5 Methods of Memory Improvement

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Being able to memorize and apply information is a vital skill throughout life - not just at school, but in work and at home, too. Some people are born with naturally good memories, and retaining facts, figures and texts will come easier to them than others. Even if it's less of a challenge for a minority, there are indeed some simple steps everyone can take towards developing an improved memory.

1. Listen and pay attention - It's common practice for people to claim they 'didn't learn anything' during their learning, even when they didn't give their full attention to their teacher, or what they were reading/doing. If you want to enhance your memory, then you need to accept one straightforward fact: you've got to put the required effort in and be attentive. Memory improvement isn't something that comes naturally, and there's no way you'll see progress if you don't push yourself forwards.

2. Discover your personal learning style - There's amazing diversity amongst humans and we all learn best in unique ways. Most people slot into one of three categories when it comes to their learning: visual, auditory or kinesthetic, and this influences the kind of activities they should take part in to achieve the most positive final outcomes.

If you find that you learn best kinesthetically - through doing - then foster this approach when trying to memorize information and facts about a subject. For example, rather than taking notes on particular chemicals and their properties, you could participate in a safe, supervised and hands-on experiment to determine this. Hopefully, you should find yourself retaining the important bits of what it is you've studied for longer than usually.

3. Revise your notes - Don't expect information to sink in the first time you've read or heard it; chances are, it won't. Storing information becomes easier the 2nd or 3rd time round, as the key facts will have truly cemented themselves into your brain. Patience - a trait which many people lack - is key in this method of memory improvement, so focus on developing it!

4. Use 'brain gym' - Sure, you'll have heard of exercising the body, but in reality, it's equally possible to give your brain a good workout. It sounds stupid, but keeping your brain fit and in top condition is the secret to success when it comes to memorizing and storing information. Regular brain exercise allows one of the body's most vital organs to continually grow and develop, creating new connections that you can use as tools for revision.

There are a range of puzzles and games you can take part in should you wish to see considerable memory improvement, with the pick of the bunch being Sudoku, crosswords, and even wordsearches.

5. Think positive, be positive! - Positive thinking is the key to many things in life, and believing that you can improve your memory goes a long way in helping you get there. It seems more reasonable to put effort into developing memory enhancing techniques if you feel there's at least some chance of success at the end of the process. As the saying goes: if you think you can, you will!