forgetfulness. If something stressful is happening in your life, it may feel as if your entire mental capacity is devoted to handling that stress , letting little things you need to remember, like paying a bill or picking up cat food, slip through the cracks. Unfortunately these little instances of forgetfulness can cause more stress, turning it into a vicious cycle. Working on improving your memory can go a long way toward easing some of your stress!

Too Much Information

School and work can often flood us with more information than we can possibly hope to remember. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with what you’re learning or the tasks you need to compete for work, you may begin to find yourself forgetting some of them. As those tasks pile up, it can become increasingly difficult to remember all of them. You could fall behind and struggle to keep up due to information overload. Finding a way to manage these tasks that goes beyond just trying to remember them all can really help you stay on top of things.

Age really does have an impact on our memories. As we get older, our hippocampus, which we use to form and retrieve memories, can deteriorate. Our brains may not be as efficient at protecting, repairing, and growing new brain cells, and older people may not have as much blood flowing to the brain, leading to a slower or less sharp memory. These are all totally normal parts of aging and not something to be concerned about. That said, you don’t have to assume that memory loss is inevitable just because it’s normal—there are still plenty of things you can do to make sure you’re staying sharp as you get older.

What Kinds of Memory Are There?

We don’t have just one kind of memory. You’ve probably heard of short-term and long-term memories, but there are also others, like explicit and implicit memory. To help you better understand how to improve your memory, let’s go over the different types of memory that exist.

Short-Term Memory

Short-term memory is exactly what it sounds like—memory that you hold on to for a short period of time . Your short term memory covers things like a phone number someone is telling you. Despite common usage of the term, short-term memory is generally 15 to 30 seconds . If you can’t remember what you ate for breakfast this morning, that’s a problem with your long-term memory, not your short-term.

Some researchers consider working memory, which holds information temporarily for processing—such as when somebody is talking to you while you do a complex task and you respond when you’re finished—as a part of short-term memory. Other theorists disagree and consider it a separate cognitive function. Whatever the case, it can be frustrating if either your short-term memory or your working memory are not functioning as well as you’d like. 

Long-Term Memory

Your long-term memory is the memory that recalls everything from things that happened a minute ago through things that happened when you were very young. That could include the subject of the last article you read, where you went on vacation a month ago, or the name of the kid who lived next door to you when you were eight. 

There are also different kinds of long-term memory, including:

Explicit Memory

Explicit memory is memory that you choose to recall. For example, if someone asks you to remember the name of your high school English teacher, you’d use explicit memory to do that. Explicit memory can be episodic—which has you recalling things that you personally have experienced—or semantic—which refers to knowledge about the world.

Implicit Memory

Implicit memory is unconscious memory, things that you do without thinking about them. That includes procedural memory—which covers things that you’ve learned to do like singing the alphabet or making a peanut butter sandwich—and priming. Priming refers to the way our brains respond to stimuli; for example, if you’re asked to make word associations, you’re more likely to make them between words like pea and carrot than between words like pea and astronaut. 

Health and Lifestyle Changes for Better Memory

No matter what kind of forgetfulness you’re experiencing, there are steps you can take to improve it. You can start by making some lifestyle changes, like what you eat and how much you sleep, to improve your memory.

Many foods are believed to have memory-boosting properties . Thankfully, many of these foods are also just good for you— improving your diet for your memory is just improving your health!

Fatty fish, like salmon, is one of the most common foods recommended for memory boosting. Studies have shown that the omega-3s in fatty fish can help slow the decline of brain function as we age , and at least one study showed that people who eat baked or broiled fish have more gray matter, which impacts memory.

Blueberries are another food often recommended for memory. Blueberries contain antioxidants, which, in some cases, can help prevent brain aging and aid in communication between brain cells. Some studies of animals have shown that blueberries may have an impact on short-term memory loss.

Studies of older adults have shown that taking more vitamin K, a vitamin commonly found in broccoli, can lead to a better memory as you age. 

If you’re a chocolate fan, good news— research has suggested that the flavonoids in dark chocolate can potentially enhance memory and reduce the decline in mental sharpness related to age.

Oranges, or more specifically their vitamin C, are also a great way of preventing mental decline. According to one 2014 study, foods with lots of vitamin C, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, and strawberries, can help prevent age-related mental decline. 

Multiple studies of vitamins B6 and B12, folate, and choline, all found in eggs, have shown that these nutrients can help boost memory and slow mental decline. Most of the research is specifically connected to the nutrients rather than to eggs themselves, so taking vitamins or getting the nutrients from other sources may also be beneficial.

Sleep is incredibly important to brain function. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it’ll be harder to focus and remember things. Researchers have shown that people need all kinds of sleep— REM sleep and slow-wave sleep are both necessary for strong memories .

If you struggle with memory throughout the day, a nap might be the answer. Short naps, even as short as six minutes, can help boost your memory for recalling information .

Good health includes good brain health, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that exercise is also great for boosting your memory. Regular exercise is believed to help increase the size of the hippocampus , boosting your ability to learn. 

Some studies have suggested that people who exercise have larger prefrontal cortexes and medial temporal cortexes. The prefrontal cortex is important in both short-term and long term memory and the medial temporal cortex is important for declarative and episodic memory.

It’s unclear exactly how much and what kinds of exercise contribute to an improve memory, but experts say that 120 minutes of aerobic exercise —exercise that raises your heart rate—is a good place to start. 

Behavior Changes for Better Memory

Health changes are a great step, but there’s more you can do to help improve your memory. In conjunction with a better diet, great sleep, and more frequent exercise, these tactics can help you remember things better:

Active Listening

If you have trouble remembering what people have said to you, try cultivating your active listening skill. Active listening goes beyond simply hearing what a person is saying—to do it, you must be engaging with the conversation more deeply.

Use multiple senses for active listening. Look at the person who is speaking, listen to them, and respond with positive affirmations, such as saying “yes,” or asking questions. This might feel strange at first, but actively participating in conversations rather than just passively taking in information is a great way to help you remember things.

Note Taking

Taking good notes is an extremely useful skill. It may not be practical for all occasions, but if you struggle to remember little details, taking notes can be a big help! Notes don’t have to be something that you re-read—just the act of taking notes can help you better remember things, even if you don’t revisit them.

Effective notes are not a literal catalog of everything that a person is saying. Condense points down to their simplest form —for example, if I were taking notes on this section, I might write a heading saying “Notes,” and then:

• Not always practical
• Not exact or literal
• Condense points

Make use of headings, underlines, colors, and other features to streamline your notes. That way, if you do want to re-read them later, you won’t have to wade through a lot of extra words; you’ll be able to skip right to where you want to read.

If you can, take notes on paper rather than on a laptop. At least one study has shown that handwritten notes are more beneficial for memory than typed notes. If you want to use your phone, try using an app that lets you write by hand rather than type information. 

Stress Reduction

If stress is causing you to forget things, reducing that stress is a great way to improve your memory. Reducing stress can be difficult, so try to focus on things that you can control.

If you’re feeling stress about a specific thing, such as needing to fix your car or your grades in school, focus on what you can do about that stress right now. Can you get your car to a mechanic? Can you talk to your teacher about extra credit opportunities? When you start with small steps, you can build on them to eventually tackle whatever larger issue is stressing you out.

If the stress is more generalized, focus on taking care of yourself. Prioritize a good night’s sleep and a healthy diet. Get exercise, which will help calm you down and sleep better. Take a bath, go for a long walk, or make your favorite meal. Spend a little time on self-care to help you unwind!

Memory Improvement Tips and Tricks

You don’t just have to rely on yourself to improve your memory. T here are lots of tools out there that can help you get better at it, too!

#1: Brain Training Apps

Brain training apps make a lot of claims about what they can do for you. Science is still out on whether they’re as effective as they claim , but there has been some positive correlation between older adults using brain training apps like Luminosity and improved memory.

Regular use of these apps could help you boost your memory, and they certainly won’t hurt. But don’t depend on apps to do the work for you —use them in conjunction with some of the other tips outlined in this article to make the most of them!

#2: A Planner

Have trouble remembering events, to-do lists, and so on? A planner could be perfect for you. You don’t have to get really fancy with it, but consider writing down everything you need to get done on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis in one central place rather than on scraps of paper.

You may find that it takes some time to get adjusted to a planner, because at first you may forget to use it. That can be discouraging, but stick with it. The more frequently you do it, the more it becomes a habit. Once you’ve made it a habit, it’ll be way easier to keep track of all the things you need to get done without having to mentally juggle them!

#3: Multiple Senses

If you really want to make something stick, use multiple senses to learn it. If you’re seeing something you want to remember, trying saying it out loud right after witnessing it. If you’re hearing something, write it down. Better yet, do multiple—if you see something, say it and write it down. If you hear something, write it down and repeat it. 

You can even bring in more unusual senses like taste and smell. Smell is often said to be the most powerful scent connected to memory , and some studies back up that claim . If you want to make something you have to do stick in your memory, try reminding yourself of it as you put on perfume or cologne. When you get a whiff of it throughout the day, it can serve as a reminder!

Having a poor memory isn’t unusual, and there are lots of completely normal causes for it. If you want to improve your memory, try to pinpoint when you’re struggling to remember things and address that cause first —stress, lack of sleep, and being overwhelmed with things to remember are some of the most common causes.

If that doesn’t do the trick, keep these things in mind:

Take Care of Your Health

All the brain training apps and mnemonic devices won’t help you have a better memory if you’re not taking care of your health. A balanced diet, good sleep, and regular exercise are important to good health, which can help your brain function better.

You don’t have to go overboard—start with small positive changes, like replacing soda or sugary fruit juice with water, or walking to the mailbox instead of driving. Build up your strength and health and your memory will follow!

Poor memory isn’t necessarily indicative of a serious health condition, but if you’re concerned about your ability to recall information, don’t hesitate to see a doctor. Even if nothing’s wrong, you’ll have some peace of mind!

Take Control

No matter what’s causing your memory troubles, there are little things that you can do to improve your ability to recall information. Try out multiple ways of remembering information, like taking notes, using brain training apps, and similar tactics to find out what works best for you. Give them a little time—improving your memory can take a while, and few things work right away. If you find that one method isn’t making a difference after a month or so, add in another method to your routine or replace one part with another.

Remember, though, that a good memory starts with good health. Focus on improving your physical health and supplement those changes with other tools.

What’s Next?

Many good study habits are also good tips for improving your memory. Check out this collection of studying tips to help you get a better handle on managing your whole life!

Trying to improve your memory before you take the SAT? This list of last-minute SAT tips will help you excel on the test even if you're running short on time.

If you're trying to boost your memory for better school performance, take a look at this guide to being successful in high school.

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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How to Improve Memory: Science-Backed Strategies and Tips

Discover practical tips and techniques to enhance your memory and retain information more effectively. From study techniques to lifestyle changes, we've got you covered.

Cultivating a strong memory can unlock countless benefits in your daily life. And yes, it is possible to improve yours with practice and patience. From acing that big exam to never forgetting a loved one's birthday, the ability to recall important information is a vital skill that can be cultivated.

Whether you're a student, professional, or simply looking to enhance your cognitive abilities, improving your memory function is a goal well worth pursuing. So, let's dive into what memory is, why it matters, and explore the most effective strategies to help you achieve your memory goals.

What is memory?

Memory is the process of absorbing, processing, and storing information in your brain in order to retrieve it at a later time. It can be divided into two categories: short-term and long-term.

Short-term memory is important for simple tasks such as remembering where you left your car keys. However, there’s no need to hold on to this type of information, so your brain eventually discards it. Long-term memory plays a significant role in developing who you are since it allows you to learn unique skills and gain knowledge to be retained for regular use. 

Can we control our memory?

Much of what you remember happens subconsciously and is out of your control. Experiences that are tied to strong emotions tend to create powerful, longer lasting memories due the effect these emotions have on neural networks and the activation of specific regions in our brain. However, you can control your memory to a certain degree with some effort. There are skills and habits you can develop to enhance your ability to remember information. 

10 strategies to improve your memory

By committing to memory-boosting activities and practices, you can strengthen your cognitive abilities and enjoy the benefits of a sharper mind. Let's explore some effective strategies that you can implement right now to improve your memory retention. We've divided them into "lifestyle" and "learning" strategies.

Lifestyle strategies

Lifestyle factors directly affect the health and functioning of the brain. The brain requires nutrients and stimulation to perform at its best. Positive lifestyle habits can promote brain health and function.

1. Get enough (quality) sleep.

You are more likely to remember information when you've had a good night’s sleep. Sleep has been consistently proven to help consolidate memories. Specifically Stage 3 sleep, also known as slow wave sleep or deep sleep, is believed to be essential for improving memory retention.

2. Exercise.

Moderate-intensity exercise is excellent for brain health. Not only does it impact the development of new brain cells, but multiple studies suggest that the parts of your brain responsible for thinking and memory are larger in volume in individuals who exercise regularly than those who don’t.

3. Decrease stress.

Stress can have a negative impact on our memory. Yoga, meditation, and other forms of physical activity are great options to manage your stress levels.

4. Keep your brain active.

There are all kinds of games you can use to get your brain activated, from puzzles to cards. Keeping your brain active can be both fun and effective in improving your memory. Developing new skills, such as programming or choreographing a dance, will also help increase brain activity, so don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to learn something new.

5. Drink plenty of water.

Water accounts for 75 percent of your brain's mass [ 1 ]. Proper hydration is critical for your brain to be working at its best. It helps transport nutrients and bring more oxygen to the brain. The amount you need varies from person to person based on factors such as age, but a good place to start is to aim for at least 15.5 cups of water each day for men and 11.5 cups for women [ 2 ].

Learning strategies

As we learn new information, it is processed and stored in our brains to retrieve for later use. The way that we learn can impact how we encode and retain information in our memory.

6. Practice retrieval.

Active recall is key when it comes to storing information as memories. Next time you have to study for a quiz or exam at school, a presentation at work, or vocabulary for a language class, you can make a set of flashcards. You can absorb the information much more quickly after reviewing them multiple times. Quiz yourself or ask a study partner to quiz you for additional practice in repetition and recall.

7. Use mnemonic devices.

Ever wondered why it’s so easy to remember the lyrics to your favorite song? It’s because songs are one example of a mnemonic device. Other popular mnemonics that can help you memorize content are acronyms and chunking. Chunking is taking longer forms of information and breaking them down into smaller, manageable groups or “chunks” that can then be memorized more easily. Another way to commit new information to memory is by building a memory palace – a mnemonic device that associates information to be remembered with familiar locations or landmarks.

Read more: Improve Your Memory by Building a Memory Palace

8. Spread out your study sessions.

Spacing out study sessions over time – a practice known as spaced repetition – has been shown to improve retention compared to cramming. This technique involves reviewing material at gradually increasing intervals to reinforce learning and retention.

9. Take advantage of technology.

Some of the strategies mentioned can be accessed right from your phone or computer. From flashcards you can build online to brain game apps you can download, technology is a tool that can help improve your memory.

10.  Keep lists.

Whether it’s your to-do list for the day or groceries you need to remember to pick up from the store, you are more likely to be able to recall information if you take the time to write it out. If you do happen to forget, you know exactly where to look. 

Take classes to improve your memory

Develop your capacity to learn with Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects from Deep Teaching Solutions.

Interested in learning more about memory and memory techniques? Dive into the scientific study of human memory with Understanding Memory: Explaining the Psychology of Memory through Movies from Wesleyan University. Both options on Coursera help you improve your memory and understand deeply how our brain works.

Article sources

Zhang, Jianfen, et al.,  U.S. National Library of Medicine. “The Effects of Hydration Status on Cognitive Performances among Young Adults in Hebei, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) ,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6068860/." Accessed January 4, 2024.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. “How Much Water Do You Need to Stay Healthy? , https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256." Accessed January 4, 2024.

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How to Improve Memory

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

It doesn’t take an extraordinary brain to get smarter about remembering. From techniques used by memory champions to fundamentals like securing enough sleep and maintaining healthy behaviors, just about anyone who wants to learn more efficiently has a variety of tools at their disposal—some of which they have likely already used.

On This Page

• Memory Tricks
• Everyday Memory Boosts

While simply revisiting a newly learned fact, the definition of a word, or some other information can help reinforce someone’s memory for it, additional tools and processes can help make the effort to retain those details more powerful.

• Mnemonic devices are ways of enhancing memory that can involve elaboration—connecting what one is trying to remember to other information in memory—organizing to-be-remembered details more efficiently in memory, and making use of mental visualization. Examples of mnemonics include:

• forming a series of word s into an acronym (such as ROY G BIV, for the colors of the rainbow) or a series of letters into an acrostic (Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears, for the notes of each string on a guitar, E-A-D-G-B) • grouping to-be-remembered items together into categories (such as several types of food, when remembering what to buy at the grocery store) • creating a memory palace : visualizing a series of objects, events, or other things appearing in a familiar physical space (such as a room at home), where each one represents something to be remembered; also called the method of loci

• Paying closer attention to details in the moment can make it easier to remember them later. People can learn to focus better; mindfulness techniques may help. Minimizing distractions and avoiding multitasking while learning information could also help with remembering.
• Spacing apart the time spent studying , rather than massing it together, tends to lead to better learning, according to research on the spacing effect . An example of spaced practice would be studying a topic once every day for relatively small blocks of time rather than spending a longer block of time studying on Friday. Accordingly, “cramming”—studying in one long, continuous period— can be an unhelpful study habit.
• Testing memory of learned material , such as a passage of text, can enhance memory for that material—above and beyond re-reading, research indicates. The findings suggest that self-testing can help with learning , whether a person responds to self-generated questions or flashcards related to that information or questions provided by someone else (such as sample test questions in textbooks). Explaining a newly learned concept to oneself or someone else may also help reinforce memory for it.
• Chunking is the combination of to-be-remembered pieces of information, such as numbers or letters, into a smaller number of units (or “chunks”), making them easier to remember. A simple example is the reduction of a phone number into three parts (which one might repeat to oneself in three bursts), though more complex forms of chunking are thought to help account for experts’ superior memory for certain kinds of information (such as chess positions).

Can someone deliberately improve their ability to remember over the long-term? While factors such as well-timed and sufficient sleep and physical activity can aid a neurologically healthy person’s memory ability, the evidence for approaches such as supplements or brain games is often mixed.

In addition to a variety of strategies (such mnemonic devices and others mentioned above) to enhance your memory in the short term , striving to live a healthy and active lifestyle can help preserve memory ability over time. That means engaging in regular mental challenges, exercising routinely, getting enough sleep, and eating well. Reducing stress in daily life may also help to boost memory.

Sleep is thought to play an important role in the consolidation of memories. There is evidence that people who sleep soon after studying new information are more likely to recall it later than those who study it and remain awake. Procedural memories (memory for physical skills, for example) as well as memories for experiences and for new knowledge, seem to benefit from sleep. Consequently, failing to prioritize sleep (or struggling with sleep for other reasons) may mean a missed chance for optimal memory consolidation.

In addition to having longer-term benefits for memory ability, well-timed exercise may immediately boost memory for new information under some conditions. Research has found that moderate-to-high-intensity cardiovascular workout just before or after a learning period enhanced recall for the information learned.

Vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, olive oil, whole grains, fish, and other nutritious foods are elements of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet, which have been studied for their potential positive long-term effects on brain health. People who, over the course of several years, followed a diet blending elements of both showed reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease , of which memory loss is one component. The same diet advises limiting consumption of red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, sweets, and fried or fast food.

There is reason to be skeptical about “brain training” programs based on inconsistent evidence of their effectiveness at improving memory or other cognitive abilities. Apps that purport to train the brain often feature tasks used to exercise working memory, with the aim of increasing working memory capacity (which has been linked to intelligence) in order to produce broader cognitive improvements. While working memory training may at least temporarily enhance performance on working memory-related tasks, however, that does not mean the improvement carries over to other mental abilities.

A range of substances, both synthetic and naturally occurring, have been studied for their potential to improve cognitive function, including memory ability. There are certain kinds of medications that can be prescribed to help treat memory loss due to a disease. Supplements proposed to enhance memory in healthy people , however, which have varying degrees of evidence in their favor—often based on small studies—may have a modest impact, if any, on memory.

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How to Improve Your Memory

All that info you put in your noggin isn’t much good if you can’t pull it back out. try these 3 tips for boosting your recall..

Reading time min

Illustration: Michele McCammon. Photography, clockwise from top: John Scott/Getty Images; By Eve Livesey/Getty Images; rclassenlayouts/Getty Images; alvarez/Getty Images; Plume Creative/Getty Images; fotograzia/Getty Images.

By Summer Moore Batte

You know the answer. You know you know the answer. But you Just. Can’t. Remember.

Maybe it’s a name, an answer to a trivia question or a statistic you were supposed to report on in this morning’s meeting. Maybe it’s all three and it’s only lunchtime. Everyone experiences moments when they can’t call something to mind, and it’s annoying. But some people are better than others at accessing information they’ve committed to memory. The good news is you can become one of them.

Kevin Madore, a Stanford postdoctoral fellow in the Stanford Memory Lab, studied the neural activity and pupil size of subjects to determine why some people recall information better than others and how media multitasking affects our recall skills. These are his top tips for better recall. You know, if you can remember them.

Stop multitasking.

While you can likely chop vegetables and talk at the same time, only one of those activities is taking up cognitive bandwidth (provided you are experienced at chopping). So consider how many cognitive tasks you’re performing at once. “The ability to single-task is really important and can help your memory,” Madore says. “People say they’re great multitaskers: ‘I can do 17 things at once.’ And that’s not really how the brain works.” Madore says “heavy” media multitaskers (defined as frequently attending to four media sources at once) have worse memories in general, and when they need to call information to mind, their recall tends to be worse. He recommends eliminating—or at least cutting down on—your media multitasking . “If it’s blocking your cognitive flow, it’s bad,” he says. (Don’t watch your favorite medical drama while executing a new dinner recipe or respond to emails while listening to a podcast.) “If it’s not blocking your cognitive flow, it’s probably fine.”

Take a three- to five-minute break before a presentation, a social event or any other time you want your memory to be in top form. Madore says you can use the time to clear your mind and focus on your upcoming task—mentally going over the points you want to cover, the questions you want to ask, etc. “You’re getting into this state of being focused,” Madore says, and that can improve your memory in the moment . But the benefits of taking a time-out extend beyond your immediate tasks. Walks, Madore says, can be good for your memory in general. “A walk is basically a pause in your day when you’re not so strapped with your attention. Walking and being in nature are really good for problem-solving and memory.”

Test yourself.

If you need to be able to recall specific information—whether for a quiz or for testifying in court—actively testing yourself works better than simply reviewing or rereading the information. Old-school flash cards are a great tool for this (which explains why your index card–loving college roommate got better grades than you). Be sure to attempt to answer the question before flipping the card over—it’s the self-testing that makes the information stick.

As for those people who drive you crazy—er, leave you in awe—with their ability to spout Winston Churchill quotes on a random Tuesday? “Honestly, I don’t know,” says Madore. “They probably have good sleep habits.”

Summer Moore Batte , ’99, is the editor of Stanfordmag.org. Email her at  [email protected] .

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Improve Your Memory

Getting your body and mind ready to remember.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

It's not just printers that seem to break down at the most stressful moments. Our memories also have a nasty habit of failing us when we need them most!

But we can protect ourselves from the worst lapses of memory. With the right approach, it's possible to turn memory into a valuable asset.

People who use their memories well are often seen as knowledgeable, smart, competent, and dependable. Whether it's remembering key statistics during a negotiation, quoting a precedent-setting action when making a decision, or impressing clients with your knowledge of their product lines, being able to remember can be a major advantage.

This article explains how you can stop struggling with your memory, and start taking more control. Imagine what it would be like if you could absorb all the information that's important in your role, and always have it at your fingertips!

Take Care of Your Health

The basis for a good memory is a healthy mind and body. You can't expect your brain to function at its best if you don't take care of the body that feeds it. Here are some key issues that you need to address:

• Eat well – Make sure that key vitamins are in your diet, including folic acid, vitamin B12, and antioxidants. These improve the sharpness of the mind. If necessary, take vitamin supplements.
• Drink plenty of water – Most of us are dehydrated and don't even know it. When you don't drink enough water, your body and mind can become weak and tired. Water makes red blood cells more active and gives you more energy.
• Get enough sleep – During sleep, your brain recharges itself. Studies have shown that your brain needs sleep to change new memories into long-term memories. [1]
• Manage stress effectively – Ongoing stress has many harmful health effects. Learn to limit and control the stress in your life. Use physical relaxation techniques , thought awareness and rational positive thinking , and imagery to reduce your levels of stress.
• Cut out bad habits! – Limit caffeine and alcohol use. (Excessive alcohol can seriously affect your memory.) If you can, sit down less and do more of the physical activities that you enjoy. Get that all-important oxygen flowing to your brain!

Speak to an appropriate health-care professional before making any significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen – or if you think that health issues may be affecting your memory.

These basic health tips will help you to maximize your brain's abilities. You'll remember more if you're alert, focused and energized. Feeling well is a big part of thinking well.

Use Mnemonics

Mnemonics are thinking tools that make information easier to recall. They use images , senses , emotions , and patterns to trigger your memory.

Here are some of the most effective mnemonic techniques:

The Number/Rhyme Mnemonic – This allows you to remember ordered lists.

Start with a standard word that rhymes with the number.

We recommend: 1 – bun, 2 – shoe, 3 – tree, 4 – door, 5 – hive, 6 – bricks, 7 – heaven, 8 – gate, 9 – line, 10 – hen.

Then create an image that associates each word with the thing you're trying to remember.

To remember a list of South American countries using this system, for example, you might start with:

• One – bun/Colombia: a BUN with the COLUMn of a Greek temple coming out of it.
• Two – shoe/Venezuela: VENus de Milo emerging from the sea on a SHOE.
• Three – tree/Guyana: friends called GUY and ANnA sitting in a TREE.
• Four – door/Ecuador: a DOOR in the shape of a circle/globe with a golden EQUAtOR running around it.

​ The Number/Shape System – This is another technique for learning numbered lists.

Create images that relate to the shape of each number, then connect those images to the items on your list.

Typical images would be: 1 – spear, 2 – swan, 3 – handcuffs, 4 – sailboat, 5 – meat hook, 6 – whistle, 7 – cliff edge, 8 – egg timer, 9 – balloon on a string, 10 – golf club and ball.

Let's use the same example as above:

• One – spear/Colombia: the shaft of the SPEAR is a thin marble COLUMn.
• Two – swan/Venezuela: this time, VENus is standing on the back of a SWAN.
• Three – handcuffs/Guyana: GUY and ANnA have been handcuffed by police officers.
• Four – sailboat/Ecuador: the SAILBOAT is moving across the golden line of the EQUAtOR on a globe.

The Alphabet Technique – This works well for longer lists.

In this system, you associate the things you want to remember with particular letters of the alphabet, from A to Z. This is an efficient way of remembering ordered lists of up to 26 items.

You could balance an Apple on top of a COLUMn to link Colombia to the letter A. Then you might imagine VENus eating a Bagel for B, and so on.

The Journey System – This technique uses familiar journeys to store any information you want to learn.

You choose a journey you know well. Maybe it's the route from your home to work, or the path through a park you visit often. You associate each thing you want to remember with a particular landmark on the journey, picking images that will jog your memory. Eventually, when you return to the landmarks in your "mind's eye," all the information should still be there – in exactly the right order.

You might picture GUY and ANnA sitting on a familiar park bench to remind you about Guyana.

The Roman Room System – This approach also uses location to support your memory.

If the sequence of items on a list isn't important, simply associate them all with a chosen room. Use your imagination to visualize the items in place. Connect them with real furniture, ornaments, or any other existing objects within the room whenever possible.

Maybe the line of the EQUAtOR runs right through your bathroom – to remind you of Ecuador!

Our Skillbook Remember! will help you to review and practice some of these mnemonic techniques.

Mind Mapping

Mind Maps (also called concept maps or memory maps) are an effective way to link ideas and concepts in your brain, and then "see" the connections. Mind Mapping is a note-taking technique that records information in a way that shows you how various pieces of information fit together. There's a lot of truth in the saying, "A picture speaks a thousand words", and Mind Maps create an easily remembered "picture" of the information you're trying to remember.

This technique is very useful for summarizing and combining information from a variety of sources. It also allows you to think about complex problems in an organized manner, and then present your findings in a way that shows the details as well as the "big picture."

The Mind Map itself is a useful end product: colorful, interesting, organized, and personal. However, the process of creating it is just as helpful for your memory. Choosing the structure, and working out the design, forces you to really understand what you're studying – which helps to build long-term memories.

5 Ways to Challenge Your Brain

As with other parts of your body, your brain needs exercise. You can do that by using it in different ways, on a regular basis. Here are five ideas to get you started:

• Learn a new skill or start a hobby. Find activities that build skills you don't normally use in your daily life. For example, if you work with numbers all day, develop your creative side with art classes or photography.
• Use visualization on a regular basis. Since much of memory involves picturing and associating images, it's important to build this skill. Visualize favorite places to help you relax, or use visualization to prepare for an upcoming challenge.
• Keep active socially. When you communicate and interact with people, you have to be alert. This helps to keep your brain active and strong.
• Challenge yourself with memory games and puzzles. Most games require some element of memory – both the "classics" such as chess and backgammon, as well as new puzzle apps and video games. But there are also plenty of activities specifically designed to give your memory a workout, including trivia challenges and pair-matching games.
• Focus on the important things. You can't possibly remember everything, so be sure to give your brain important things to do – and don't overload it with "waste." The "garbage in, garbage out" philosophy is very true here! Every day, pick the things you really want to remember – and remember them!

While it's important to develop a good memory, remembering unnecessary things (such as tasks you need to do, or things you need to buy) is hard work. What's more, because this consumes short-term memory, it can diminish your ability to concentrate on more important matters, and cause your stress levels to rise.

Write these things down on your To-Do list . That way, you can conserve mental energy for the things that are really worth committing to memory.

Your memory is a valuable asset that you should protect and develop. Even if you no longer have to memorize information for exams, the ability to remember quickly and accurately is always important.

You have only one brain – so treat it well, give it plenty of exercise, and don't take it for granted. You never know when you'll need its skills to be at their best.

Experiment with mnemonic techniques for the things you need to know. There are opportunities all around you to challenge your thinking and stretch your memory skills.

[1] Rasch, B. and Born, J. ‘About Sleep's Role in Memory,’ Physiological Reviews , 2013, 93:2, 681-766. Available here .

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How Stress Works With and Against Your Memory

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

A little stress can be a great motivator, such as when prompting a student to study before an important exam. A lot of stress, however, can create more of an obstacle than a benefit. This is true when it comes to many things, including health-promoting behaviors, relationships, and even our memory.

Stress can inhibit the way we form and retrieve memories, ultimately affecting how our memory works . Learn what studies show about the relationship between stress and memory, as well as how to reverse memory loss from stress.

How Stress Affects Memory

Research has found that stress affects our memory in many ways, each of which has different impacts.

Stress and Memory Formation

Stress can affect how memories are formed . When stressed, people have a more difficult time creating short-term memories and turning those short-term memories into long-term memories. This means that it is more difficult to learn when stressed.

Memories can also change after they are formed. Every time we retrieve a memory, we color it with our present experience of it—like when we take something off a shelf and then put it back, leaving another set of fingerprints from having handled it again.

Stress and Memory Type

Stress can affect the type of memories we form as well. If we are stressed during an event, we may have more difficulty accurately remembering the details of the event later. The stress colors our perception as well as our ability to recall what we perceived.

This is part of why eyewitness testimony is so unreliable. People can't be absolutely sure that they remember what they saw correctly.

Research shows that if people are questioned and given misleading information about something they experienced, that information will influence their memory and what they thought they experienced. This new, yet faulty information is then easier to recall because it is more recent than the event itself. This is why false memories can be created with well-intentioned lines of questioning.

Additional Impacts

A meta-analysis was conducted on 113 stress studies, meaning that researchers examined these independent studies to determine their major findings. What do these studies show about the relationship between stress and money?

• Timing of the stressor matters . One of the most interesting findings was that stress could impede the formation of memories if it occurred prior to or during encoding, the time during which the memory is formed. But post-encoding stress actually improved memory formation and retrieval, meaning stress that occurred after the memory was formed actually led to better memory-making .
• Cortisol increases don't affect memory . Stress increases cortisol, but studies found no correlation between cortisol amounts and the effects of stress on memory. This means that if you create more cortisol during your stress response, this won't necessarily mean that your memory will be more impaired than someone less hormonally-responsive. Interestingly, women who were on oral contraceptives experienced less of a negative effect.
• Stress-related exhaustion has negative impacts . Stress can also lead to exhaustion, and this can lead to cognitive impairment that includes  issues with attention and working memory. Unfortunately, memory impairment can still be detected three years later, even after the exhaustion has been addressed. This underscores the importance of managing stress before it gets to this point.​

Improve Your Memory Under Stress

There are several things you can do to improve your memory when stressed. Fortunately, these techniques also help manage stress. One of the most important is to practice personal self-care : get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and manage stress.

Poor sleep, high stress, and other physical problems can affect memory as well as contribute to the stress that impedes memory formation and retrieval.

Other important strategies work as well. Here are some research-backed strategies to try:

• Train yourself in breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques . One study of police cadets found that psychological performance training improved the recall of cadets who experienced stress. Techniques used included breathing exercises , mental imagery , and attentional focus. When stressed, try these techniques to improve recall.
• Get moving . A study examining the effects of aerobic exercise on people with memory impairment found that a 12-week workout program indeed improved their memory. The subjects were experiencing mild cognitive impairment from stress-related exhaustion, so these results are especially relevant for those who are stressed.
• Practice mindfulness . Researchers have also found that practicing mindfulness can help with memory not only by minimizing stress but also by enabling better quality sleep. One study found that practicing mindfulness resulted in less stress as well as fewer memory issues and sleep problems. Additionally, since mindfulness is based around being more aware and present, you may be better able to pay attention to and remember details you might not have otherwise.

Stress impacts so much of our lives, and although we can't always eliminate that stress entirely, we can learn to manage it in a way that will help support self-improvement in many areas of our lives, including improved memory.

Wolf OT, Atsak P, de Quervain DJ, Roozendaal B, Wingenfeld K. Stress and memory: A selective review on recent developments in the understanding of stress hormone effects on memory and their clinical relevance . J Neuroendocrinol . 2015;28(8). doi:10.1111/jne.12353

Vogel S, Schwabe L. Stress in the zoo: Tracking the impact of stress on memory formation over time . Psychoneuroendocrinol . 2016;71:64-72. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.04.027

Marr C, Sauerland M, Otgaar H, Quaedflieg C, Hope L. The effects of acute stress on eyewitness memory: an integrative review for eyewitness researchers . Memory . 2021;29(8):1091-1100. doi:10.1080/09658211.2021.1955935

Shaw J, Porter S. Constructing rich false memories of committing crime . Psychol Sci . 2015;26(3):291-301. doi:10.1177/0956797614562862

Shields GS, Sazma MA, Mccullough AM, Yonelinas AP. The effects of acute stress on episodic memory: A meta-analysis and integrative review . Psychol Bull . 2017;143(6):636-675. doi:10.1037/bul0000100

Jonsdottir IH, Nordlund A, Ellbin S, et al. Working memory and attention are still impaired after three years in patients with stress-related exhaustion . Scand J Psychol . 2017;58(6):504-509. doi:10.1111/sjop.12394

Page JW, Asken M, Zwemer CF,  et al.   Brief mental skills training improves memory and performance in high stress police cadet training .  J Police Crim Psych.  2016;31:122–126. doi:10.1007/s11896-015-9171-8

Eskilsson T, Slunga järvholm L, Malmberg gavelin H, Stigsdotter neely A, Boraxbekk CJ. Aerobic training for improved memory in patients with stress-related exhaustion: a randomized controlled trial . BMC Psychiatry . 2017;17(1):322. doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1457-1

Brisbon NM, Lachman ME. Dispositional mindfulness and memory problems: the role of perceived stress and sleep quality . Mindfulness . 2017;8(2):379-386. doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0607-8

Wolf OT, Atsak P, De quervain DJ, Roozendaal B, Wingenfeld K. Stress and memory: a selective review on recent developments in the understanding of stress hormone effects on memory and their clinical relevance . J Neuroendocrinol . 2016;28(8). doi:10.1111/jne.12353

By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

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How to improve your memory

Listen to the radio interview about improving your memory and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise before you listen. Then do the other exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

Mary: I’d like to welcome Charles Long to the studio today. Charles has just published an article in New Science journal about memorisation. It’s all about how to make our memory function better.

Charles, exam time is looming and there’ll be lots of teenagers tuning in today. Can you give us some advice about improving our ability to memorise?

Charles:  Hello! Yes, of course. I’d like to start by talking about the process of memorisation. It’s vital that we understand the process if we want to make adjustments to the way we function. We all use memory in the same way. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a student revising for your finals or an adult standing in the aisle of a supermarket, trying to recall a particular item from a grocery list.

Mary: Ha ha! That’s me. I always forget to take my list.

Charles: You and thousands of other people too, Mary. We learn to use our memory when we are still at nursery school. Young children are naturally very good at working out how to remember things. The tips I’m going to share today are based on the things we used to do to help us remember when we were children. The process of memorisation occurs in two distinct forms. Do you know what they are?

Mary:   Are they ‘long-term memory’ and ‘short-term memory’?

Charles: That’s right! But these aren’t completely separate concepts. We use a combination of both types of memory when we want to formulate our thoughts and recall information, whether we’re trying to remember something from a decade ago or just an hour earlier.

Mary: So what tips have you got for improving the quality of our memory?

Charles:  Right. Let’s start with ‘association’.

Mary:  Association?

Charles: Yes. We can use word association to remember an idea or a concept. This means choosing a word or phrase you associate with what you are trying to remember. The word needs to be something familiar, that you come into contact with on a daily basis. So, for example, you can use the name of your pet dog to remember a scientific equation. Try it! Read the equation a few times and then say your dog’s name again and again. Later, in your science exam, just recall the name and the whole equation should come back to you.

Mary: It sounds too good to be true! What else, Charles?

Charles:  Visualisation is another trick we can use. So you have to visualise an image that is connected to the thing you need to remember. For example, if you want to remember the date that the Berlin Wall came down, you might visualise a picture of a wall with the date written on it in graffiti. The image of the wall becomes an important part of what you will remember. You can use several images in a row to remember things like information in a text or a list of ingredients for a recipe.

Mary: Yes, that makes sense.

Charles:  Singing can help with memorisation too.

Mary: Singing?

Charles:  Yeah. So instead of reading a text aloud, you sing it. Singing is one of most effective and earliest memory tricks that are used for learning new concepts. I used to ‘sing’ lists of historical facts and dates. It works.

Mary: And did you have to sing aloud in your history exams?

Charles:  Not aloud! But I did used to sing in my head. And I always got good marks for history.

Mary: Any more tips, Charles?

Charles:  Yes! I’ve saved the best one till last. It’s particularly relevant for any students who have tuned in. ‘Teach it’.

Mary: Teach it? Teach ‘what’?

Charles:  Teach whatever it is that you want to remember. So, if you’re studying for an English exam, teach the concepts to someone else. It can be a real person - a friend in a study group is ideal - or it can be a ‘pretend’ person. You can just imagine someone is listening to you as you teach. Better still, record yourself ‘teaching’ and then play back the video to revise the material further.

Mary:  That sounds like a great tip … or ‘trick’.

Charles:  Yes, it really works because in order to teach something you need to understand it. Teaching reinforces the understanding. And although these sound like ‘tricks’, they aren’t really.

Mary:  No?

Charles:  No. They are just simple ways that we can train our brains to be more effective. By getting into the habit of using word association, visualisation, singing and teaching, our brains develop and work better for us. And of course that has a knock-on effect on our memory and our abilities to recall all kinds of data.

Mary:  Thank you, Charles. Now, I think we’ve got time for a couple of questions from our listeners.

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Memory loss: 7 tips to improve your memory

Try these simple ways to improve your memory.

Can't find your car keys? Forget your grocery list? Can't remember the name of the personal trainer you liked at the gym? You're not alone. Everyone forgets things once in a while. Still, memory loss is nothing to take lightly.

Although there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing memory loss or dementia, some activities might help. Consider seven simple ways to sharpen your memory. And know when to get help for memory loss.

1. Be physically active every day

Physical activity raises blood flow to the whole body, including the brain. This might help keep your memory sharp.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging. It's best if this activity is spread throughout the week. If you don't have time for a full workout, try a few 10-minute walks throughout the day.

2. Stay mentally active

Just as physical activity keeps your body in shape, activities that engage your mind help keep your brain in shape. And those activities might help prevent some memory loss. Do crossword puzzles. Read. Play games. Learn to play a musical instrument. Try a new hobby. Volunteer at a local school or with a community group.

3. Spend time with others

Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress. Both of those can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to get together with loved ones, friends and other people, especially if you live alone.

4. Stay organized

You're more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered or your notes are in disarray. Keep track of tasks, appointments and other events in a notebook, calendar or electronic planner. You might even repeat each entry out loud as you write it down to help keep it in your memory. Keep to-do lists up to date. Check off items you've finished. Keep your wallet, keys, glasses and other essential items in a set place in your home so they are easy to find.

Limit distractions. Don't do too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you're trying to remember, you're more likely to recall it later. It also might help to connect what you're trying to remember to a favorite song or a familiar saying or idea.

5. Sleep well

Not getting enough sleep has been linked to memory loss. So has restless sleep and sleep that gets disturbed often. Make getting enough healthy sleep a priority. Adults should sleep 7 to 9 hours a night on a regular basis. If snoring disrupts sleep, make an appointment to see your health care provider. Snoring could be a sign of a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea.

6. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet is good for your brain. Eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, beans and skinless poultry. What you drink also counts. Too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss.

7. Manage chronic health problems

Follow your health care provider's advice for dealing with medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, hearing loss and obesity. The better you take care of yourself, the better your memory is likely to be. Regularly review the medicines you take with your health care provider. Some medicines can affect memory.

When to get help for memory loss

If you're worried about memory loss, make an appointment with your health care provider. If memory loss affects your ability to do your daily activities, if you notice your memory getting worse, or if a family member or friend is concerned about your memory loss, it's particularly important to get help.

At your appointment, your provider likely will do a physical exam and check your memory and problem-solving skills. Sometimes other tests may be needed too. Treatment depends on what's causing memory loss.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

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• Understanding memory loss: What to do when you have trouble remembering. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/site-search/dW5kZXJzdGFuZGluZyBtZW1vcnkgbG9zcw%3D%3D s. Accessed Nov. 18, 2022.
• Larson EB. Risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 18, 2022.
• Livingston G, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. The Lancet. 2020; doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6.
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed Nov. 18, 2022.
• Watson NF, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2015; doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.4758.
• Can I prevent dementia? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.alzheimers.gov/life-with-dementia/can-i-prevent-dementia. Accessed Nov. 18, 2022.
• Reducing your risk of dementia. National Institute on Aging. https://order.nia.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/dementia-risk-tip-sheet.pdf. Accessed Nov. 18, 2022.
• Dementia risk reduction. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/dementia-risk-reduction-june-2022/index.html. Accessed Nov. 18, 2022.
• Sleep apnea. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/sleep-apnea. Accessed Nov. 21, 2022.
• Takahashi PY. (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Nov. 21, 2022.

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10 Memory Tips to Accelerate Your Learning

Get your notepad or memory palace ready — here are 10 quick tips that can help you improve your memory and boost your learning!

1. Use pictures and imagination

An easy way to remember new information is to use visual pictures to link it to something that you already know. These mental pictures are called mnemonic images .

For example, if you need to remember to buy bananas at the supermarket, picture giant bananas raining inside the supermarket. When you arrive at the supermarket, you’ll be able to scan your memory to find the image of the giant bananas, and you’ll remember the shopping item.

The Number Shape System is an example of how you can remember numbers by linking them to something you already know.

The images can supercharge your memory even further if you use stories to link the images together.

2. Exercise boosts memory

There is significant evidence that exercise improves memory — even if it’s just a single workout!

A single, moderate workout may immediately change how our brains function and how well we recognize common names and similar information , according to a promising new study of exercise, memory and aging. The study adds to growing evidence that exercise can have rapid effects on brain function and also that these effects could accumulate and lead to long-term improvements in how our brains operate and we remember.

Check out these discussions about the memory benefits of exercise:

• “30 Minutes of Aerobic Exercise Supercharges Semantic Memory”
• A single bout of acute aerobic exercise helps recover from mental exhaustion
• ”How exercise keeps your brain healthy and protects it against depression and anxiety”
• How exercise might “clean” the Alzheimer’s brain
• ”Dance training is superior to repetitive physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity in the elderly”

Read more about exercise and memory .

3. Use acrostics

An acrostic mnemonic is a kind of poem that you can create out of the first letters of words.

A good example is a mnemonic for the order of planets , which is:

If you take the first letter of each planet, you can create a new sentence:

M y V ery E ducated M other J ust S erved U s N achos.

That sentence is easier to remember than the planet names by themselves.

You can create your own acrostics by inventing a new sentence from the first letters of each fact that you want to remember.

4. Take breaks while studying

There is evidence that brief, wakeful resting can help with memorization.

Our group and others have demonstrated that a 15-min period of eyes-closed rest following encoding enhances memory for both procedural and declarative memory tasks, compared to an equivalent period spent completing a distractor task. Other recent studies have demonstrated that post-learning rest enhances subsequent memory for spatial and temporal information, facilitates insight into a complex problem, and enhances auditory statistical learning. These memory effects can be maintained for a week or more after the rest intervention. Together, these observations suggest that even during wakefulness, memory is preferentially consolidated during offline states characterized by reduced attentional demands.

Here’s more about an effortless way to improve your memory :

When trying to memorise new material, it’s easy to assume that the more work you put in, the better you will perform. Yet taking the occasional down time – to do literally nothing – may be exactly what you need. Just dim the lights, sit back, and enjoy 10-15 minutes of quiet contemplation, and you’ll find that your memory of the facts you have just learnt is far better than if you had attempted to use that moment more productively.

When you’re resting, don’t check your phone or do other tasks — it’s better to rest completely:

Although it’s already well known that we should pace our studies, new research suggests that we should aim for “minimal interference” during these breaks – deliberately avoiding any activity that could tamper with the delicate task of memory formation. So no running errands, checking your emails, or surfing the web on your smartphone. You really need to give your brain the chance for a complete recharge with no distractions.

Read more about rest and memory .

5. Get enough sleep

Studying right before going to sleep appears to boost memory.

If you go to sleeping consciously knowing that you will be tested on the information the next day, it can improve your recall.

[Brain measurements] found that the “test is coming” group spent more time in deep, slow-wave sleep than did the group not anticipating a test. Slow electrical waves act as a replay button, causing the hippocampus to reactivate new memories and synchronizing the neocortex so that it accepts them into long-term storage. This expectant group also had more “sleep spindles,” bursts of electrical activity that prime networks in the cortex to store memories arriving from the hippocampus and to integrate them into existing knowledge, which makes retrieval easier.

Lack of sleep or interrupted sleep can be detrimental to memory, so be sure to get a good night’s sleep as often as possible.

There is some evidence that short naps of as little as 10 minutes can boost cognitive performance.

The 10-minute nap produced immediate improvements in all outcome measures (including sleep latency, subjective sleepiness, fatigue, vigor, and cognitive performance), with some of these benefits maintained for as long as 155 minutes. The 20- minute nap was associated with improvements emerging 35 minutes after napping and lasting up to 125 minutes after napping. The 30-minute nap produced a period of impaired alertness and performance immediately after napping, indicative of sleep inertia, followed by improvements lasting up to 155 minutes after the nap.

Read more about sleep and memory .

6. Try peg lists

Peg lists can help you remember lists of information. First, create a list of pegs, like this list of images that rhyme with numbers :

• three - tree
• four - door
• five - hive
• six - sticks
• seven - heaven
• eight - gate
• nine - sign

Now that you have a list of pegs, take a list of items that you want to remember, and imagine each item in your list interacting with one peg. If you’re remembering a shopping list and the first item on the list is milk, then imagine pouring milk on the sun (“sun” rhymes with “one”). If the second item on your list is lemons, imagine putting lemons in a shoe (“shoe” rhymes with “two”), and so on. To recall the list, recite the numbers from 1 to 10, convert each number to its rhyming image, and then recall what the image was doing.

You can also create pegs based on number shapes or letters of the alphabet .

7. Create a mind palace

Sherlock’s mind palaces really work! It’s the same technique that mental athletes use in memory competitions to perform feats like memorizing 80 random digits in less than 20 seconds or tens of thousands of digits of pi!

A mind palace, or memory palace, is an imaginary place in your mind where you can store memories. You create a mnemonic image for each fact you want to remember and then place each image in a location in your mind palace. To recall the data, you mentally walk through your mind palace and convert the pictures back into facts.

To learn the technique, see our separate tutorial on how to build a memory palace .

8. Eat healthily

According to Harvard Health , “research shows that the best brain foods are the same ones that protect your heart and blood vessels”.

They recommend foods like green, leafy vegetables, fatty fish, berries, and walnuts.

Read more about foods to improve memory .

9. Take a walk in nature

There is some evidence that nature can have beneficial effects on memory and stress reduction .

New study finds that short-term memory is improved 20% by walking in nature, or even just by looking at an image of a natural scene. …These results replicated a previous study by Berto (2005) 3 who found that just viewing pictures of natural scenes had a restorative effect on cognitive function. People’s performance was soon restored by picture of trees, fields and hills, but not by streets, industrial units or even complex geometric patterns.

Read more about nature and memory .

10. Play memory training games

Try some memory training games , especially ones that teach memory techniques while you’re practicing.

Photographic memory doesn’t exist , but these memory techniques are probably the closest you can get.

You can find out how to learn advanced memory techniques on the getting started page. Be sure to sign up for our free memory forum so you can ask questions and get personalized memory training advice.

Feedback and Comments

What did you think about this article? Do you have any questions, or is there anything that could be improved? We would love to hear from you! You can leave a comment after clicking on a face below.

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Your Memory: How to Improve Your Memory, Essay Example

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Memory is defined as the mental activity of remembering information that one has experienced or learned. The activity involves complex processes involve various parts of the brain and which gives one service in disparate ways (Kenneth L. 194). Every person has two types of memories .These are: short-term memory is a fragile memory in which the mind stores information for a very short time (a few second s or minutes like the period between looking up a number in the phone and dialing it) .this type of memory is made to be otherwise if the brain had to retain the information of every activity or every person one interacts with then the ‘disk’ would soon read full. The other type of memory is the long term memory which in which information is retained for long time. The information stored in this type of memory is either meaningful to the individual like friends and family data or made an emotional impression for instance the day a close relative died, the day of your wedding or even the information could be a necessity for example information to be examined on and job procedures and therefore an effort is made consciously or unconsciously to retain such information. Long term memories include semantic memories  which helps recall data (facts) which is not bound to place or time, episodic memory or  personal memories concerning experiences a person had at specific times and the procedural memory which involves routines and procedures performed  so often that the conscious recall  becomes unnecessary. The areas of the brain vital for memory formation and retention include the hippocampus which process the information, amygdala which processes emotions and helps in imprinting memories involving emotion and finally the cerebral cortex (brains outer layer) which different zones for storing the most long term memory. This different zones store different information depending on kind of processing involved for example sensory input and language. Memory also involves communication among the network of neurons found in the brain (Kay D. 115) .

The complexity of human brain can not compare even with the most advanced machine and therefore improving human memory needs an extra effort. The means of improving human memory range from brain exercise to use of mnemonic device to health habits a nd nutrition.

Brain Exercises

More brain work means increased ability to process and recall information. Sensory and novelty stimulation form the foundations for brain exercise. Changing a routine in a way that is challenging means new brain pathways not previously used is put in use. For example brushing your shoes with the non dominant hand activates the less utilized connections on the brains non dominant side. Involving your brain in an aerobic exercise is also vital .Such exercise force you to utilize your faculties in a way that is unusual. These include learning a strategy for a new game, taking a new subject which is not familiar, showering and dressing with eyes closed among others all which help maintain firing of the synapses (Gilles E. 220). In addition to exercising your brain, the following are some basic things you can do to enhance your ability to retain and retrieve memories: The most important thing is to pay attention because you can only encode something into your brain if you pay close attention to it. The processing of a piece of information via the hippocampus and then into the relevant memory centre requires eight second and therefore you should avoid multitasking if concentration is to be achieved.  In addition if you get easily disrupted you should look for a quiet place with no interruptions. Another way is by considering your learning style when tailoring acquisition of information. Most people  learn best by reading or  seeing what  is necessary for them to (visual learners) while  some  others are auditory learners and can only  learn better through listening and thus might  benefit  by recording necessary information and listening to it till they are able to recall it.  In addition one should learn to organize information through taking notes on complex materials, writing down in date books and address books, on calendars and through the use of both pictures and words in learning information. You should then relate what you know to the new acquired information. Another way is by understanding and interpreting materials that are complex. This requires understanding basic ideas instead of memorizing .once you have understood rehearse the information often, review your learning on   the same day you learn it and practice spaced rehearsal. In addition be motivated and keep optimistic because if you tell yourself that you have a bad memory you hamper your brains ability to remember while on the other hand a positive mental feedback brings an expectation of success. Finally ensure that you involve as many senses as you can when learning for example if you learn through seeing or reading, read loud what is necessary to remember and even recite rhythmically then rewrite the information to help make an imprint into your brain. Try also to relate information to smells, colours, tastes and texture (Betty F. chapter 3).

Nutrition and Memory Improvement

In addition to lots of health benefits diet based on vegetables, fruits health fats and whole grains can also improve memory. Research indicates that certain nutrients stimulate and nurture brain function. Antioxidants like beta carotene, vitamins C and E fight free radicals, which can damage cells because of their high reactivity .the antioxidants safely interact with them and neutralize them. Antioxidants also improve oxygen flow through the body and into the brain. Sources include : sweet potatoes, berries especially  blueberries ,  red tomatoes,  broccoli,  broccoli, green tea, citrus fruits,  nuts and seeds and the  liver.

Vitamin B  especially folic acid , B12, and B6  breakdown homocysteine an amino acid which produce toxic effects to the nerve cells and hence protect the neurons. The B vitamins are also involved in the formation of red blood cells involved in transport of oxygen .Best sources include: broccoli, spinach strawberries asparagus, melons soybeans, citrus fruits, black beans and other legumes and dark leafy greens. In addition, Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with cognitive function and are found in high concentrations in the brain. Best sources include: cold-water fish like herring, salmon tuna, mackerel and halibut; flaxseed and its oil, and walnuts and its oil. Certain health habits also help to enhance the ability to encode and recall information. Such include good sleep habits which consolidate the memory and also avoid sleep disorders like insomnia which make you tired all day and unable to concentrate. Another important habit is regular exercises which increase flow of oxygen into the brain and also reduce the risk of getting disorders like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes which result from sedentary lifestyles and which can lead to memory loss and also stroke. Regular exercise may also protect the brain cells and enhance vital chemicals in the brain. In addition managing stress is also important because it lowers levels of stress hormone and cortisol which can damage the hippocampus. In addition stress interferes with concentration and thus should be managed if a good memory is to be enhanced. Abstaining from smoking is also a good health habit because it reduces risks of cardiovascular disorders caused by smoking and which reduce oxygen flow to the brain by constricting arteries supplying the brain. (www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm)

Works Cited

Betty F. The memory manual. Simple things you can do to improve your memory .New York: High wire press; 1999: chapter 3

Gilles E. Memory fitness: A guide for successful Aging . Philadelphia: Springhouse 2003: Page220.

Improving your memory: Tips and techniques to improve your memory. www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm  

Kay D. What is memory and how to improve it . New York: Stanford university 2004

Kenneth L. Your Memory; How it works and how to improve it . .Netherlands: Psychology press; 2001: Page 194.

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I’m a neuroscientist — make these 5 lifestyle tweaks to improve your memory

You won’t want to forget these tips.

A neuroscientist is revealing five simple things you can do every day to stimulate your brain and improve your memory — from getting eight to 10 hours of sleep a night to practicing mindfulness.

Brain health is a critical but often overlooked aspect of our overall health and well-being — protecting it can potentially reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which is on the rise.

An estimated 6.7 million Americans 65 years and older had Alzheimer’s disease in 2023, according to the Alzheimer’s Association . Younger people can get the condition as well.

Neuroscientist and mental wellness coach Rachelle Summers shared the healthy habits she encourages everyone to adopt, in a TikTok she posted last year that resurfaced this week .

“Get enough sleep,” Summers advises. “It’s actually during the night, while we’re asleep, that we consolidate long-term memories.”

She added: “I recommend somewhere between eight to 10 hours per night.”

The  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  suggests adults tuck themselves in for at least seven hours a night.

Many Americans are struggling to meet this important goal , but some Gen Zers are taking their sleep schedule very seriously .

Summers also emphasizes the importance of a consistent workout routine — and be sure to include aerobic exercise.

“Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve memory in both young and old adults,” Summers noted.

Aerobic exercise — or cardio — is any physical activity that increases the heart rate and oxygen flow throughout the body to produce energy, like walking, running or swimming.

Summers explained that these movements get blood flowing to the brain to support its function.

Summers also listed mindfulness as a great way to boost brain health.

Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on your mind and body to fully sit in the present moment.

“Mindfulness has been shown to increase the thickness of the prefrontal cortex — a region of the brain that’s associated with attention and memory,” Summers shared.

She encourages people to meditate or write in a journal to practice mindfulness.

“Activities that challenge your brain — like learning a new language or learning to play an instrument can enhance memory performance,” Summers said.

“These activities stimulate the brain and can promote the growth of new neural connections,” she continued.

Working on retrieval will help keep you sharp, Summers counseled.

“That means practicing recalling things from memory without using Google,” she said.

Doing this strengthens the connections holding your memory and knowledge in your mind, making it more likely that you’ll be able to recall it in the future.

A fun way to put this into play is to do trivia.

Essay on Childhood Memories in 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 Words

Here are some beautiful essays on Childhood Memories in 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 words for class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. We have added an essay on 10 lines too. I hope you will love these essays. 

In This Blog We Will Discuss

Essay on Childhood Memories in 200 Words

Childhood memories are memories that we can’t forget ever. Some incidents are so bright in our minds that we recall it again and again. We all have tons of memories in childhood. These memories help us to build our character and personality, that’s why childhood memories are hugely important in our life. 

When people think or discuss these memories, then they feel very happy and delighted. That’s why we need to think and write about these memories. I have some really good memories from my childhood. I spent a long time in rural areas. 

I’ve completed my school from a village primary school. That was a very good experience for me. I can remember lots of incidents from there. I went to visit a village fair with my father and we bought lots of toys for me and my siblings. 

I still can feel the ‘Nagordola’, lots of people, colorful shops, and songs playing on loudspeakers when I close my eyes. These feelings and memories are priceless. I wish if I could go back to my past and see childhood again, that would be amazing. But I know it’s not possible. I miss my childhood a lot. 

Essay on Childhood Memories in 300 Words

Introduction: 

Memories are some special visualization on our brain that helps us to recall some past incidents that happened to our life. It shapes our personality for the future. Sometimes we remember our long-ago past memories and it makes us happy. 

Childhood memories are the best example of that. We all have lots of childhood memories and these are golden. These memories are vivid in our minds always. I know some memories could be hard to remember but most of them are vivid in our brain.

My Childhood Memories:

I have so many memories that I can remember now. Most of them are related to my family , parents, and siblings. Because I have spent most of my childhood times with them. My father was a government worker then and he had very little time to spend with his family.

But still, he managed to spend a huge time with us. I loved his activities. He took us to different places for a picnic. My mom used to cook very delicious meals for us. I can remember, we were staying at a village in Bihar and it was the house of an uncle. We went for a long drive from there. 

There was an amazing side view on the road. I loved the villages of Bihar. The people were friendly. I spent an amazing time with my cousins there. These memories are very bright on my mind and I love to think about all those days. 

Conclusion: 

I know your childhood memories are also amazing and you love to think about these memories a lot. These memories make us happy. I love to think about these amazing days. 

Essay on Childhood Memories in 400 Words

Childhood is that time when we had nothing to worry about. We were free and only spent time with our fellow childhood friends. We could do anything. We had no limitation to do anything. 

I had an awesome childhood that I love to recall again and again. I wish I could get back to my childhood. That is a mind-blowing part of my life. 

When I think about my childhood, it reminds a few of my friends, such as Satish, Jay, and Ganesh. We lived in a rural area in Bihar. That area was very beautiful nature. I loved spending time with nature. When we were students of class 1 or 2, we used to leave school and go to the river. 

I caught lots of fish in the river. It was a very beautiful hilly river. I wish I could go back to that amazing place. It makes me very happy when I recall these memories. I loved to jump into the water and swim there. I promise I was an excellent swimmer back then. 

We also went to different places to catch birds and do different types of naughty stuff. Though I had to follow some strict rules at home, still I was super naughty. My father was strict but he loves us very much. 

My siblings were very good with me. I used to spend lots of time with them at home. We had different types of games to play together. I loved playing cricket and football mostly. 

First Day at School: 

The first day at school is the best childhood memory that I can recall. That was a tough day for me. I was not a good boy who wanted to go to school with his own wish. I did different things to not go to school. 

But finally, my father bought me some books, a school bag, and a school uniform and I agreed to go to school. The first day was full of scariness for me. We went to the headmaster’s room and he asked me some easy questions. I knew the answers but I was unable to answer due to lots of pressure going on in my head. 

I love to think about all of my childhood memories, these memories are my own and that’s what pushed me to create my personality and character. We all need to appreciate our memories in childhood. 

Essay on Childhood Memories in 500 Words

We all have lots of past memories in our lives. But I think childhood memories are the best memories that make us happy and delighted. You can’t deny that we all have some memories that are very special to us. 

I have some childhood memories too that I never can forget. Today I will talk about some of these memories here. 

Importance of Childhood Memories: 

Do some people think that childhood memories are really important? I think it is. Because these memories make a huge impact on our personality and lifestyle. It helps us to be that person that we want to be. 

We should never ignore our past memories. These are big lessons in our life. That’s why I think it has huge importance in our life. 

My Childhood Memories: 

I have some amazing memories. Most of them are with my family, my parents, my siblings, and my grandmother . I have three siblings and they are very close to my heart. We always had a great time together. I spent my entire childhood in a neighborhood in Delhi. 

I had lots of friends there. I am still connected with a few of them. We spent really good times together. I loved playing cricket in the afternoon. I have lots of good memories playing with them. I can remember the first day of school. 

It was very exciting for me. I always was an attentive student and I used to make good results in the class. My teachers loved me a lot for that. These memories are very sweet and I wish I could go back there and experience the same thing again. 

I used to visit my native village sometimes. That was another exciting journey for me. I spent an amazing time with my cousins there. We went for a picnic and did lots of crazy things. 

A Horrible Experience of Childhood:

Along with lots of good experiences I have some horrible childhood experiences too. When I was five years old, I didn’t know how to swim. And that time I was in the village. We were playing football and there was a pond near the field. 

When the ball went to the pond, someone went and picked it. A boy thought I might know how to swim and he pushed me to the pond. When I was trying to come out of the water but couldn’t he was laughing and thinking that I was making fun. 

But when he realized he jumped and took me off the water. That was a very shocking memory that I can’t forget. It could be worse. 

I love to think about my old childhood memories. These memories bring a broad smile to my face. I know it’s the same for everyone. These memories are very much cute and loving. It could be a topic of gossip too. People love sharing things about their childhood, I do. 

Essay on Childhood Memories in 600 Words

Childhood is the best stage of human life where they can spend time without any worry and pressure. We all have had that amazing time. The best part of childhood is spending time with fellow kids. We all have some good and some bad memories that we can recall from childhood. 

There are lots of memories that we have forgotten and some we can remember slightly. I am going to share some memories from my childhood that I still can’t forget. I think these are the golden memories and the time was priceless. 

I have been raised in a big family with lots of loving members. I have all the sweet memories with them. I especially want to mention my grandmother. She was an extraordinary lady. I have two siblings and we used to play in the garden in front of my home . 

My father bought us different types of toys and playing equipment. I loved playing cricket from childhood and still play that often. My little sister was like my assistant. She was always with me whatever I do and wherever I go. 

We used to steal pickles from the refrigerator that my grandma made. I still can feel the smell and taste of that pickle when I look back at the memories. My dad was a super busy person, but still, he spent enough time with us. I can remember a picnic at a zoo where the entire family went. 

My mom took some delicious food items there. I can’t remember what exactly the dishes were, but they were amazing in taste. That was an incredible day. We sometimes visited our native village and that was the best moment for me and my cousins. 

We got enough space to run, play football, and do all the stuff that we can’t do in the city. When I think about my childhood, that takes a large part there. Because I have so many amazing memories related to village life. 

My First Day at School: 

The first day at school is a beautiful memory that I can remember clearly. That was a very special event for me. I was very excited. I have been preparing for school and worked very hard for three months. My mother was also working very hard to teach me all the basic things such as alphabets and a few rhymes. 

I was pretty confident. I got my new uniform, school bag, some books, and new shoes. And the day came and they took me to school. That is quite a popular school in the city. My parents took me to the headmaster’s room. 

He was a gentleman and he greeted us properly. I can remember he asked me some basic questions and I answered them confidently. He called an assistant teacher and sent me to my classroom . A class was going on there already and I joined it. I found tons of boys and girls my age. 

I made some friends on the first day. I went back and found my parents waiting for me. That was a pleasant experience for me. I will never forget that day. My parents were very supportive and that’s why everything was easy for me. 

Conclusion:

Childhood memories are very important in our life. We should remind ourselves of all the beautiful moments. When we think about our childhood it makes us laugh and we feel very genuine. 

That’s very important in our life. These little memories can shape our personality in the future. These are good times and they teach us how to overcome some problems in real life. 

10 Lines Essay on Childhood Memories

1. We all have lots of beautiful memories from our childhood that make us extremely happy.

2. This memory recalls are priceless and everyone loves to talk about them. 

3. I have some exciting memories of my own childhood. 

4. We were living in a village when I was a kid. I spent my entire childhood there. 

5. It was possible for me to experience lots of exciting things that a city kid can’t.

6. I learned swimming at the age of 5 and I used to swim in the nearest river with my fellow childhood friends. 

7. My parents had some rules to follow and of course, they were extremely strict. But still, we managed to find time for doing lots of naughty activities. 

8. I have most of my memories with my siblings and my cousins. 

9. These memories are priceless and I keep smiling when I think about these golden days. 

10. I love all these childhood memories and these are my base of personality. 

How do you write a childhood memories essay? 

To write a childhood memory, you need to look back to your childhood. It’s a very important topic for school and college students. By writing on this topic, you will get an opportunity to look back at your past memories. It is not hard to write about childhood memories. You need to think a bit and you will come with tons of beautiful memories. 

How would you describe your childhood memories? 

To describe your childhood memories, you need to write them first and then you can do some edits to make it look good. Here are some described essays on childhood memories, you can use them for your study purpose. 

Why is Childhood Memories important?

Childhood memories are very important for us because our memories help us to build our personality and make us the perfect human. It’s a huge lesson in our life. 

What can be a common childhood memory for all?

‘The first day at school’ could be a common memory for all. There are some memories that are related to our parents and siblings, they could be common for all too. 

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