There are a lot of things that you can do to enhance your memory. Keep in mind that no one is dumb until he or she believes so. Thus, use this article as your guide to learn how you can get your precious memory in tip top shape.
1.) Never cram for an exam. You might already be used to this method, but it actually doesn’t make you remember things in the long run. So try to divide the topics that you need to study and don’t just open your books on the night before the exam.
2.) Use flash cards to your advantage. If you’re someone who can easily remember images, then this method is suitable for you. Just make sure that you make your flash cards beforehand so you would have ample time to review them for your exam. Also, put the answers to your questions at the back of the cards so you won’t be able to see them.
3.) Breathe in a deeper and slower manner when you are studying for an exam. This can help you remember things better simply because a deeper breathing pattern can make a huge difference in the electrical pulses that are running through your brain.
4.) Say the things that are running through your mind out loud. This is an effective studying habit for it makes your brain remember things better. Repeatedly saying a name or an event makes that information stay longer in your mind compared to the things that you just see.
5.) Don’t ever believe that you are dumb or that you have a “bad memory”. Everyone can do something to remember things better and you are not an exception. Don’t let other people put you down and prove to them that you are smarter than they think.
6.) Play mind games on a daily basis. This would help exercise your brain and keep it active for your long exams. If you don’t like playing mind games, then you can learn to play a new instrument instead. You can also try to learn to speak a different language.
7.) Arrange your home in a way that would help you remember the things that you need to do. For example, put a to-do list on your refrigerator everyday for you to avoid missing out any appointment. Simply put reminders in places where you would be able to see them.
8.) Buy a bottle of rosemary oil. This product has ingredients that can certainly improve your memory. Bring it wherever you go and smell it at least once a day. Apply it on your pulse if you want to or you can just put it in your pocket where you would be able to easily get it.
9.) Move your eyes from the left to the right and vice versa. Do this step for a half a minute once a day and on a regular basis. You can perform this technique before you go to your workplace or to your school.
10.) When meeting new people, visualize their names on their foreheads so you would be able to remember them easily. This will prevent you from mistaking them for someone else and get yourself embarrassed for a while. You may also take a picture of them and put those photos in an album.
Use Mnemonic Devices
1.) Apply Loci’s method. Use a path that you use on a regular basis and visualize that path with the things that you would want to retain in your memory. For example, imagine your vitamins at the door of your room, your math notebook at the bottom of the stairs etc.
2.) Apply acrostics. This method is quite the same with acronyms. You would just have to come out with a sentence and every word of that sentence needs to start with the first letter of the names that you want to remember. For example, you can use the sentence Never Eat Sour Watermelons to keep in mind the 4 directions namely North, East, South, and West.
3.) Apply acronyms. I bet every one of you is already familiar with this method. For example, if you only intend to buy Butter, Unagi, Lettuce, and Bread.in a grocery store, then all you have to do is remember the world BULB which has every first letter of the items that you want to purchase.
4.) Apply rhymes. You can come with your own or use rhymes that are already familiar to everybody. "In fourteen-hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." is an example of a famous rhyme.
5.) Apply chunking to the things that you want to remember. It may be hard for you to memorize a long list of items but you can actually group the items based on their similarities and start memorizing one group to another. This is what you people call as chunking.
6.) If you find it hard to memorize a series of numbers, then you would just have to associate them with the things that you already know. For example, you are required to memorize your mom’s phone number which is 09302127. 09 can stand for your birthday. 30 can be your favorite. 21 can refer to your age while 27 can be your sister’s age.
7.) Associate every data with an image that you can easily remember. Just use your creativity and you would go a long way.