How To Improve Your Memory
How Does Memory Work?
Do you have a hard time remembering people’s names? How about dates, appointments, or what you had for breakfast this morning?
If your memory isn’t as razor sharp as it used to be, there’s good news. You can in fact train your memory to perform better. Memory is a skill, and just like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it will become.
First, let’s examine how memory works.
Many people think memory is part of the brain. And while the brain is involved to a large degree, your memory is actually the net result of some of your brain’s activities.
Your Five Senses And Memory
Your memory skills are actually a function of how well your five senses are performing, and how the information your five senses gather is processed by your brain.
For example, you know what your favorite song sounds like because you’ve heard it many times. You know where to turn to get to the grocery store because you’ve seen it and remember what the store looks like. And you what a pine tree forest smells like because the scent is unmistakeable.
So it makes perfect sense that your memory skills are directly related to each of your five senses. Now that’s not to say you need 20/20 vision or perfect hearing … but you do need to teach your brain to properly store and recall information from your senses.
The first step in improving memory is to understand how it works. Once you understand the direct relationship between your five senses, your brain, and your memory, you open the door for measurable improvements in your memory skills.
What Happens Next With Memory?
Now that we’ve examined the relationship between your five senses and your ability to remember, the next step is understanding exactly how you retain information and have the ability to recall it when needed …
You’ve probably heard how most people can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when a specific large scale or traumatic event occured. A good example is when someone who is world famous dies suddenly. An event like this has a profound and lasting effect on us, and more specifically, in our brain and memory. Contrast this with a rather mundane event, like going to the grocery store. You probably can’t remember the details of your first (or even most recent!) visit to the grocery store …
Why is that?
Well, your brain is trained to remember important information. Events that effect our emotions tend to be remembered because emotional reaction is part of our brain function. There is a natural “connect” between our brain function … and memory … and an event which deeply affects our psyche.
But what about remembering where I left my car keys?
Let’s face it … putting your car keys down on the counter isn’t a profound event. You probably do it a few times each and every day. So it stands to reason your brain won’t immediately retain where you placed them. Even so, the solution is to train your brain to remember where you left the car keys so you can have the information at your immediate disposal the next time you’re using the car. The process itself involves a little bit of discipline and a little bit of common sense! By placing the car keys in the same spot every time you come in, you’re actually training your brain to remember where they are. Sounds simplistic, yes. But it’s highly effective!
Remember (no pun intended!), memory is a skill. You can train your brain to a vastly improved memory with a sequential set of common sense, disciplined techniques …
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