People often confuse weak memory and poor recollection.  They complain of weak memory.  It is not a weak memory but a poor collection of information.  How sad it is when you cannot recall the name of a person you met in the past.

What impression does it convey to another person when you regrettably say that you forgot his name?

In this busy and competitive world people forget telephone numbers, passwords, and PINs.  It not only stops the work but also irritates not remembering.  Sometimes, you curse yourself for not remembering the things.

There are several tools and techniques by which you can improve your memory.  It is not a big challenge but it requires a little more concentration and effort. The human brain is highly complex.  You must know how to make use of it to improve your memory.  

In this context, it is desirable to know briefly about memory. 

What is Memory?

Memory is a mental activity where in stored information is recalled and retrieved as and when required.  It is divided into two types: short-term and long-term. In short-term memory, the information is stored for a few seconds or minutes. 

In contrast, in long-term memory, the information is stored for a longer duration.  When people listen to others, they feed in their memory automatically whether to register for short-term or long-term depending on the importance of information.

Techniques to improve your memory

• Open up your mind and instruct to encode new information.  
• Concentration is the key to good memory.  Explore ways to enhance your concentration.  
• Stay focused on one thing at a time.  Don’t go for multitasking.  Whenever you feel that the information is important you need to put in more effort and concentration so that you can remember well.  
• Avoid noises, interruptions, and external disturbances while listening.
• Do things slowly as it reinforces your memory.  
• Call people by names when introduced.  For instance, “It is my pleasure to meet you, Robert”.  Associate names of the people with well-known people you have already registered in your mind for better retention.  Create visual pictures in your mind.
• When you speak louder you can remember better as you listen to your voice. Maintain a diary to jot down the important information.  
• Prioritize the information while receiving it.  It helps in retaining the important information.  Instead of typing the information, you may write with your hand as the muscular memory will be activated resulting in storing the information.  
• There are several games on television and online to enhance your memory.  Playing the same will prove to be helpful.  
• Assimilate the information rather than reading the content for the sake of reading. It aids your memory.   
• If you find it difficult to memorize large content, you can break it into small parts.  Memorize each small part and mentally compile the same for final memorization.  
• Relate the information with your real live events through pictorial visualization as it helps in recollection.  
• Research reveals that humans can remember between 5 to 9 items at a time.  If you can break the information between 5 to 9 items then it becomes easy for you to remember and recollect.  
• People have a natural tendency to remember rhymes and rhythms.  Therefore, convert your content accordingly for effective memory.  
• Go to bed without overly worried about anything. If you go to bed thinking about the problems then you get better solutions by the next day morning.  
• Relax your mind when blocked with memory recall.  Engage your mind on other issues.  To your surprise, you will recall whatever you wanted as your brain searches for the information.  
• Avoid anxiety and stress as it blocks your memory.  Adopt relaxation techniques.
• Make use of your inner dialogue.  Every individual is involved in self-talk which is also known as inner dialogue.  Repeated conversation within your mind reinforces and aids your memory.  
• When you talk about new concepts with others, it not only improves your communication skills but also aids in memorizing complicated information.  
• The way you exercise your body you should exercise your memory muscles.
• Finally, eat nutritious food as it keeps your body and mind healthy. It aids in effective memory.

Memory Techniques for Students

1. Students should review the information they receive in the classroom within a day so that they can retain the same effectively. Jotting down the points taught during the class by the teacher helps them to review and revise immediately. 
2. Students should focus on the keywords while reading the content as it helps them in analyzing, understanding, and memorizing the content.  Read the content repeatedly if possible. 
3. Develop your mnemonic device wherein the first letters of each word have to be framed as a word for better recalling. It helps students, especially during examinations. 
4. Use highlighters and colored pens while reading the text and apply the same depending on the importance and priority of the content.  It helps in saving time and also in better memory.
5. Find out what kind of senses would be comfortable and ideal for you and exploit the same for better memory. 
6. “A picture is worth a thousand words” goes the saying.  Use pictures, graphs, and charts to help your memory. 
7. Write and rewrite the content repeatedly as it enriches your content apart from aiding your memory.

We all are Blessed with Good Memories

Memory is not the privilege of a gifted few.  If you know that it is a skill you can cultivate easily.  But you need to put in effort regularly to achieve amazing results.  Memory tips help everyone including children, students, and working people to achieve success.  

We all are blessed with good memories. Unfortunately, we don’t realize and exploit.  Effective utilization of memory helps in better interpersonal relations, builds bridges, and ensures all-around success.