For knowing how to enhance memory you need to know what memory is. Memory is the process of encoding information, storing it in the brain and then retrieving it later for use. At times the retrieval becomes hard or impossible and you realize that the information isn’t stored properly in the first place. This could be for two reasons:
Lack of attention or focus when your mind had been receiving the information. Maybe you had been consumed by distractions during that time making it impossible for you to remember what came in. However, forgetfulness is as natural as the sun shining. It is a part of human nature; still, it is unacceptable in many situations like sitting in a MUET exam and trying to remember the names of people who signed the Declaration of Independence for Malaysia.
Memory failures happen with age. The process of degeneration and memory loss can also be enhanced by some factors such as stress, depression, improper and imbalanced diets, lack of physical activity, lack of fun, friends and laughter and smoking.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain which stores, receives and retrieves information in the long term; hence, it is associated with the long term memory. Accidental damage to this part of the brain results in complete memory loss at times and the person’s mind is a blank slate.
There are various exercises especially designed in answer to questions on how to enhance memory.
Associate Events With Visuals: Suppose you have to pick up butter from the bakery before time flies so try to remember it through butterflies. In Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, Neville’s grandma sent him a remembrall that began to glow every time Neville had forgotten something. Well, the remembrall was shining and glowing but he couldn’t remember what he had forgotten! Associating events with visuals can be helpful just like it would have been if the remembrall actually showed him what he had forgotten.
Stay In Present: When you know that you are in a process of receiving important information, then remove any sort of distractions that might make encoding and storing difficult. These might be mobiles, couple of girls on the other building’s roof that you can see from your conference room’s window, a pen in your hand that you are fidgeting with and so on. Focus will help in good storage and good later retrieval.
Remember In Chunks And Familiarity: At times, remembering one complete slab of information is harder than retrieving it in pieces. Remembering a number in pieces like 000-XXX-000 is much easier than remembering it as 000XXX000. You can also use familiarity with objects to remember other things.
The question how to enhance memory doesn’t carry a very difficult answer provided you are willing to practice and pay attention.
