Techniques to Improve Memory

Most of us wish our memory skills were more powerful and that important bits of thought didn't just flit past our cognitive grasps. Our memories are stored in two kinds of vaults―short-term memory and long-term memory. It's amazing how our brains work, really.

We're able to retain what the brain thinks is relevant enough, discarding the little bits of information that don't create an impact on our senses. You'll be glad to know that you won't have to strain your mind to remember crucial bits of information, after giving the following techniques a try.

Do you ever wonder how you can still recollect nursery rhymes like, 'Twinkle twinkle, little star'? It's surprisingly because of the rhyming words used as you sing along. A rhyming scheme or rhythm makes memorizing certain things, easier.

It is also fun to create a rhyme that will help you remember what you're trying to learn or recollect for later. Anything to do with numbers that needs to be remembered, can be retained through rhyming. You can also substitute important words into numbers like, 'one is a ton, two is stew', when it comes to memorizing a grocery list, for instance.

Chunking refers to the method of breaking lengthy information into small groups. It works best when the order of information is not important. This method is believed to be helpful in memorizing numbers, however in my view it is more useful when dealing with heavy subjects like history.

For example, if you had to memorize the birth date of Abraham Lincoln―February 12, 1809―you'd first break the numbers up into individual digits 1221809, and then into chunks of two―12 02 18 09. Your short-term memory bank can store up to 7 chunks, so don't worry about forgetting the date. Cellphone numbers can be memorized in a similar manner.

This method is useful when trying to memorize a group of words. All you have to do is create an acronym using the first alphabet of every important word or the words in a paragraph, to help you recollect a sizable amount of information in an instant.

For example, if we were to look into the causes behind lesser rainfall, we'd break them up like so, Deforestation, Excessive use of resources, Pollution etc., so the acronym will be DEP. If you cannot remember the acronym DEP, associate it with something that you can easily remember, like Johnny DEPP!

As the name suggests, recite information just before hitting the sack, or practice what is known as rote memorization―repeating the same thing over and over again, until you remember it. While you sleep, the brain will arrange the information in an effective as well as systematic manner, helping you memorize what you conditioned it to remember.

In this technique you make a sentence using the first alphabet of a sentence or string of words you want to memorize.

For example, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, Species. By using this technique you can construct a sentence like, King Paul Came Over for the Garlic Soup, which will help you remember the words―Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, Species.

This is a different method that uses the power of visualization. Let's say you have to memorize an important speech or toast. Visualize a place that you find comfort in, like your home. Picture various paths that lead to different rooms or area in and around your home, in your mind's eye.

Associate a portion of the speech to a pathway, for example: The introduction covers the distance from the gate to the porch, the highlight of the speech from the porch to the living room, and the conclusion from the living room to the bedroom. The number of landmarks you include depend on the number of things you want to memorize.

Give yourself time to accustom your memory to the techniques that will help it grow stronger. Other techniques like meditation can greatly improve memory, as well as eating the right foods.