10 Unbelievable Techniques to Train Your Brain to Retain Memories
Being forgetful all the time can be embarrassing.
I have a habit of forgetting a conversation. Sometimes when I’m in a conversation in which we’re going back and forth, I might say things like, “I never said that” or “I don’t remember saying that,” and the other person says, “Yes, you did say…” then they feel lost and embarrassed because they thought it was an important point to the discussion yet I had forgotten.
One of the reasons many people don’t read much is that they don’t read well. For them, it is slow, hard work, and they do not remember as much as they should. For example, students have to read something several times before understanding and remembering what they have read.
This is completely normal. We remember things that move us. So when emotions are linked to memories, we remember them.
As you are speaking about something and you’re ramping up, your emotion becomes more intense. You remember it because you think about the next point you are making regarding what was just said.
There are people in a relationship who remember details and others who do not. I have noticed that some people are not used to discussing something or do not feel that they are good at a particular topic, which can be emotional, controlling, or interpersonal.
The brain absorbs a lot of useless information every day. Things like the license plate of the car in front of you or a conversation you overheard at a coffee shop. Most of that information is unnecessary and the brain naturally forgets it along with a lot of useful information.
We consider the person who never remembers a name or does not remember information as a less intelligent person or undesirable for a job compared to a co-worker with a great memory.
However, suppose your job involves critical tasks that require optimal cognitive functioning. In that case, you need to know how your brain processes new information, creates memories and quickly recalls the information you need when making those crucial split-second decisions.
In addition to having a direct impact on job performance, memory skills are also incorporated into physical conditioning activities. But to better know how to improve our brain to retain memories, we must first understand the different types of memory.
Explicit memory
Explicit memories are a type of long-term memory that you recall after consciously thinking about them. For example, the name of your childhood dog or the phone number of your best friend’s home.
Episodic memory
Episodic memories are memories that relate to our personal life. For example, a particularly exciting Christmas morning, the day you got married, or even what you ate last night.
Our ability to retain episodic memories depends on how emotionally powerful the experiences were.
For example, many people remember where they were and what they were doing when 9/11 happened. Not only would this trigger a very powerful emotional response, but you probably would have been very focused when it happened.
Procedural memory
Procedural memory allows us to perform certain tasks without thinking about it — things like riding a bike, tying a shoe, brushing our teeth, or driving a car.
Procedural memory is likely stored in a different part of the brain than episodic memory. People who experience traumatic brain injuries often forget autobiographical information or forget how to perform simple tasks, such as walking or eating.
Implicit memory
Implicit memory is the second main type of long-term memory. It consists of memories that you do not have to consciously remember.
For example, swimming or speaking a language. While it may require a lot of conscious attention while learning, at some point, it became implicit and did so automatically.
Semantic memory
Semantic memory is responsible for our general knowledge of the world. For example, the sky is blue, the giraffes have long necks, and lions are brown.
Unlike episodic memory, we can maintain the strength and precision of our semantic memory over time. As we get older, it slowly begins to decline.
What you can do to improve your memory
Forgetting is the loss or change of information previously stored in short or long-term memory. It can appear suddenly, or it can appear gradually as old memories are lost.
If your memory needs a boost, you’re in luck. With a little effort, you can improve it. Here are ten simple techniques to help you recall things easily:
# 1. Practice memorizing
The brain needs stimulation through learning in order to practice memory formation; Without these experiences, the learning capacity of the neurological system will suffer.
Memorizing may seem like you are concentrating too much on the information you want to remember and then close the book or article you have read and write down the main points by heart.
Information that is organized and makes sense to you is easier to remember. If you don’t understand the material, take some time to understand it before memorizing it.
# 2. Try chewing gum
Chewing gum can improve memory performance. American soldiers have been routinely given gum to improve concentration and relieve stress since World War I. Since then, several studies have shown that it improves performance on both visual and auditory memory tasks.
The process may involve releasing glucose, a slight rise in blood sugar to help your brain focus, and an arousal mechanism, especially if the gum has a strong mint smell. The next time you need to improve your memory or concentration, try chewing gum.
# 3. Drink coffee
If you’re one of those people who needs a coffee in the morning before doing something or talking to someone, you’re probably a big believer in the strong cognitive boost it provides.
Caffeine is one of the most popular cognitive enhancers in the world, and, in addition to preventing drowsiness, it can improve cognitive functions such as memory, motivation, or creativity.
Overuse and abuse of caffeine and other cognitive enhancers can be dangerous and disrupt your natural sleep cycle. So drink a cup or two of coffee in the morning, but limit caffeine 4–5 hours before bed.
# 4. Deep sleep
Most of us have heard before that sleep plays an important role in memory, but we learn a lot more about how it works as time goes on. Sleep and memory is a subject of intense research, and it is quite clear that sleep plays a vital role in memory formation.
Those who got a chance to sleep will actually perform much better after those 12 hours than those who have been awake.
In principle, certain stages of sleep are believed to help form different types of memories. Thus, declarative memories (like facts and knowledge) are enhanced by deep sleep.
While implicit memories, such as riding a bike or strapping a shoe, are improved by light sleep. In other words, the more sleep you get each night, the better your memory will be.
# 5. Exercise regularly
We know that physical activity affects the brain in several positive ways, one of which is a memory boost.
Essentially, exercise improves cognitive functions, and when it does, it improves our memory storage and retrieval.
Scientists believe that increased blood flow to the brain and mild stress from exercise can trigger the production of growth factors in the brain, leading to better cognitive performance.
Recent research has shown that adults who walk regularly increase rather than lose the volume of the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center) as they age. So just by walking, the participants reversed the effects of aging on much of their brains.
# 6. Inhale rosemary
Consumption of a low dose, but not a higher dose, of dried rosemary powder was associated with improved memory speed.
In a case study, participants who were exposed to the aroma of rosemary while performing visual processing tasks and serial subtraction tasks with greater amounts of rosemary aroma, showed increased speed and precision of the tasks.
While those in the lavender-scented room performed worse and reported feeling less alert.
While more studies are needed to confirm the warning effects of rosemary, in the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try for yourself and outfit your workplace with some new plants.
# 7. Healthy eating
Eating foods rich in antioxidants keeps the brain young and preserve memory function as we age. This is because antioxidants kill bacterias that enter our bloodstream before they can kill brain cells.
These food include blueberries, apples, bananas, dark green vegetables, garlic, and carrots. Chocolate also has antioxidants called flavonoids. However, eating too much can backfire and lead to a sugar rush and crash.
In addition to antioxidants, the brain benefits greatly from healthy fats like Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and nuts. So try to be understanding when your co-workers walk in with that tuna or peanut butter smell.
# 8. Practice interleaving
Interleaving involves switching between two to more topics or problems instead of focusing on one problem for too long. For example, spend some time memorizing vocabulary words for your physics lesson, then immediately switch to studying historical dates and names for your history lesson.
The interleaving technique may seem more complicated than studying one type of material for a long time, but it is actually more useful in the long run.
This strategy is especially useful if you are studying something that requires you to solve problems, such as math or physics. Interleaving can help you choose the correct strategy to solve a problem.
# 9. Creating memorable images
The next time you have an important item you need to remember, try creating a memorable visual image to represent that item. Images are important because they connect directly to the visuospatial centers of your brain.
Pictures help you remember difficult concepts through the use of visual areas. But you don’t have to just use images — the more of the five senses you can use, the easier it will be for you to remember the information.
Try not to only visualize an image but also to smell, feel, and hear the image. For example, if you are trying to remember that Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, take a photo of a girl named Louise with a red cane.
# 10. Use assessment test
Examine yourself from time to time by actively recalling the information you are trying to study. Make sure you actively question yourself, don’t just reread notes or a textbook.
For example, students who were repeatedly tested on a list of vocabulary words in a foreign language performed better on the final test than students who were given additional time to study.
The students often think they remember the material just because it looks familiar when they reread it.
Ask yourself questions and force yourself to memorize them without looking at the answer or the material.
This allows you to identify the areas you are struggling with; then, you can go back to one of the memory tricks to help you remember it. Let your neurons fire up and form new connections by constantly retrieving new information.