Improving Memory Skills Effectively

If you believe your ability to memorize is below average you might just be using some memory techniques that are not very helpful. There are techniques available that are easy to use for improving your memory skills. Unless you have some damage to the part of your brain that stores memory or a disease that affects you ability to remember information and the events from your daily life you can improve your memory with some new skills.

Mnemonic Techniques –Improving Memory Skills

Mnemonics are hints that come in a wide variety and they assist you in recalling information. Use enjoyable or interesting visual images to remember things and try to make them vibrant and three dimensional. Remember you neighbor’s name by thinking of a pretty Lilly flower if her name is Lilly. If you have difficult words to memorize such as scientific words put the words in humorous sentences or silly sentences. Boring information is more difficult to remember and recall. Use Acronyms or rhymes or alliterations such as beautiful Barbara to remember the name of someone you work with. “Chunking” information can also be useful for improving your memory skills and is done by taking a long list of items and creating shorter easier to remember lists.

Brain Exercises for Improving Memory Skills

Try doing some of your daily tasks in a different manner such as combing your hair with your left hand if you usually perform the task with your right hand or keep your eyes closed while you are buttoning your shirt. Learn something new that you have very little knowledge about or learn a new mind challenging game. When you challenge your brain with new tasks or change the way you perform your daily tasks your brain will use pathways it has not been using and this is a good strategy for improving memory skills.

Funnel Approach and Personally Relating

If you are studying for school it helps to memorize information by learning the broader concepts and then later try learning the details of the subject. The details will make more sense to you if you first acquire a good understanding of the subject. Another technique for improving your memory skills is relating the information to you. Try relating the information to your own life or how the information could be helpful to you and your goals and how it might relate to your past experiences. Using “mental hooks” is the procedure in which you connect new information to memories that are already kept in your brain. This will significantly assist you in recalling the new information.

Remembering information you obtain from reading a textbook can be difficult to do and you may find that you have to read the text numerous times to retain the information. Try placing the pertinent information in tables or lists or make brief outlines. Make charts and graphs by using the important information form your book that you desire to retain in your memory. If you were to find information in a humorous cartoon that you need to memorize for a test, chances are you will remember the information significantly easier than if the information was found in a mundane paragraph in your textbook. Using visual techniques such as these can help in improving your memory skills.