<\/h1>\nHere are 14 tried-and-tested techniques you can follow to improve YOUR memory.<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
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- Pay attention<\/strong><\/strong>
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The most basic, and very important technique is to pay attention to whatever is important to you, and you are required to remember for a long period. The information we listen\/read first enters our sensory memory, and it is moved to the short-term memory only when we pay attention to it. Paying attention to the important information will aid in the process of memorizing later, and would improve memory in the long run.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Understand the meaning<\/strong><\/strong>
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Once you pay attention to a particular piece of information, it is very important to understand it in detail, instead of simply repeating the word. This technique to improve memory is called Elaborative Rehearsal. For e.g., if you want to remember the word photosynthesis, don\u2019t simply mug up the word, understand the meaning. \u201cPhotosynthesis <\/strong>is a process used by plants to convert light energy into chemical energy, which is the food for the plant\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Chunking<\/strong><\/strong>
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\nIt is a technique where a long piece of information is broken down into smaller chunks. The smaller chunks of information are easier to learn than the longer uninterrupted information.<\/p>\n- \n
- Simple chunking:<\/strong><\/strong>If you want to remember a phone number e.g. 9899802801<\/strong>, you can simply remember the information as 9899-802-801,<\/strong> rather than reading the whole piece in one go.<\/li>\n
- Meaningful chunking:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>If you want to remember a long list of letters, say, XMITRATCATHITMISS, you can simply break it as X-MIT-RAT-CAT-HIT-MISS.<\/li>\n
- Chunking List:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>If you want to remember a long list of items, the best technique is to first organize<\/strong> the information and form chunks. For e.g., the list to remember includes: eggs, perfume, soap, butter, chips, bread, face wash, coke and nail paint. You can simply remember the information by organizing the information, and then forming chunks, such as:Eggs, Butter, Bread (Breakfast Items)
\nPerfume, Soap, Facewash, Nail paint (Body Essentials)
\nChips, Coke (Party Items)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Explain to others<\/strong><\/strong>
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One of the simple techniques to improve memory is explaining the information to others. This will help you to understand the information better, and it will be stored in your long-term memory.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Use your power of imagination<\/strong><\/strong>
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Method of Loci or the Memory walk, is an interesting technique to remember items, by placing them in a familiar location mentally. Suppose you want to remember a certain list of items to purchase, e.g., sugar, rice, potatoes and chips. Now imagine yourself walking through the route where you generally buy your ration. Next, imagine yourself placing all the items that you need to remember, one-by-one. Walk through the route and imagine buying all the items one-by-one.\u00a0 This method will help you remember the list better, and you will recall the list easily during the shopping.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Give yourself cues to remember<\/strong><\/strong>
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If you learn something in a happy mood, it will be easier to retrieve the information in a happy rather than a sad mood. Try to study in the room where your exam would be conducted. It will provide you with more external cues, and the retrieval of the information would be better. The information is retrieved more easily, when the conditions at the time of receiving the information are the same at the time of recalling. (Encoding Specificity).<\/li>\n- Space out your studies<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0
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If \u00a0you are a student, and you get confused every time you study, then you should stop studying similar subjects together. If you are studying a concept of science, try to study some topic that is not similar to it. Studying Social Science or Mathematics can be a good option. This is because the learnt information earlier might get lost, or you may get confused between the two. Spacing out similar information is a good way to learn effectively, through which you can avoid the proactive (previously learnt information hinders the new learning) and the retroactive interference (the newly-learnt information will affect previously learnt information).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Say it out loud:<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0
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If you want to remember a piece of information, say it out loud. This will involve more than one sense. You will not only read it, but also listen to the information. This will help in better recall of the information.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Doodle<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
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In memory tests, doodlers performed 29% better than non-doodlers when asked to recall names and places (Plymouth University study). When you doodle, you draw and see the images, thus further aiding the process.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nExample:\u00a0 If you want to remember a list of monuments for your history test, the easiest way is to draw those using different colors<\/em>. This will improve your memory of the monuments.<\/p>\n
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- Wiggle your eyes<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Moving your eyes from right to left, and from left to right, could help you improve your concentration. <\/strong>\u00a0The left and the right side of your brain perform different activities, and this will help in improving the communication between them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n- \n
- Take Enough Sleep<\/strong><\/strong>
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6 hours of sleep is not enough for everyone. You require 7-9 hours of sleep. If you don\u2019t sleep well, then all problem-solving skills, creativity and critical thinking are compromised.\u00a0 You should always follow a routine, and avoid TV, laptops, tablets, cell phones etc., one hour before going to bed. Sleeping also helps in memory consolidation<\/em>.<\/li>\n- Exercise<\/strong><\/strong>
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Swimming, cardio, running, dancing etc. for 30-35 minutes (3-4 times a week) can help to improve memory. Cardio-vascular exercises enhance the blood flow to the brain, further increasing the secretion of a protein necessary for long-term memory (neurotrophic factor).<\/li>\n- Keep your stress in check<\/strong><\/strong>
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Chronic Stress destroys the brain. Always form realistic targets and take breaks during your work. Avoid multitasking and focus on a single task to reduce stress.<\/li>\n- Have a balanced diet<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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<\/p>\nHaving food rich in Vitamin-D, Omega-3 and reducing the intake of foods containing the damaging Omega-6 fats will make the brain healthy and would improve memory.<\/p>\n
- Exercise<\/strong><\/strong>
- Take Enough Sleep<\/strong><\/strong>
- Wiggle your eyes<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0
- Doodle<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
- Space out your studies<\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0
- Give yourself cues to remember<\/strong><\/strong>
- Use your power of imagination<\/strong><\/strong>
- Meaningful chunking:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>If you want to remember a long list of letters, say, XMITRATCATHITMISS, you can simply break it as X-MIT-RAT-CAT-HIT-MISS.<\/li>\n
- Simple chunking:<\/strong><\/strong>If you want to remember a phone number e.g. 9899802801<\/strong>, you can simply remember the information as 9899-802-801,<\/strong> rather than reading the whole piece in one go.<\/li>\n
- Chunking<\/strong><\/strong>
- Understand the meaning<\/strong><\/strong>