7 Science-Backed Ways to Hack Your Memory

These proven techniques will help you remember information

The other day, the music director at my church asked me to fill in and play the piano on Wednesday’s service. I was sent the music and had about 3–5 days to go over it.

Even though I’m a decent sight-reader with years of experience in reading sheet music, the amount of time I had to practice was limited. However, I didn’t panic as I figured I’d hack my brain and tap into something called a spaced repetition technique.

I decided that I would space out my practice sessions starting with practicing every few hours at first, then gradually increase to a day, two days, etc., and practice the piano at regular intervals. And I must say it worked out! I pulled it off and played through the whole service.

I effectively hacked my musical memory, but there are many different ways to hack your memory. And spaced repetition is just one of them.

Here are seven proven ways to hack your memory.

Increase your memory with sleep

In research study published in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, researchers studied 14 participants.

They showed each participant 20 photos of faces with a name for each face. Those participants who had eight hours of sleep the night before were able to match more faces with the correct names. The data suggest that sleep is essential to memory.

To increase your memory retention, make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Also, you should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Get physical exercise

Research has shown the correlation between physical activity and memory. Exercise changes the brain, and as neuroscientist Marc Roig says, “your brain becomes more efficient.”

Specifically, exercise can improve visual and verbal memory.

To reap the benefits, exercise at least three to four times a week. Ideally, make exercise a part of your daily regimen.

There are many ways to get physical exercise, from walking, jogging, running, going to the gym, or playing sports.

Incorporate brain-boosting foods into your diet

One of the best diet that helps with memory is the Mediterranean diet. It is based on mainly eating fruits, vegetables, and fish, and limiting red meat, dairy, and sugars.

Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet boosts cognitive brain functions, including memory. Following this diet will also decrease your risk of dementia and cognitive decline.

So if you eat more fruits and vegetables, nuts, and fish instead of meat, you’ll naturally increase your brain power and memory.

Make visual connections

The reason it’s hard for you to remember names and numbers is because they are too abstract for the brain. But utilizing visualization tools will help your brain to store and recall the information later. That’s because visual images tend to stick in our memories.

To make a visual connection, visualize an image, and attach the information to it.

For example, if you’re trying to remember the name of your new friend Mike, turn this word into an image using the sounds. In this case, you’ll think of a picture of a microphone (for a pair Mike-microphone).

If you want to remember a multi-syllable name such as Melanie, you can split it into two words: melon and knee.

Next, anchor the image onto the place you can remember. You can use your friend’s features to guide you. For example, if he has big eyes, you might imagine microphones are bulging out of them.

The more vivid your images are, the stronger the connections in your brain will be.

Write down the information; don’t type it

Writing down the information you’d like to recall rather than typing it will increase the retention of the material.

That’s because when you write, you activate cells in your brain as opposed to when you type. This helps you to engage more in what you are doing.

Research has shown that when people take lecture notes by hand as opposed to typing them on their laptops, it forces them to restate the information in their own words before they write it down. It’s an active learning process similar to paraphrasing, which helps you retain the information.

Practice spaced repetition

If you’re trying to commit something to your memory in a short time or get better at a skill, use spaced repetition.

I use this strategy when I’m strapped for time but need to prepare music quickly. It’s also a great strategy to study for an upcoming test or exam. Or if you’re learning a new language and trying to memorize words from your vocabulary list.

To use the spaced repetition method, practice what you want to commit to memory within spaced time intervals. First, start with short intervals and separate your practice sessions between two to four days. Then, as you remember the information, make the interval longer (seven days, two weeks, one month, etc.).

Practicing within spaced intervals will drive the information into your long-term memory over time. If, at one point you realize you forgot something, you can go back to the short session intervals and build up from there again.

Reinforce what you learned through teaching

As the old saying goes: “The best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. That’s because when you teach material to another person promotes understanding and retention.

Restating the material in your own words also helps you to check in with your understanding of the material you learned. It’s similar to when you review something in preparation for a test or exam. By going over it again, you’re strengthening the neuronal connections within your brain by teaching it to another person.

The bottom line

Memory is a complex mental process. There’s still a lot of research to be done to understand the intricate aspect of cognitive functioning. However, the research that’s been done so far has provided us with knowledge we can use in real life. You can use and apply any of proven techniques to boost your memory.