Four Ways to Improve Your Memory for New

Vocabulary
July 5, 2012

Sometimes how you approach a problem is as important as the work you do to solve it. A
good example of this is vocabulary improvement you might be making the task much
harder than it needs to be only because you arent organizing your study program in the
best way. Because a very large part of vocabulary development involves memory, you need
to know two things: first, how your memory works; and second, how you can optimize your
memory skills to support your vocabulary improvement. Heres what you need to know in
order to make your study sessions as effective as possible:
1. Learn how short-term and long-term memory work. Many people make the mistake
of trying to memorize long lists of words all at once theyre often students who left study to
the last minute, frantically trying to cram in as much information as they can in the wee
hours of the morning. Unfortunately, your short-term memory can only hold a certain
amount of information at once. You need to give your brain time to process the information
in your short-term working memory and move it to long-term memory before adding
something new. Of course, if you train your memory, youll be able to both increase the
amount youre able to process at once, and require less time for that processing. On
average, though, most people can only take in between six and eight pieces of information
at one time.
2. Help your brain form the vital connections you need to create long-term
memories. Memories are formed primarily of connections; the brain automatically tries to
create those connections when storing information in the form of memory. You can speed up
this process by actively creating connections yourself as you study. For example, dont just
learn one word, learn one or two of its synonyms at the same time. This grouping of
information forms a larger unit that makes a more concrete memory. You can also
incorporate visual elements into your vocabulary study, associating a word with an image.
This activates several parts of your brain simultaneously, which makes a stronger
connection.
3. Use all your senses to create the strongest possible web of information and
memory. We all learn things by many means: through our eyes, our ears, our sense of
smell, and our sense of touch. No matter which method you usually use, if you deliberately
use more than one youll be stimulating your brain to take in the information in several ways
at once, which will create strong memories. Write out words and say them out loud. Use the

words in a quick one-act play to practice them in context. If you can demonstrate a word
with physical movement, as in the game of Charades, its a great way to have fun while
learning as well.
4. Emphasize the information by repetition. Its important to review the information
you learn shortly after you first learn it. Think of a hammer hitting a nail into a board:
usually, it takes several strikes before the nail is all the way in the wood. In the same way,
repetition of the half-dozen words youve just learned will hammer the information into your
long-term memory, and youll find it much easier to recall later.
Cross-posted at The Vocabulary Builders Blog.

Improve Your Memory Skills in Fifteen Minutes

June 8, 2012

The process of getting the ultimate memory skills you want does take training, practice, and
repetition as you teach your brain to efficiently receive, store, and recall important
information. However, there are a few simple things that you can do regularly to make sure
that youre functioning at the level you need to be to get the most out of your memory
practice.
Take five minutes to relax before you start your studies. If youre feeling any kind of
pressure, your system will produce stress hormones and your mind and body will start to go
into fight or flight mode and thats not the state of mind you need to be in for study!
While its important to put in the time for study, its also important to keep a balance in your
life, so if youre feeling stressed out today, its okay to postpone your memory training until
tomorrow. Youll get more out of it, and feel healthier all around. This five-minute relaxation
break is also an excellent thing to do before giving a presentation or taking an exam. The
same stress hormones prevent quick recall of information because they interfere with the
normal signals of the brain. If youre more relaxed, youre more likely to be able to give that
speech smoothly and fluently, or remember the detailed answers to the questions on a test.
Take five minutes to go over what youre about to do. This mental rehearsal does two
things, First, it helps organize your thoughts so that you can approach your studies or your
presentation in an orderly fashion. In a sense, its like packing a suitcase for a trip, and
putting the things you know youll need on arrival at the top and the clothes you wont need
until the last day of your trip at the bottom. Everything will come out of the suitcase in the
order you need it. The second benefit of this mental rehearsal is that youll be able to see

yourself performing, completing, and succeeding at your task. This will increase your
confidence and help you relax so that you can remember everything you need to do or say.
Take five minutes to review what you just studied and learned. Studies have shown that
repetition of information within the first half hour does more to secure that information in
memory than waiting to review the next day. Think about it: whats more efficient, taking
five minutes to review what you just spent an hour learning, or taking another hour the next
day to go back over everything you forgot?

Tips and Tricks from the National Memory Contest

Winner
April 3, 2012

Take two decks of cards. Shuffle them together. Now get ready you have five minutes to
memorize the order of the cards. Thats one hundred and four cards, in random order, and
youve got to remember them in sequence. Do you think you can do it?
Miami, Florida resident Nelson Dellis can, or at least enough of them to win the 2012
National Memory Competition held last week in New York City. He can also remember
sequences of 200 random words or 300 random numbers, and has a great memory for
names and faces. Hes trained himself to gain this ultimate memory capability over the
years, though he admits that before he started training, he never had a good memory.
After seeing the impact of Alzheimers on his grandmother, however, he decided that getting
top memory skills was important to him, to keep his brain active and healthy.
One of Dellis favorite memory tricks is often referred to as the journey method. Using this
mnemonic device, you place the things you want to remember in order along a mental
path that you travel. Its easy to choose familiar locations for this exercise. Think of the
rooms in your house, or a map you know well and can visualize accurately, or the route you

travel on your way to work or school each day. When you have something to remember,
especially in a certain sequence, you can mentally set each item at a landmark and
associate the item with the landmark. Then, when you imagine yourself traveling the path
(around your house, or to work, or from one city to another), youll see the items at each
landmark as you reach it.
For example, lets say you have a to-do list for the day that looks like this:
- return books to library
- buy beefsteak and eggs at grocery
- take coat to cleaners
- meet Taylor for lunch
First, put the tasks in a logical order youll want to buy the groceries last, and it will be
more efficient to minimize the distance you have to travel between spots. Well say the
library and the restaurant are close together, and the cleaners is farther away from your
house than the grocery.
Next, pick the map that youll visualize. Most people are familiar with the shape of the
North and South American continents, so lets place the first task (take coat to cleaners)
at the top, in Canada, where its very cold in the winter a logical place for a coat. Right
below, we have the United States; well put your library books here, resting them on the
horizontal borders between many of the states, like shelves. You and Taylor enjoy the spicy
food of Mexico, so write down the time and place of your meeting anywhere from Acapulco
to Zamora. Finally, put your groceries in South America. You might associate beefsteak with
the cattle grazing on thepampas of Argentina, and perhaps the eggs are resting in the nests
of the many birds in the Amazonian jungle.
This might seem like a time-consuming and elaborate way to remember things, but keep in
mind that (1) visual images are easy to remember, the more unusual the better; and (2) the
more you do this visualization, the quicker it will get.
For more tricks from the memory champion, listen to an interview here.

Tips and Tricks from the National Memory Contest

Winner
April 3, 2012

Take two decks of cards. Shuffle them together. Now get ready you have five minutes to
memorize the order of the cards. Thats one hundred and four cards, in random order, and
youve got to remember them in sequence. Do you think you can do it?
Miami, Florida resident Nelson Dellis can, or at least enough of them to win the 2012
National Memory Competition held last week in New York City. He can also remember
sequences of 200 random words or 300 random numbers, and has a great memory for
names and faces. Hes trained himself to gain this ultimate memory capability over the
years, though he admits that before he started training, he never had a good memory.
After seeing the impact of Alzheimers on his grandmother, however, he decided that getting
top memory skills was important to him, to keep his brain active and healthy.
One of Dellis favorite memory tricks is often referred to as the journey method. Using this
mnemonic device, you place the things you want to remember in order along a mental
path that you travel. Its easy to choose familiar locations for this exercise. Think of the
rooms in your house, or a map you know well and can visualize accurately, or the route you
travel on your way to work or school each day. When you have something to remember,
especially in a certain sequence, you can mentally set each item at a landmark and
associate the item with the landmark. Then, when you imagine yourself traveling the path
(around your house, or to work, or from one city to another), youll see the items at each
landmark as you reach it.
For example, lets say you have a to-do list for the day that looks like this:
- return books to library
- buy beefsteak and eggs at grocery
- take coat to cleaners
- meet Taylor for lunch
First, put the tasks in a logical order youll want to buy the groceries last, and it will be
more efficient to minimize the distance you have to travel between spots. Well say the
library and the restaurant are close together, and the cleaners is farther away from your
house than the grocery.

Next, pick the map that youll visualize. Most people are familiar with the shape of the
North and South American continents, so lets place the first task (take coat to cleaners)
at the top, in Canada, where its very cold in the winter a logical place for a coat. Right
below, we have the United States; well put your library books here, resting them on the
horizontal borders between many of the states, like shelves. You and Taylor enjoy the spicy
food of Mexico, so write down the time and place of your meeting anywhere from Acapulco
to Zamora. Finally, put your groceries in South America. You might associate beefsteak with
the cattle grazing on thepampas of Argentina, and perhaps the eggs are resting in the nests
of the many birds in the Amazonian jungle.
This might seem like a time-consuming and elaborate way to remember things, but keep in
mind that (1) visual images are easy to remember, the more unusual the better; and (2) the
more you do this visualization, the quicker it will get.
For more tricks from the memory champion, listen to an interview here.

Memory Tricks to Increase Vocabulary

January 20, 2012

There are many ways to learn and remember new vocabulary words. Repetition is a common
method, and writing out a word over and over and saying it out loud several times will

definitely help that word stick in your mind. You can also increase your chances of
remembering and later recalling a new word by using a mnemonic device.
Mnemonic (pronounced neh-MAH-nik) is an adjective that means related to helping improve
memory. Its also used as a noun, with the same pronunciation, and the meaning of
something that helps in remembering. Heres how the word is used in a sentence, first as
an adjective and then as a noun:
Some memory-improvement courses focus solely on teaching you mnemonic tricks and
ignore the importance of a healthy diet and adequate sleep.
The mnemonic HOMES is frequently used to help students remember the names of the five
Great Lakes in North America (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
The word mnemonic comes from the name of the ancient Greek goddess Mnemosyne, ruler
of memory and mother of the nine Muses. A good memory has been a vital element of
personal and professional success for thousands of years; in fact, at one time all information
had to be memorized and recalled as part of the oral tradition that early humans had before
the art of writing was invented and widely used. Even today, many traditional storytellers
and poets keep hundreds of works in their memories to relate to the next generation. People
have been working on mnemonic tricks such as linking, visualization, and abbreviation since
at least the 4th century BCE.
So how can you use mnemonic devices to learn new English vocabulary words? You have
several methods to choose from, but well focus on two that will help with most words:
visualization and linking.
Visualization is a good way to remember nouns, action verbs, and most adjectives and
adverbs. By involving your imagination and your visual cortex, youll trigger activity in more
parts of your brain, which will help solidify the memory and make it easier to recall the word
later. If you draw a quick sketch illustrating the word, that will make an even stronger
connection; using your hands brings in yet more parts of the brain and its neural energy. To
practice this technique, think about how you might create visual images for the
words memorabilia andcommemorate.
Linking is a useful way to remember words that cant be easily expressed in visual format.
For example, the word remember might be illustrated by a picture of a head with a thought
bubble over it with something inside, but how would you know thats supposed to
be remember and not visualize or imagine or think, or even the name of the object in the
bubble? Instead of trying to create a complicated picture, link the word to another word or
concept. Learning synonyms is a good way to create these linked groups, because its easier

to think of a set of three or four related words than one alone. Link remember to recall,
remind, recollect, and retain. This way, youll be able to call to mind several words,
expanding your vocabulary and training your memory at the same time.

What is the Connection Between Music and

Memory?
December 1, 2011

Of all the mysteries surrounding the brain, scientists are sometimes the most puzzled by
how the brain stores and retrieves memory. Someone may not be able to remember a fact
because of momentary fatigue or stress, and there is some loss of memory due to agerelated brain changes. In extreme cases, memories are lost because of destruction of brain
tissue through accident or disease. The term amnesia refers to a state of memory loss,
either temporary or permanent. Trauma to the brain, such as may occur with a blow to the
head, can cause amnesia; as the brain heals, the memories often return. In the case of a
German cellist, amnesia was caused by a virus that destroyed brain tissue beyond repair,
and the man lost all memory of his past. In addition, scientists determined that he cant form
new memories either, and so this man truly lives in the moment, with no recollection of
anything that happened five minutes, five hours, or five years previously.
What has the scientists fascinated is that this former musician has apparently not lost his
ability to remember music, which suggests to them that the way musical memories are
created and stored, or possibly the location in the brain involved in that creation and storage
(or a combination of the two), is very different from the way normal memory is processed. If
this is true, then it may be possible to adapt the ability to remember music to help people
remember other things, by tying the musical cues to other events or actions. This method of
association is a standard one in memory building, but for most people is not the most
convenient way to trigger memories imagine having to come up with a separate melody
for every item on your shopping list!
As we mentioned in a previous post, music is one of the ways to train and improve your
memory. Its interesting to see that it might also be the way to help you recover from
memory loss.

Quick Memory Tricks

October 14, 2011

Get your brain in gear. Your brain is separated into a right and a left hemisphere, and
much of the information processing that you do consciously or unconsciously every day
involves communication and connection between those two hemispheres. There are many
ways to help foster this connection, including simply walking back and forth; engaging both
sides of your body (controlled by the opposite hemisphere of the brain) in an alternating
fashion strengthens and improves the communication. Research studies have also shown
that when a person moves their eyes from side to side, left to right, several times, it
improves their ability to remember information that is presented to them immediately
afterwards. If youre studying for a test, you might want to try this method to improve your
recall of factual information (for example, on a spelling or vocabulary test). The researchers
believe that this technique improves your memory by bringing both hemispheres into active
processing, connecting the language centers of the left hemisphere with the procedural
functions of the right.1
Sniff out the answers. Its a well-known fact that scent is one of the most powerful
memory triggers we have. You probably have fragrances you associate with your childhood
home, or a favorite city, or of holiday treats and parties youve enjoyed. Because scents
connect so closely to memory, researchers are looking into whether they can actually be
used to enhance memory as well. A recent study was done in Germany where subjects were
given a memory test while being exposed to a rose-scented perfume. The subjects were
then sent to bed to sleep, and monitored while they were sleeping. When the researchers
saw each subjects brain enter the phase that indicates information is being processed and
stored, they sprayed the subjects with the rose perfume again. There was a 10 percent
increase in the subjects ability to perform correctly on the memory test after waking up
when they were given the scent trigger than when they were not. You can use this technique

by spritzing yourself with a perfume when you study, and then spraying a little on your
pillow before you go to bed that night.2
Take a second glance. Sometimes the simplest tricks are the most effective. If youre
trying to remember something, such as a telephone number or location on a map, take one
last look at it before you turn away, holding in your mind that you need to recall that
information. Your eyes will help your brain remember the image as well as the information.

How Creating a Summary Helps Memory Recall

August 24, 2011

If youve ever tried to learn a new skill, or a new sport, you know that just being told how to
do something correctly isnt all you need in order to actually do it. You probably wont learn
how to ace a tennis serve by looking at a video or a diagram, and its not likely that youll
become a good golfer without practicing your grip on the club. Using your body to build
muscle memory of a skill by practicing that physical activity is crucial to making the skill
something you can do without really thinking about it. Your body will remember the right set
of actions, and you wont have to think of every detail of every move, every time, because
you have made that set of actions your own.
When you have information you need to learn and remember, you can do the same thing by
creating a summary of the information. By putting the details and the main points into your
own words, youre using your mental muscles to shape the ideas like youd shape the swing
of a golf club or tennis racket. By restating the important points, youre involving other areas
of your brain and not just the ones associated with memory. This creates and strengthens
the links between the information and your ability to recall it. If you speak your summary out
loud, or write it down or better yet, do both youre involving additional areas of the brain,
as well as your physical body, which creates even more links.

By creating a summary of the information you need to remember, youll reinforce the
memory and improve your ability to understand as well as recall the important facts and
details.

Using Visualization to Memorize

October 31, 2012

Heres a quick and easy exercise that will give you some practice in the memorization
technique of visualization. In order to do this exercise, youll need to find a short- to
medium-length text passage that contains words and phrases that will be relatively easy to
see in your mind in visual images. In other words, selecting a chapter from a chemistry
textbook probably wont be the best choice for the purposes of the exercise. To illustrate this
exercise, well use part of a Wikipedia entry on the painter Vincent Van Gogh. Click here to
access the article, and scroll down to the section heading Saint-Rmy (May 1889 May
1890).
Read through the text under this heading, and use the images included in the text to help
you remember. When the words and phrases call up other images in your mind, stop for a
minute, close your eyes, and focus on those images. Link the images to important facts in
the text.
Once youre done reading the text, minimize that browser window so that you cant see it
any more, and answer these five questions:
What two types of tree were common around Arles, and later showed up in several of Van
Goghs paintings?
When Van Gogh was talking about painting interpretations of other artists works, what
musician did he refer to?
What is the title of the painting Van Gogh made five different versions of in 1890?
Did Van Goghs physical health affect his ability to paint?

What was the subject of the painting Van Gogh wanted to create for his new nephew Vincent
Willem?
How many of these questions could you answer correctly? Did you have visual images in
mind when you were thinking about the questions? Practicing an exercise like this will
strengthen your ability to visualize, and using this aspect of your brain will improve your
ability to remember and recall information.

The Importance of Skills-Based Learning on

Memory
October 24, 2012

Researchers are focusing more and more on the science of neuroplasticity and the brains
amazing ability to learn new things, form new connections, and create new memories. The
scientific studies done these days often center both on how memories are created, and how
theyre lost. By looking at how these connections are made and broken, scientists and
medical professionals gain the ability to understand how to help people who have lost their
memory functions due to age, injury, or illness. One of the major areas of a recent study
(performed on rats) was to look at the difference between task-based and skills-based
learning, and how memories created by those different sources could be affected.
The skills-based learning combines both action and thought. In the study, rats were required
to reach through a slot to pick up a food pellet, even though they could not see the pellet on
the other side of the wall. Because the rats had to imagine that the pellet was on the other
side, that stimulated their brains in one way, and the deliberate action of reaching through
the slot stimulated them in another way. The combination of the thought and the action
created a specific memory and a specific set of neural connections. The scientists then
experimented with ways to break those connections, or enhance them. The chemical

compounds used in this experiment may have application in treatments for humans as well,
given further study.
One important point that the researchers found is that skills-based learning creates strong
memories because of the multiple areas of stimulation in the brain. What that means for
memory improvement is that the more ways you have to remember something, the easier it
will be to fix that information in your long-term memory. Thats why its a good idea to write
things down and say them out loud, to draw pictures and create strong visual images
connected to information, and even to use your body to act out concepts that you need to
remember. The more ways you think about something, the stronger the memory.
You can download the full study here.

3 Ways to Improve Long-Term Memory

October 15, 2012

Most people decide to learn how to improve memory skills because theyve noticed a
problem with their memory, whether thats being unable to remember telephone numbers,
or the name of someone theyve just met, or even important birthdays and anniversary
dates. Some memory problems are caused by injury or disease, others as a byproduct of the
normal aging process, and some people have poor memories all their lives because theyve
never learned how to effectively train their brain to accurately remember either in the short
term or the long term. Weve covered many of the mnemonic tricks you can learn to boost
your short-term memory, whether thats for a shopping list for a quick run to the store or a
last-minute review of test material before an examination. But in order to truly commit
something to memory, it needs to be established in long-term memory, and that takes a
different set of skills. Here are three ways to develop good patterns for achieving long-term
memory storage:

Relate new information to something meaningful. Our long-term memory is full of

details of events and sights from childhood onward. Because these memories are so firmly
established, theyre a good way to help connect new information and store it in long-term
memory. When youre learning something new, take a minute to go through your memories
and try to find some similar fact, feature, or face to link the new information to the old.
Use the multimedia approach. If youre like most people, youre aware of upcoming new
Hollywood releases, even if youre not interested in the movies themselves. Thats because
movie companies spend millions of dollars in advertisements well before the release date,
whether thats ads in a newspaper, trailers on other movies, commercials on television, or
posters on the side of a bus. Use this technique to advertise new information to yourself
by creating pop-up reminders on your computer and by pasting notes on your mirror, your
desktop, and even your kitchen table. The more times you see something, even if youre
only noticing it subconsciously, the more deeply that information is rooted in your brain and
memory.
Work on it in waves. While its important to be able to focus on something in order to
commit it to memory, your brain also needs time to process the information, a vital part of
creating long-term memories. We recommend that you work for 10 or 15 minutes on your
memorization study project, and then take a break for an equal amount of time. Youll be
able to maintain your focus without getting stressed or bored.

3 Ways to Improve Long-Term Memory

October 15, 2012

Most people decide to learn how to improve memory skills because theyve noticed a
problem with their memory, whether thats being unable to remember telephone numbers,
or the name of someone theyve just met, or even important birthdays and anniversary
dates. Some memory problems are caused by injury or disease, others as a byproduct of the
normal aging process, and some people have poor memories all their lives because theyve
never learned how to effectively train their brain to accurately remember either in the short
term or the long term. Weve covered many of the mnemonic tricks you can learn to boost
your short-term memory, whether thats for a shopping list for a quick run to the store or a

last-minute review of test material before an examination. But in order to truly commit
something to memory, it needs to be established in long-term memory, and that takes a
different set of skills. Here are three ways to develop good patterns for achieving long-term
memory storage:
Relate new information to something meaningful. Our long-term memory is full of
details of events and sights from childhood onward. Because these memories are so firmly
established, theyre a good way to help connect new information and store it in long-term
memory. When youre learning something new, take a minute to go through your memories
and try to find some similar fact, feature, or face to link the new information to the old.
Use the multimedia approach. If youre like most people, youre aware of upcoming new
Hollywood releases, even if youre not interested in the movies themselves. Thats because
movie companies spend millions of dollars in advertisements well before the release date,
whether thats ads in a newspaper, trailers on other movies, commercials on television, or
posters on the side of a bus. Use this technique to advertise new information to yourself
by creating pop-up reminders on your computer and by pasting notes on your mirror, your
desktop, and even your kitchen table. The more times you see something, even if youre
only noticing it subconsciously, the more deeply that information is rooted in your brain and
memory.
Work on it in waves. While its important to be able to focus on something in order to
commit it to memory, your brain also needs time to process the information, a vital part of
creating long-term memories. We recommend that you work for 10 or 15 minutes on your
memorization study project, and then take a break for an equal amount of time. Youll be
able to maintain your focus without getting stressed or bored.

5 Steps to Sleep Your Way to a Good Memory

October 9, 2012

There are many things that prevent you from having the best memory skills possible,
including stress, a poor diet, and an unfamiliarity with memory-boosting strategies like those
youll learn when using the Ultimate Memory system. Fortunately, you can help keep your

brain and memory in top shape by learning how to relax to keep the memory-blocking stress
chemicals out of your system. You can add food to your daily diet thats long been
associated with good memory and brain health. You can practice memory tricks like
mnemonics andlinking to train your brain in retention and recall. And some memory
improvement techniques are so easy you can do them in your sleep because the technique
is sleep itself!
Researchers are increasingly aware of the negative effects of sleep deprivation on brain
function and memory. Make sure you get enough sleep every night, and youll reduce the
risk of early dementia. Youll also improve your memory by giving your brain time to process
information and move it into long-term memory storage, and to firm up the neural
connections that ensure accurate recall later. Here are five tips to help you get the best
and the most memory-efficient nights sleep:
Dont try to go for all eight hours at once. If youre used to only getting three hours of
sleep a night because you go to bed so late, dont force yourself to go to bed five hours
early just to end up fretting that you cant sleep. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier the next night
instead. Youre more likely to wake up at the same time, but youll add 15 minutes to your
sleep. Add another 15 minutes in a few days, then more again, until youre up to the optimal
7-8 hours of sleep per night.
Dont turn your bed into your home office. If you work at home, dont work in bed, no
matter how comfortable it is. Youll start unconsciously associating your bed with your
projects, and instead of falling asleep youll continue mentally working on them.
Move your clocks out of sight. One of the worst things you can do when you wake up in
the middle of the night is worry about the time. Knowing that youre awake at 3:00am just
puts more pressure on you to go back to sleep. Keep your alarm set, but turn the clock away
so you cant read it.
Take advantage of the sun. Your bodys natural rhythm is tied to the cycle of day and
night, so try to match that as much as you can. Stay outside until it gets dark, rather than
depending on artificial light inside; at the least, try to take a short walk in the evening.
Stay relaxed. If you cant fall asleep within a half an hour or so, get up and do something
relaxing. You might try to drink a small cup of hot soothing herb tea, or take a quick warm
bath, or simply listen to soft music and meditate for 15 minutes. When youre relaxed and
not thinking, Oh, I must go to sleep right away! then youre ready to get back in bed and
try again.

How Repetition Helps You Remember And Forget

September 9, 2012

A trained memory is an important asset, one that can give you the edge in any competition.
If youre hoping to advance in your career, a good memory can make the difference. When
youre the one person in the department who can be counted on to remember details and
facts that others forget, youll be the one that the managerial committee remembers when it
comes time for promotions. One of the best ways to train your memory is by repetition. Its
easy to remember something like a number or name if you focus on that information and
repeat it to yourself several times while concentrating on storing that data in your mind.
There are many other memory improvement tools, like memory palaces and linking, that
help you improve your memory so that you can call up memories when you need them.
But what about memories that you dont want to be able to call up any more? Is there any
way to deliberately forget things that you have already stored in your memory? Some
researchers believe that there is a way to do that, and it also depends on the use of
repetition. Dr. Michael Anderson is one of those who have proven that repeated and
deliberate rejection of specific memories makes the details of the memory more vague, less
tied to emotional reactions, and harder to recall later. Anderson and his colleagues at the
Memory Control Lab have been working on the links between memories, and how trying to
remember one fact may be made more difficult by other related facts stored in memory.
Theyre also looking at ways to use the repetition method to help people deliberately get rid
of difficult and troubling memories. In essence, their studies show that deliberately
blanking out your mind when presented with the stimulus for a memory you dont want
will eventually make it hard to remember. Unlike positive memory development, its not a
technique thats easily adapted to individual skills development, since the process is
somewhat involved, but there may be ways to adapt these memory-suppression methods in
the future.
For now, focus on training your memory to develop your ability to accurately recall and
remember the information you need, and use repetition to firmly fix facts in your brain.
Learn more about the Memory Control Lab here.

Spellings Easy With This Simple Memory Trick

November 30, 2012

There are many ways to learn to spell English words correctly, and youve probably used all
of them by now!Repetition and pattern practice are great ways to learn, because the more
times you see, say, and write out a word (or a set of similarly-spelled words) the easier it is
to remember. Theres a quick trick you might have also practiced if youre working on
improving your memory skills overall, and thats mnemonics. Many people dont think of
mnemonics when it comes to spelling, however, because its often used as a way of creating
nonsense words or acronyms to remember things, rather than correctly-spelled words. For
example, the mnemonic DOC is a way to remember the phases of the moon in the Northern
hemisphere because the shapes of the letters match the shape of the waxing, full, and
waning moon in the sky but that wont help you remember how to spell the word phases!
For spelling mnemonics, its often most useful to come up with clever ways to remind
yourself about how a word is spelled, using the word itself. This trick is especially handy for
words that are often confused. Heres an example:
When you get a compliment (spelled with an I) it means that someone is saying a nice
thing to or about you. You can remember this spelling by thinking I got a nice compliment
today.
To complement (spelled with an E) something means to add to it in such a way as to make
it whole, or better. For example, you might say that sour cream is the perfect complement to
a baked potato. If you associate the word complete with the word complement, youll
remember that both words are spelled with an E (try adding the mental image of a
complete baked potato and its topping for even better recall).
It only takes a minute to come up with these quick mnemonic tricks for learning spelling, but
youll find that youll remember how to spell the words easily from then on.
What mnemonic spelling tricks work for you? Share them in the comments.
Cross-posted at the Ultimate Spelling blog.

How To Use Vocabulary In Memory Practice

May 29, 2013

A well-known top memory technique is to associate information with mental markers that
help recall. For example, you could build an image in your head of a herd of cows wearing
party hats and carrying candles to remind yourself that you need to pick up ice cream and a
birthday cake for your childs party this Saturday. Linking a memorable image to information
activates your brain in several areas involved in visual processing and memory storage. The
more information you can link to one image, the more efficient this memory storage and
recall process is.
If you think about it, words are really images in this sense. When you read a word, youre
really visualizing all of the information that this word represents, including any memories
you have associated with the word. Reading the word telephone prompts your brain to
produce an image of a telephone, or to think about where your cell phone is at the moment,
or the last time you talked to your mother, or the fact that you have to call the dentist
before the end of the week. All of this information is packed into the single word telephone.
What this means is that when you learn more vocabulary words, youre also learning more
chunks of information that those words have attached to them. Its an efficient way to store
things in your memory, as well. Just like reading the word telephone called up a variety of
related thoughts and concepts out of your long-term memory, using vocabulary allows you
to remember more things by using fewer markers. By attaching information to words, youll
be able to use those words to easily remember the associated information.
Its important to learn as much as you can about each new vocabulary word so that youre
better able to remember and use the word correctly. However, you can combine vocabulary
building and memory practice by also adding related information with each new word. If the
word pasteurization is on your vocabulary list, why not take a few minutes to learn about the
inventor of the process, Louis Pasteur? This 19th-century French scientist made many
important discoveries related to microorganisms and bacteria, and invented the
pasteurization process for milk, as well as new methods related to sanitation, immunization,

and vaccination. Reading a brief summary of important people, inventions, places, or ideas
related to one vocabulary word will give you a wide range of information that youll find
useful to know in the future. Youll be improving your vocabulary and getting a better
memory for facts at the same time.

Traditional Spices Improve Brain Health

July 4, 2013

Health food isnt a modern invention. For thousands of years, people have believed in and
used the effects of certain foods on the body. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians were
particularly fond of garlic, for its strengthening qualities, and in China garlic was a popular
medical treatment for depression. In 14th-century Persia people were encouraged to purify
their blood with lettuce. Turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, and peppercorns have all been used in
the past to improve the bodys function and since the brain is part of the body, you can
use herbs and spices to boost your mental health as well as your physical health.
You can benefit from using cinnamon in two ways: by smelling it, and by tasting it.
Research on how different odors affect mental function has shown that the smell of
cinnamon helps improve memory formation. In addition, cinnamon has anti-inflammatory
compounds that improve blood circulation, which helps get more oxygen to your brain.
The traditional Middle Eastern seasoning called zaatar is a blend of nuts, seeds, herbs, and
spices that varies according to region and taste, but most blends include sesame seeds
and oregano. Oregano is a powerful antioxidant that improves cell health. Since one of the
main culprits in age-related memory disorders is deterioration of the brain cells and neurons,
keeping antioxidants in your diet will help prevent further decline.
Another good brain-cell herb is thyme, which is known to help the action of omega-3 fatty
acids to strengthen and reinforce cell walls, making them harder to destroy. Since certain
fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are full of omega-3 compounds, why not try spicing
them up with an herb sauce containing thyme?
The Latin word for the herb sage comes from the same root as the verb to save and
modern scientific research into this ancient herb prove that it can save brain cells and

enhance memory functions. Building on earlier studies, a group of researchers at Oregon

Health and Science University have recently concluded a study tracking people
with Alzheimers disease, and what effect sage has on their symptoms and outcomes,
although the results have not yet been published.

3 Things About Memory That Will Surprise You

July 11, 2013

Memorization has always been a part of learning, but the way people look at how to
memorize things is changing over the years. Researchers and scientists study memory from
several perspectives, including the physical processes that take place in the brain and the
techniques people can use to learn to remember facts, figures, and faces. Some of the
results of these studies are leading to changes in the way we learn, and its important to be
aware of how traditional study methods might actually get in the way of memory formation
and recall. Here are three ways that you can change how you learn, and how you remember.
Stay focused, but for shorter time periods. Its exhausting spending five hours reading
through a textbook on one topic, trying to learn all you can about the history of the French
Revolution, for example, before a test. Instead of concentrating on that book alone, take a
break and study something else for a while, then go back to the first text. If you can study a
second topic thats related to the first one, this will work even better. In this example,
perhaps youve got a French language test to study for as well, or even Charles Dickens
Tale of Two Cities to read for a literature class. Make sure the break isnt too long, though
just enough to make your brain work at picking up your train of thought when you return to
the history book.
Force yourself to remember. Youre probably used to taking notes during classes or
meetings, so that youll remember whats being discussed. However, if you concentrate on
the discussions and lectures and presentations, and then write up your notes after the
session is over, youll strengthen your memory of the information, and also give yourself
good practice in real-time memorization as well as later recall.
Keep reviewing information. Many people think that if they just work hard enough at
memorizing information, once they can repeat it back accurately thats all they need to do.

However, scientists and researchers have long known that just as theres a learning curve,
theres also a forgetting curve. In order to really lock away those details in your memory,
you need to review them regularly. A good example of this is using flash cards to study
vocabulary words. You can set aside cards with words you think youve got memorized, and
then test yourself a few weeks or months later to make sure that they really are firmly in
your long-term memory.
Reference: Bjork, R. A., Dunlosky, J., & Kornell, N. (2013). Self-regulated learning: Beliefs,
techniques, and illusions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 417-444.

The Secret To A Better Memory? Champagne!

July 18, 2013

Lets raise a glass and toast all of the researchers and their happy clinical trial participants
who get to drink champagne to test its effects on the brain! And lets celebrate a second
time, because the results of the latest study on alcohol and brain function is making people
absolutely effervescent with joy. At the University of Reading, Great Britain, a team led by Dr.
Giulia Corona discovered that moderate intake of champagne (slightly less than two glasses
per week) produced a significant increase in the rate of communication between brain cells.
Since this cross-brain communication is essential in memory function, especially in the areas
of spatial memory and long-term memory consolidation, these findings are opening the way
for important research in the future.
The initial results of the study, according to the research team, show that the phenolic
compounds in champagne, which are different from the chemical compounds in other types
of alcohol, increase blood flow and help prevent the formation of free radicals. This means
that more oxygen and glucose is transmitted to the brain cells, and those cells are protected
from degeneration. Healthy, well-nourished cells are key to a healthy, well-functioning
memory.
Red wine has been promoted as helping brain function, but the results from the champagne
study indicate that the structure of its phenolic compounds make it a better candidate for

this role; the smaller size of the molecules in champagne allow more to be absorbed by the
cells. The study included testing on laboratory rats and their ability to navigate a maze. As
the researchers report, [c]hampagne wine intervention significantly increased spatial
working memory in aged animals.
Like all other studies that indicate a benefit, either physical or mental, from drinking alcohol,
this one emphasizes that moderation is key. One to two glasses of champagne a week is
beneficial, but make sure that you arent exceeding the limits for your age, body type, and
state of health. If you have questions about whether you should be drinking champagne, you
should consult your doctor.
If youre comfortable with terms like endothelial independent vasodilatation and matrix
metalloproteinase activity you might find the published study interesting the full text is at
the University of Reading Central Archive.

How to Use Rhymes and Songs to Memorize

Information
August 20, 2013

If youve ever gotten a catchy song stuck in your head, you know how easy it is to
remember clever lyrics, and those lyrics are usually ones that rhyme. You can use this
principle to help you remember things by creating your own memorable rhymes, and even
set them to music if you like. People who grew up in the 1970s in the United States probably
remember the Schoolhouse Rock videos that used melodies and rhymes to help kids learn
and memorize facts about history, math, vocabulary, and science. If you watch this short
video about thepreamble to the U.S. Constitution, youll see that even non-rhyming phrases
can be made memorable by using music. Another example, Tom Lehrers Element
Song, shows that this memorization tool can be useful for complicated or advanced
information, and isnt simply something that kids can use. Practice making lyrics using the
facts you need to learn, and find a tune you can sing that fits the words. If it worked to help

you learn your ABCs, you know it will work to help you learn your anatomy, biology, or
chemistry lesson!
Theres another way that you can use rhyme to help you remember things like lists of words
in order, and thats to associate each item on the list with a number in sequence. Because
the words you need to remember probably dont rhyme with the numbers, youll pick a word
that does rhyme, and then use visualization to link the target word with the rhyming word.
For example, lets say you need to memorize the names of the ten longest rivers in the
world, starting with the one in the number one position. Here are the river names to
memorize: Nile, Amazon, Yangtze, Mississippi, Yenisey, Yellow, Ob, Parana, Congo, Amur.
(Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
Now find words that rhyme with the numbers 1 through 10 that link to the rivers, like this:
one sun the Egyptian sun god Ra floats down the Nile
two through the Amazon runs through Peru
three C the Yangtze is in China, which starts with the letter C
four four use the letter S four times to spell Mississippi
five drive it would take a long time to drive to Russia to fish in the Yenisey
six licks eating a cone of lemon-flavored ice cream while floating down the Yellow River
seven Kevin my friend Kevin crossed Siberia following the Ob River
eight ate we ate steak in Argentina where the Parana meets the ocean
nine mine there are many gold and diamond mines along the Congo
ten fence the Amur River separates Russia and China
Create clear images in your head, or make sketches to illustrate the numbers and the linking
words, to reinforce your memory of the connections. The more you practice this technique,
the easier it will be, and youll also find that the work you do to come up with the rhyming
words is already helping you remember the target list, even before youve finished making
the connections.

TWO TECHNIQUES TO HELP IMPROVE

MEMORY
JULY 8, 2009 4 COMMENTS

These two techniques are very easy to learn and apply.

Anybody can use them to help them to improve their memory. These
methods are not only useful for students studying for tests and exams, but
for business people trying learn new material. They are even great for the
homemaker trying to remember a shopping list or someone who just wants
to build-up the power of their memory.

In this exercise you are going to try to remember ten different things you
might need to buy at the grocery store. The list of things that you might
need would look similar to this:
1 eggs
2 milk
3 bread
4 lettuce
5 shampoo
6 dog food
7 dish soap
8 toilet paper
9 mustard
10 butter
The Room Method
In this exercise you need to have a good imagination. You start by visualising
a room that you are very familiar with. This room might be your kitchen, your
office or bedroom it really does not matter. Now you are going to slowly look
around the room and carefully place each item on the list somewhere in the
room.
Lets say you were planning to use your kitchen. You might picture the eggs in
the fridge. The milk might be sitting beside the eggs. the bread you can see
on the counter. Place the dog food on the floor next to the door because you
want to take it downstairs. Place each item into the room. The more you
practice this method the better you will become at it. What you are trying to
do is associate the new items with things that are permanent.
Long Term Memory Technique
The next technique is better suited to trying to remember things that
basically have to be memorised, and kept for a much longer period of time.
This method is especially good for people who are a taking a course or trying
to learn a new skill.

Many students try to cram all the information given in a course into their
heads the night before their final exam. But by using this technique you are
going to work at learning and creating long term memories that will remain
with you by only studying a few minutes each day.
First gather and organise the facts that you need to know after going to a
couple of classes. Write them down in point form. Review the list. Reading
the list over should not take more than 3 or 4 minutes, tops. Then in about
five or ten minutes review them again. Repeat this step three more times on
the first day. Do this twice on the second day and twice on the third day. By
the fourth day when you read them you should have created a long-term
memory of the information.
If you look at the total time you spent reading the list over the four days it
should not be more than an hour. And you only have to do this for a couple of
minutes each day. By gathering together even the information given in a
course over a week you can greatly increase your memory and
understanding of the subject, and keep it for the long term. Finally, no more
cramming or last minute anxiety.
- See more at: http://easymemoryimprovement101.com/#sthash.fVmCB0di.dpuf

TEN MEMORY IMPROVEMENT TIPS

JULY 7, 2009 4 COMMENTS

Memory is one of our most important brain functions.

Not only does it store short term information but we depend on it to help us
function every minute of everyday. Unfortunately many people do not realise
that there are ways that they can improve their memory. This skill is not only
useful for students, it is for everybody.
Sadly, most of us are given information everyday but only a small portion of
this information is actually turned into long term memories. If you really want
to improve your memory you might consider trying some or all of these easy
tips.
1.

Concentrate: If you really want to remember something the first thing to do is

to concentrate on the information you are trying to learn. This is especially true if
you are trying to learn a new skill or subject. Give it your undivided attention.

2.

Play Games: Games are a great way to exercise and stimulate your brain. The
brain is like every other muscle in the body; the more you exercise it the better it
will function.

3.

Get Your Blood Circulating: If you find yourself losing your focus take a
moment and get up and move around the room. Try some deep knee bends or
stretches.

4.

Eat Brain Foods: In order for your brain to operate at its peak it needs to have
the proper nutrients each day. Eating food rich in omega 3 will help as will
increasing the amount of antitoxins that you consume.

5.

Use as Many Senses as Possible: People do not realise that memories are
based on all of our senses. When trying to remember information the more
senses you can incorporate the better. This could be doing something as simple
as reading out loud so that you hear as well as see the information.

6.

Drink Water: Many people do not realise that when their body gets
dehydrated you actually lessen your ability to focus. Stay away from coffee and
sugar filled drinks. Water is the best way to hydrate your body.

7.

Use Acronyms: This is handy simple way of remembering things. You use the
first letter of the things you have to remember to either make a word or a
sentence. A great example of this is the acronym HOMES as a method to
remember the great lakes. They are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.

8.

Reread and Review: If you are planning to learn a lot of information at one
time. Highlight the information into point form and read and reread this
information over a number of days. This will help to create long term memories.

9.

Room System: This system is based on using a familiar room to help you to
remember a list of items. You begin by mentally picturing the room and then
slowly adding the items on your list into the room. The idea is to associate the
new items with stable old memories.

10.

Deep Breathing: If you are working for long periods of time take a moment
and practice some deep breathing methods. Not only will this help you to relax it

will help to get more oxygen to your brain.

- See more at: http://easymemoryimprovement101.com/#sthash.fVmCB0di.dpuf

GAMES FOR MEMORY IMPROVEMENT

JULY 8, 2009 LEAVE A COMMENT

The brain is just like a muscle. The more work it does

the stronger it gets. And of course the reverse is also true. The less you use
and work it, the more out of shape it will get. If you find that you are having

trouble remembering things maybe you need to spend some time exercising
your brain.
One of the easiest and funniest way to exercise, stimulate and build your
memory functions is to play simple mind games.
Trivia
The great thing about this game is that you can select not only the number
of people to play, where you play, but how long and what topics you want to
work with. You can even play the game by yourself. Simply read the
questions and answers and check in an hour to see how many of them you
do recall.
Memory/Concentration
One classic version of this game is played by taking a deck of cards and
placing them face down on the table. The first person turns up two cards. If
they match you take them off the playing surface. That same player gets to
go again. If the two cards do not match, return them face down to the game
area, and the next person takes his turn. Play continues until all the cards are
gone. The player with the most pairs wins.
The Picnic
There are countless variations of this game. You have to play with two or
more people. The first person puts an imaginary object into the basket. He
starts by saying I am going on a picnic and I am taking a pie. The second
person would then repeat the phrase I am going on a picnic then adds their
own item and the first persons item. Play goes back and forth with each
person adding an item to the basket and repeating in order the other objects
already stated. The game ends when one person is unable to remember an
item or gets the order incorrect.
The List
When you first get up in the morning write down on a piece of paper ten
things. Then throughout the day when you get a moment try to recall in

order exactly what was on the list. You can try increasing the number of
things on the list each day or play using a specific room or topic. The
variations are endless. At the end of the day write down what you do
remember and compare it to the morning list.
The game that you select is not important. What is important is that you
choose a game that not only helps you to focus but forces you to use your
memory skills. These games do not have to take a lot of time, only five or ten
minutes a day. However, like any exercise the more you work at it the better
you will get.
- See more at: http://easymemoryimprovement101.com/#sthash.fVmCB0di.dpuf

MEMORY BUILDING TECHNIQUES

JULY 9, 2009 10 COMMENTS

The fact is that once you are given a piece of

information, much of it will actually be lost after just five minutes. And after
one hour, two thirds of that will have been forgotten, and it only gets worse
because after 24 hours chances are that 90% of the information will be
completely gone.
This is a basic forgetting pattern. It will obviously vary between people, with
the amount of information being given and the value that person puts on
that piece of information.
There are a variety of simple techniques that you can use to help stem the
forgetting process. If you find yourself in a social situation where you are

trying to remember peoples names you should try using one or all of these
techniques.
Focusing
Pay close attention to the introduction, give it your undivided attention. Do
not allow yourself to be distracted by things around you. Do not have half an
ear on the music or be listening to the conversation behind you. Pay
Attention.
Using the Persons Name
If you a meet a Mr. Brooks, you might for example say, Mr, Brooks what do
you do for a living? Or try Mr Brooks where are you currently working? The
important thing here is to work the persons name back into the
conversation. Repeating the persons name back will help build associations
with both the conversation and the name.
Repeating
Once you have heard the persons name repeat it to yourself three times
over. And do this again in five minutes. Look around the room and see how
many names you can remember. If you are having trouble go and subtly ask
someone to tell you the persons name before you leave the event. Dont be
shy, it happens to people all the time who are meeting large numbers of
people at one time. It is important to get the name before you leave rather
than trying figure out who the person was at a later date.
Association/Visualisation
When you hear the persons name try to create a mental picture at the same
time. This is especially useful when you can combine it with another piece of
information about the person. For example if you meet a Mr. and Mrs. Collins
and they are from Mexico you might picture them sitting on a beach. Not
only will this help you to remember their name but you will probably be able
to recall where they are from the next time you see them. The more
information in the mental picture the better.

Incorporate as Many Senses as Possible

One way of doing this is to say their name out loud a number of times as
soon as you can. When you shake hands deliberately take a mental note of
whether they had a strong firm grip or was it soft? Are they wearing perfume
or cologne? The more senses you use when you are introduced the more you
will remember.
- See more at: http://easymemoryimprovement101.com/#sthash.fVmCB0di.dpuf

IMPROVING MEMORY AND

CONCENTRATION
JULY 9, 2009 1 COMMENT

Memory and concentration are virtually inseparable.

Part of creating memories is the body and minds ability to absorb and
process information. The faster and more efficiently you can do this the
better. The more your brain absorbs, the better chance you have of not only

retaining information for short term periods of time but of being able to
convert the information into long term memories.
These tips are geared towards helping you to focus and concentrate at a
higher level, which in turn will increase your memory.
1) Focus your attention, on what you are trying to learn or remember. For
example; when someone is giving you a message, turn your head and look at
them and concentrate on what they are saying rather than having half an ear
on the TV.
2) Gear your surroundings towards being able to concentrate. If you are
trying to read a technical document get in a comfortable chair, get as far
away from all other distractions as possible. Turn off the TV, turn off the
phone, and make certain that the lighting is good. Focus yourself towards
the goal
and nothing else.

3) Do not try to read for long, straight periods of time. If you need to, try
using a timer. Set the timer for 10 to 15 minutes. When the time is up sit
back and mentally go over exactly what you have read and what it all
means. Give your brain a chance to process the information. Think out loud,
often saying and hearing it will help to build memories.
4) Drink water, not pop or coffee. When our body gets dehydrated it loses
some of its ability to focus.
5) Increase the amount of oxygen going to your brain by standing up and
moving around. Try doing some stretches or take a moment and practice
deep breathing methods.
6) Eat and drinks foods that will feed your brain. Try snacking on fruits and
vegetables that are high in vitamins and antioxidants. Do not try to boost
your levels by eating and drinking sugars.
7) Try chewing gum. As strange as this sound studies have shown that gum
chewing actually helps people to focus.

If you really want to increase and improve your memory you have to increase
your level of concentration. How can you really expect to remember things
that you were only paying half attention to in the first place. If you give
something your undivided attention you will greatly increase your ability to
recall the information at later date and time.
- See more at: http://easymemoryimprovement101.com/#sthash.fVmCB0di.dpuf

3 UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS TO
IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY
AUGUST 7, 2013 2 COMMENTS

Visualization, Focusing and Practice, Practice, Practice!

The human brain can be compared to a library, with the only difference that
the brain is responsible for storing long term and short term memories rather
than books. Your hippocampus is the area of the brain responsible for storing
memories think of it as the master librarian and a few strategies can
allow you to considerably improve your memory skills by integrating the

action of the hippocampus with the rest of the brain. Whether you are a high
school student or a retired person, these three unconventional ways can
allow you to store and retrieve memories easily. Youll always have access to
the mental shelves where your virtual books full of memories are stored.

Visualization

Associating words with images can allow you to remember details more
easily. For example, if you are one of those people who usually forgets where
youve put your glasses, than it is best to visualize an image just before
putting your glasses down. If youre putting your glasses on the kitchen table
you can imagine your glasses eating a variety of foods. A unique image is
likely to help you remember better, one that is odd or interesting, opposed to
an ordinary image. This particular technique can be used for memorizing
entire lists and can prove to be particularly helpful for students during their
exams, since visualization helps create stronger memories no matter what is
being recalled.

Focus
Focusing on a particular piece of information for eighty seconds can allow
you to accurately transfer the memory from short term memory storage to
long term storage. It is useless to visualize and associate images with words
if you do not pay sufficient attention to the process. Most often, memories
that are forgotten tend to be related to information processed while you are
absent-minded or not paying attention. For example, students who take
notes without really listening to the speaker or concentrating on the
information are generally unable to remember the underlying concepts, as
their attention was not on the lecture even though the words were noted

down.

Focusing on the task can allow you to absorb

new information with ease and store it in your memory for later recall.
Ideally, there should be a minimum of distraction during the time that you
are memorizing lists or items. Moreover, saying the words out loud will allow
you to remember the details far more easily.

Practice Remembering Items

The key to improving memory lies in practicing several different memory
skills and enhancing your ability to absorb information in a variety of ways.
Techniques such as visualization and repeating out loud will not be the most
effective without practice. Rather, the brain needs to be trained in
memorizing lists and items. Over a period of time it becomes easier to
absorb information. A study conducted by the Wellcome Trust Centre for
Neuroimaging at University College London in 2011 revealed that
memorizing extensive lists over a period of time can result in the
hippocampus increasing in size. This is largely due to the growth of new
nerve cells as a result of extensive memorization.
Memory training skills can start from the simplest items such as memorizing
the grocery list, the advertisements that you pass by, the names of the
employees in your favorite restaurant, and so on. You can use a variety of
techniques for memorizing these lists including chunking, creating
mnemonics, and immediately repeating new information.
Chunking

involves remembering information in blocks while mnemonics refers to

remembering a list by creating a word of the initials of the list items.

Repeating new information immediately, such as name of the person that

you just met, can allow you to improve the probability of remembering this
information by 30% or more.
- See more at: http://easymemoryimprovement101.com/#sthash.fVmCB0di.dpuf