Everyone has experienced moments when you had trouble remembering something. Your ability to remember information comes from whether you focus on the information, how much effort you use to try to remember it and how well your brain is functioning. Despite this, you have control over your memory creation and you can take steps to improve your memory.
Write
When you want to remember things that occur in your life, you should write them down. Writing things down will help you to remember what you experienced or learned. The act of writing promotes the storage of your memories in your brain because you are learning it twice. You can write things down either in journal form for you and only you to read, or you could document your memories in the form of a blog for others to read. Either way, the act of writing will trigger the memory formation, allowing you to go back and look in case you happen to forget something.
Repeat
When you need to remember something, such as someone's name or a book title, you can help yourself by saying it out loud. RealSimiple.com reports that, because people tend to be more visual we often can remember faces, but not names. Thus, when trying to retain someone's name in your memory, you should repeat it out loud by saying it at least three times. RealSimple.com suggests that this can be threaded into the conversation by saying, "Hi Mary. It is so nice to finally meet you, Mary. So, Mary, what can I do for you?" or you can associate their name with a distinguishing feature, such as Tina with Tiny.
Use Sentences
The sentence technique, can be a useful way to remember things. According to HelpGuide.org, you will need to create a sentence out of the first letter of each word you are trying to remember. An example of this is, "Every good boy does fine," which represents the music notes E, G, B, D, and F on the treble staff, reports HelpGuide.org. This technique can be useful when you have to learn a block of important information that if it were not focused on, would be a fleeting, short-term memory. The use of the sentence gives your memory staying power, and it will more likely be retained in your long-term memory.
Change Routine
In order to enhance your ability to remember, it may be important to change your routines. The MayoClinic.com suggests taking a different route home from work or reading something that you would not normally read. HelpGuide.org reports that even the simple act of brushing your teeth or your hair with your opposite hand can help stimulate your brain. It is mentally stimulating activities such as these that will help to keep your brain challenged and ward off memory problems, reports the MayoClinic.com.
