We all have moments when memory fails us. The name we’re looking for may be on the tip of our tongues. The image might be there, but it’s too fuzzy to really make out. Our brains can only hold on to so much information at once. And when we don’t truly need to remember something, it fades. While this can be frustrating at times, it’s what our brains need to do to make room for new information. Luckily, there are ways to improve the amount that our brains are able to remember. By following some or all of these strategies, you can sharpen your recall, increase the capacity of information your brain can hold, and improve your memory in general, whether you’re learning a language or memorizing digits of pi.
We would be remiss not to mention the holy grails of virtually all mental, physical, and cognitive health concerns: the restorative power of sleep, exercise, good nutrition, and stress relief. These are always the best places to start improving memory or any of the body and brain’s many other functions. Aside from these areas, here are some additional strategies for addressing memory specifically:
1. (Try Your Best To) Focus
We understand better than most that this is easier said than done. Especially for people with ADHD, focusing takes tremendous effort and energy. But creating structure to enable this focus can help you maintain attention long enough to commit information to memory. Try setting a timer for five minutes to start, with nothing to interrupt your focus. Turn the cell phone on silent, and remove all possible distractions. Know that a break is coming soon, and try to keep all of your attention on the details of what you are learning. Next time, try to increase your focusing time to six minutes, then seven.
2. Never Cram
As we have discussed in previous posts, cramming never does anyone any good. Even if you get the grade you want, by next week, you’ll forget all the information you thought you learned. Spread your studying out over the course of days, or even weeks prior to a test, gradually building up your knowledge, and reviewing periodically. Studying in small chunks is always more effective than all at once.
3. Use Mnemonics and Visualization!
Notice how many times we’ve mentioned mnemonics in our posts? That’s because they really do work! Research proves that creating memorable associations helps our brains hold on to new information so much longer than mere repetition. And if the information you are trying to retain doesn’t lend itself as easily to a mnemonic (studying lines for a script or memorizing historical events, for example), then try creating visualizations.
4. Talk Out Loud
If you’re studying by yourself, we admit: this might feel strange. But hearing your voice speak the information you’re trying to learn helps your brain process it much more fully than when you say it in your head. And if you are studying with a buddy or in a group, make sure you are reinforcing concepts and information out loud to each other. Teaching others significantly improves our retention of information, even if we aren’t actually “teaching” them, but merely talking to them about our learning.
5. Rephrase
Even more powerful than reading information out loud is speaking that information out loud in your own words. The cognitive process involved in paraphrasing information helps your brain more easily commit it to memory. The more times you put your brain through this process, the more likely the information is to stick!
6. Activate Schema
Finally, make sure whatever it is you are studying feels relevant to you. Relate it to your prior knowledge, think about what you already know about the topic by memory before even attempting to study it, and always ask questions. Even if you don’t bother to answer them, actively engaging in your learning by questioning and wondering is a much more effective method of studying than passive memorization techniques.
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