How to Improve Long Term Memory

There are some things that are easy for us to remember and you notice that you can still recall that information even when you no longer need it. Sometimes it is difficult to remember information, but there are ways to make it easier. Try the following steps below to remember information you want to keep in your long term memory.

Instructions

1. Categorization - Organize information into categories. This will help you remember things better and longer if they are grouped. It's like a grocery store; there are aisles that house items in groups like dairy, meat, etc.

2. Association - Relate what you already know to what you remember. This is an excellent way for you to retain information as it can stimulate your memory when the information is needed.

3. Mediation - This is a way to group unrelated data to each other. It can be done by creating a phrase like, "Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally" as a way to remember the order to do math (parentheses, exponents, multiply, divide, add, and subtract). Another way is to create a word to remember a phrase like, SADD to represent Students Against Destructive Decisions.

4. Imagery - Most information is processed through a visual or audio channel. When you need to remember a piece of information, try relating it to an image or sound that is easily remembered. This is how many people remember locations. They can simply recall that the store is located neat the bridge.

5. Repetition - The more you are exposed to something, the easier it is to remember at a later time. This is especially good for meeting new people. Try using their name at least three times when you first talk to them. That name will be easier to remember later.

Tips & Warnings

• Try using all of these methods at different times. Get a feel for them and use the best ones for certain situations.