Ways To Improve Your Memory
Whether it's a phone number, an appointment or a co-worker's name, it often seems like the harder you try to remember something, the more easily you forget it. In fact, Edgar Allen Poe is reported to have said, "If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that thing is to be remembered."
Despite this difficulty, a good memory is one of the most important traits someone can possess. It can get us out of jams, increase our productivity and help us stay on top of our responsibilities. The trouble is, like our height or our bank account, it often seems almost impossible to increase.
However, there are a few proven ways to improve our memory. Gathered over years and continents, here are a few of the most successful tactics.
Help your brain out
Although it may seem counterintuitive, one of the most effective ways of improving memory is to reduce its workload. Utilize calendars and computers to store important information. Pick locations to regularly store your keys and wallet. Doing this will help economize the space in your brain, allowing you to focus your attention on other, more important details.
Employ tricks
Coding is one of the most important tactics in the search for a vise-like memory. Instead of memorizing unwieldy strings of seemingly unrelated information, it's best to use methods to help you store it methodically. Mnemonic devices have been used for millennia for exactly this reason. Finding a funny or personal way to lodge knowledge greatly increases your ability to remember it.
Flex your muscles
Just as regular workouts help keep your muscles strong and agile, regular brain exercise can help strengthen your memory. Creative enterprises such as writing and drawing help you use your brain in original ways, which can result in more powerful memory skills, according to Harvard University. Reading books, especially fiction, and doing word and number puzzles can further improve memory by helping you build connections between regions within your brain.
