Improve your memory with these simple tips!

We often don’t pay attention to one of the most important assets we hold as humans - our memory. Our brains have a storage capacity close to around 2.5 petabytes. That might not sound like a lot, but that equals to over 2 million gigabytes.

That number really puts a lot of things into perspective, right? Think about it - if you really have all of that storage space in your head, then why can’t you remember where you kept your keys in the morning? The answer is pretty simple, actually. Your brain is just not trained to remember things in the right way.

You might have heard people say that a certain individual is quite ‘forgetful’ or that someone has an ‘excellent’ memory. Contrary to popular belief, a good memory is not a trait that you are born with. It is a skill that you acquire over time. But how to improve your memory? Much like a good tennis swing or the ability to play the guitar, you learn to remember things correctly.

But what if you’ve had ‘crossed’ the age to learn?

Like a lot of other things, there is no age bar on beginning to train your memory to perform better. Many people have a ‘strong’ memory from an early age, whereas some develop it as they grow older and gain experience.

Training your mind to develop a better memory, can be a great advantage to you, and not just as a student or a professional. A good memory goes a long way in building connections for life. It is a skill that will always work to your advantage.

How can you train the brain to improve your memory?

Find a reason to remember things

Something that is required to learn anything - motivation. You cannot possibly begin to learn something unless you have a want to learn it. For example, if you look at a Barista’s name tag and later the Barista gives you a discount, you are more likely to remember their name. Same way, a professor in your institute might be more memorable to you if you feel that you might need his as a connection in the future.

So, find the motivation to remember things. It might be frustrating as first, seeing how you now need to first remember the reason behind a certain memory. But once you make it a habit, it will start helping you to improve your memory.

Pay attention

When a person is speaking to you, you are probably thinking of how you will respond to them. Instead of that, be an active listener. If you are paying attention to what a person is saying you are committing their speech to your memory. Not only will this help you remember what they are saying, but it will also help you respond to people better.

Therefore, the key to try and improve your memory is not trying to retain everything you see but to pay attention to the details at a particular time.

Exercises and brain games

This has to be the most cliche advice in the book. But unlike most other cliche things, this works. Brain games don’t have to be math exercises (but you can do that too) or something unbelievably complex. You can do simple exercises such as:

• Jigsaw puzzles - they are a brilliant way to train your memory to look at different things and figure out how they fit into the big picture. This is a great help while writing subjective exams, CSAT, logical reasoning papers, etc.

• Card games - specifically solitaire and hearts. Both the games require you to remember the cards in the drawing deck and complete the game in the least number of moves.

• Build your vocabulary. The need for this might not be immediately clear to you, but sometimes you forget things just because you don’t understand their meaning.

• Do activities that need you to use more than two of your senses. Train yourself to recognize the taste of food that you might not eat every day. Memory is not just seeing and hearing, it is also touching, feeling, and tasting.

• Take different routes - go to the market from the back door of your house, take the long way to college, exhaust all possible ways to reach the nearest metro station. Taking different routes to the places you visit regularly will train your mind to be constantly active and learning.

• Meditate - it calms your mind and has proven to fine-tune your mnemonic skills.

• Start focusing on the people you meet. The next time you have a conversation with someone, take note of at least three things about them. What color are they wearing? Do they have glasses? Are they wearing a watch? Try coming back to these details later in the day. 

Memory is a complex thing. You cannot expect it to become trained overnight after reading a book on it. You also cannot match Doctor Strange and his photographic memory. That is fictional. So in a race to strengthen your memory, don’t exhaust yourself trying to work your brain. Read stories of people who have worked towards strengthening their memory over life. Push yourself to follow a healthier lifestyle and that will automatically help you build a better set of cognitive skills.

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