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Get Your Brain in Gear: An Introduction to Memory Techniques

Updated: Jul 23, 2023

Memory is an essential part of our lives, as it helps us remember and recall important information. However, sometimes our memory can fail us, leading us to forget things or have difficulty retaining new information. That's where memory techniques come in.


A brain with gear cogs

Memory techniques are strategies that you can use to improve your memory and make it easier to remember and recall information. These techniques are based on the way our brains naturally process and store information, and they can be very effective in helping us retain new information and retrieve it when we need it.


Some common memory techniques include:

  • Mnemonic devices

  • Visualization

  • Chunking

  • Repetition

Mnemonic devices are memory aids that use associations, acronyms, or other associations to help you remember information. These devices are based on the idea that our brains are more likely to remember information that is presented in a meaningful or memorable way. Mnemonic devices can be very effective in helping us retain and recall new information, especially when we are trying to remember large amounts of information or complex concepts.


Some common mnemonic devices include:

  • Acronyms: These use the first letters of a list of items to create a new word. For example, the acronym "ROY G. BIV" is often used to help people remember the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet).

  • Rhymes: These use catchy phrases or sentences to help us remember information. For example, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue" is a well-known rhyme that helps people remember the date that Christopher Columbus discovered America.

  • Visual aids: These use images or diagrams to represent the information we want to remember. For example, a visual aid might use a picture of a clock to help us remember the names of the hours on a clock face (1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, etc.).

  • Peg words: These use familiar words or phrases to help us remember lists of items. For example, we might use the peg words "one is a bun, two is a shoe" to help us remember the numbers 1 and 2.

  • Linking: This technique involves creating a mental link or association between the information we want to remember and something else. This is great for remembering a list of items. By creating this mental image and linking each item in the list to a specific part of the image, it becomes easier to remember the list of items.


Visualization involves creating mental images of the information you want to remember. This technique is based on the idea that our brains are better at remembering visual information than abstract concepts. By creating a visual representation of the information, it can be easier to recall it later. Visualization can be especially effective for remembering lists, concepts, or processes that have a clear sequence or order. For example, if you are trying to remember a list of groceries, you might visualize yourself walking through a grocery store and placing each item on the list into your shopping cart. Alternatively, if you are trying to remember a complex concept, you might create a visual diagram or mind map to represent the key ideas and how they relate to one another. By using visualization to aid your memory, you can improve your ability to retain and recall new information.


Chunking involves breaking up large amounts of information into smaller, more manageable chunks. This technique is based on the idea that our brains are better at remembering smaller pieces of information rather than large chunks. By chunking the information, it becomes easier to process and retain, as it is less overwhelming for our brains. Chunking can be especially effective for remembering lists or sequences of items, as it allows us to group related items together and make connections between them. For example, if you are trying to remember a long list of phone numbers, you might chunk them into smaller groups of three or four digits. Alternatively, if you are trying to remember a complex process, you might break it down into smaller steps and chunk them together in a logical order. By using chunking as a memory aid, you can improve your ability to retain and recall new information.


Repetition involves repeating the information you want to remember again and again. This technique is based on the idea that our brains are more likely to remember information that we have encountered multiple times. By repeating the information, it becomes more ingrained in our memory and easier to recall later. Repetition can be especially effective for remembering facts, definitions, or other information that does not have a clear visual or conceptual structure. For example, if you are trying to remember a list of vocabulary words, you might repeat each word out loud several times until you feel confident that you have memorized it. Alternatively, if you are trying to remember a definition, you might repeat it to yourself multiple times until you feel confident that you understand it. By using repetition as a memory aid, you can improve your ability to retain and recall new information.


You must practice these techniques regularly, whichever you choose to use, to see the best results.


I will be looking at some of these techniques in future blogs.









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