It is important to remember things, but it can be difficult when our brains are so busy.
There are many strategies that you can use to boost your memory and memorize more information.
This post will cover ten strategies for improving your memory and incorporating them into your daily life.
Take Notes.
This is the simplest way to remember something. Write down what you want to remember, and it will stick in your mind longer than if you didn’t write anything at all.
You can also use this strategy by taking notes on important information that you need to learn for school or work.
The act of putting pen to paper helps with retention because our brains are programmed like computers (in a sense). When we physically write or type things out versus just thinking about them, our brain processes more information.
So instead of simply listening during class time or reading over your notes later, try writing them down as well! It will make memorizing easier. And don’t forget—handwriting is much better for memorization than typing on a keyboard.
Now that we have covered the first strategy let’s talk about another way of boosting your memory by using mnemonics.
Use Mnemonics.
Mnemonics use imagery and humor to help you remember information better. This is why people often make up songs or rhymes to help them learn things faster.
One of the most popular mnemonic devices is using acronyms. Acronyms use the first letter from every word in a phrase to form a new word or term that you can easily remember.
For example, if someone taught you the rainbow colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—you may have trouble remembering all those different hues without thinking about it for an hour (or longer).
So instead, they could say ROY G BIV—red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet. Now, whenever you need to recall this information later on down the road, all you would have to do is think, “Roy G Biv…the colors of rainbows!”
This is why acronyms are among the most popular mnemonics—they use humor and imagery to help you remember information more easily.
Chunking and grouping similar things together.
Another effective strategy for boosting your memory would be chunking and grouping similar things together to remember them better.
For example, if you were learning how to spell “separate” but kept forgetting whether it was “seperate,” “separat,” or “separate,”—you could break it down into two chunks by memorizing that there are two As in the middle of two Es (E-a-a-e). Then, when trying to recall this word later on, all you have to do is think about the fact that there are two As and two Es! Pretty simple, right? And so helpful.
This is why chunking is so effective—it makes memorizing effortless because you are breaking down information into simpler chunks of words or phrases, which can be more easily recalled later on in the future.
Online resources.
If you can’t think of anything funny or interesting yourself, there are plenty of resources online where someone else has done it for you!
Check out this website for examples: Mnemonic Generator. Or find what works best for you—the possibilities are endless when creating your own mnemonic.
Practice Recall.
Another good way to boost your memory is by practicing recall.
This means that whenever you learn something new, try recalling it as quickly and accurately as possible—and without looking at the information again! This will help strengthen the connection between what you are learning and how you will apply it later on in life or at work.
The best part? You can practice recall anywhere with anyone if they ask a quick question about an important fact, piece of data, etc.
For example, let’s say you’re playing basketball with your friend, and they ask what the score is. You would not only know to reply “15” but also be able to recall it quickly without having to think about it too much!
This is why practicing recall is a great way to boost your memory—it allows you to quickly recall important information without having to think about it too hard.
Exercise Your Brain.
Exercise is excellent for your body, but it’s also essential to keep your brain healthy and functioning at its best.
Just like any other muscle in the human body, our brain needs exercise too! It may seem difficult at first because working out our brains can be challenging—but this means you’re doing something right! The more work you put into exercising your memory, the better results you will see over time.
For example, you could try memorizing a list of items or practicing recalling certain information right after learning it. These simple exercises will help your brain think and retain new information more quickly in the future!
This is why exercising your memory can be an effective way to boost how well it functions—it doesn’t require any special equipment like treadmills or lifting weights for our bodies. All you need is yourself and some dedication toward improving that mind of yours!
Puzzles.
Another great way to exercise your brain would be by doing puzzles (like Sudoku) instead because they also strengthen those necessary cognitive skills we use every day as human beings.
Try incorporating these exercises into your daily life whenever possible: mental workouts or challenges such as crossword puzzles, sudoku, word searches, etc.
These activities are a fun way to get some extra practice with recall and memorization while helping yourself stay sharp mentally.
Bonus: you can even do these on your phone or tablet whenever and wherever (like waiting in line at the grocery store)!
Make your brain work harder.
Another great way to exercise your brain is by making it work a little harder.
For example, if reading something important, try putting it into your own words instead of using the exact same phrasing used originally. This will strengthen those neurons and help them grow because they’ll be firing together more often as a result! This means stronger connections between each neuron which means better memory retention overall. And who doesn’t want that?
There is an excellent course to 10x Your Memory Power called Black Belt Memory, consisting of 7 modules (or belts) where each belt covers a different and more advanced topic than the other.
Get Enough Sleep for Cognitive Benefits.
A tired mind will never be able to function at its best, and that includes your memory as well.
If you’re sleep-deprived, your brain won’t have the energy it needs to remember much of anything—and we all know how bad it feels when we can’t even recall something simple like where we put our keys earlier in the day!
The more tired or exhausted our brains are from lack of sleep, the worse our memories will perform overall. So make sure to get enough sleep every night (at least seven hours) to get those full cognitive benefits.
This is why getting a good night’s rest is such an effective way to improve memory: not only does the body need time each day for crucial physical recovery, but the brain does too!
Sleeping problems.
If you’re having trouble sleeping at night to get those restful hours of shut-eye that are so important for memory, try changing your routine before bedtime.
For example, stop using all electronic devices an hour or two before the evening because this can cause problems falling asleep if it takes you a long time to power down.
You could also avoid eating heavy meals close to when you go to sleep since these things might keep you awake later than desired.
The importance of sleeping.
Sleep helps everything from our physical health to our mental well-being, which includes helping us with memory recall.
When we are sleeping (especially when we get good quality sleep), it allows our brains time to process all the information they recently took in, like studying or listening during class time.
This makes learning easier and more effective because new memories are made while we sleep.
Exercise to Boost your Memory.
We all know how exercise is great for our physical health, but it can also be quite effective at boosting memory too.
This activity helps keep the mind sharp by improving blood flow to the brain, which means more oxygen and essential nutrients reach those important neurons needed to operate correctly.
This improves both short-term and long-term memory retention while helping us learn new things easier as well!
Not only does this help with studying or learning, but exercising regularly has even been shown to reduce anxiety levels significantly.
Endorphins.
This makes sense because exercise releases endorphins (natural painkillers) throughout the body, including our brains, where they act like morphine, calming us down without any harmful chemicals or side effects.
Take a memory-boosting walk during your lunch break or after dinner, go for a bike ride with friends on the weekend, or take an adult gymnastics class to keep those muscles active and that brain stimulated—the options are endless!
If you want to boost your memory quickly, then make sure you’re getting enough physical activity every day, even if it’s something as simple as going out for a quick jog around the block before work in the morning. It will definitely pay off when trying to remember things down the road.
Eat Foods that Help your Brain.
The foods you put into your body directly impact how well your brain functions—and this is no different regarding memory.
By consuming specific types of food, you can improve both short-term and long-term memory retention, which is fantastic news for anyone looking to get better grades at school or pass that next important test!
Foods like avocados might help with improving focus. At the same time, certain other items, such as salmon, nuts, berries (especially blueberries), and leafy greens, are all great options because they contain antioxidants that fight free radicals in our bodies. These chemicals cause damage over time and lead to health problems, including a cognitive decline in the future, if we don’t take care of them now.
Vitamin B12.
You can also take foods that are high in vitamin B12, like fish, eggs, dairy products (like milk), and meats, which will help with creating energy for your brain to function correctly throughout the day—and these tasty items are great for improving memory as well!
One of our most important jobs is taking care of ourselves, so don’t forget what you’re putting into your body because it significantly impacts how we remember things later.
If you eat better, then you’ll feel better too!
Drink Tea.
If you’re a tea drinker, then this one is perfect for you. If not, don’t worry—there are still plenty of ways to relax your mind and body that will help with memory retention as well!
While caffeine might seem like the logical choice for relaxing (especially if you need an extra boost while studying or learning), it isn’t the best option in the long run.
Instead, opt for something herbal like green tea, which can be found at any local health food store: drinking only three cups daily has been shown to improve both short-term and long-term memory! 1
Not only does this help with your memory, but drinking tea can also reduce stress which will make you feel better overall, too—what else could anyone want?
Take Supplements for your Memory.
Many supplements can improve memory and brain function in general. Most of these work best when combined with a healthy diet—but they’re still great options if you need an extra boost!
It’s best to consult with an expert before starting out on anything new, especially when it comes to changing what you’re putting into your body every single day! A great place to start would be finding a nutritionist near you to get the conversation going.
If you’re not a fan of taking supplements, then don’t worry—you have plenty of other options that can help boost your memory too!
For example, several different types of foods and drinks contain caffeine, such as coffee (and even chocolate), green tea, and yerba mate. These are all great things to have on days when you need a little extra kick, but they can help with memory retention too!
The key is not having caffeine every single day because it will actually cause your body to rely more heavily on the chemical instead of naturally producing enough energy for yourself—but if needed, these options make excellent choices!
Focus on the Details.
Often, when trying to learn a new piece of information, it’s all too easy to focus on the bigger
picture. While this helps get a more general idea of what you’re learning, it doesn’t do much for your memory retention.
Instead, the best thing you can do is focus on all of the smaller pieces and details within whatever information has been given!
Not only does focusing like this help with short-term memory, but it also makes long-term memory far more straightforward because it allows our brains to recall small bits and pieces whenever needed quickly.
For example: if we remember that Paris is located in France (the bigger picture), then we won’t be able to recall where exactly in France, but if we know things like: “Paris is found along the Seine River” or “It’s one of Europe’s fashion capitals” then we will be able to pinpoint it a lot easier and recall this information whenever needed.
Conclusion.
We all want to boost our memory, and there are many ways you can do this.
Here we’ve outlined ten simple strategies for better remembering what is important in your life.
What methods have you used to improve your memories? Let us know!
Lenny Terra is the founder & editor-in-chief. He’s a life coach, software engineer, freelance writer, and has a diploma in Modern Applied Psychology. Lenny has a passion for great living & beautiful design. He is married and is the father of two beautiful girls. His life’s mission is to help people improve their lives, become happier and more productive. This blog is his contribution to that goal and to the empowerment of his readers. Lenny and his family live in Texas with their two dogs.