How to Overcome Short Term Memory Loss
Sharpen your mind., Interact with other people., Use mnemonics., Laugh easily and often., Try "chunking" information.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Sharpen your mind.
Your brain responds to activity and stimulation much like your muscles do—it gets stronger with regular exercise.
When you learn how to do new things, your brain forms new neural pathways, helping it to grow and make connections to other pathways.
Take up a hobby you've always wanted to try, learn a new musical instrument, or enroll in a college or night class.
This gives you longer-term goals that engage your brain on a regular basis, with measurable outcomes.
More immediate activities such as a crossword or sudoku puzzles, or reading up on something you know nothing about stimulate your mind as much as doing new things.
These tasks might seem difficult at first, and that's good––challenging means your brain is being forced to work. , Unlike a hobby, or a crossword puzzle, or even learning new things, relationships stimulate your brain because they're unpredictable and always challenging, forcing you to stay alert and engaged.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers found evidence that elderly people who have an active social life may have a slower rate of memory decline than those who are isolated.
In fact, they've found that not only do socially-connected people have slower memory loss, they also have a slower mortality rate.
So get out there and meet people! , This is a great tool for everybody to master, not just for people who suffer from short-term memory loss.
Mnemonics is the technique of attaching a word, phrase, or image to an object.
This skill can be very powerful, and the memorization will stick in your brain like super glue.
Perhaps you've never heard of mnemonics, but ask yourself: "Self, how many days are in September?" Chances are, the first thing that popped into your mind was "30 days hath September." If you meet a woman named Zoe, rhyme a feature on her face with her name.
It doesn't even have to make sense. "Zoe, eyes aglow-y," for example.
Make yourself laugh with your mnemonic.
Make your memory aid a rude limerick, as in "The new boss's name is Vig Ronson, who's rumored to have a...," etc. (Fill in the blanks—–it's good for your memory!) , Laughter engages multiple areas of the brain, and listening to jokes while you try to figure out the punchlines will help boost overall learning and creativity.
Psychologist Daniel Goleman writes in his book Emotional Intelligence, that "laughter seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely." It loosens you up, so to speak.
So... a 300-pound gorilla walks into a bar, sits wherever he wants, and orders a drink.
The bartender gives him the drink, and figuring he's just a stupid gorilla, says "that'll be 50 bucks." The gorilla scratches himself (gorillas do that) then hands the bartender two twenties and a ten dollar note.
The bartender, impressed by the gorilla's math says, "Say, we don't get many gorillas in here." The gorilla scratches himself again and says, "For 50 bucks a drink, I'm not surprised."
If you need to memorize something important and you're finding it difficult to do so, separate the information into smaller groups.
The most common example of chunking is phone numbers––instead of trying to remember one 10-digit number, most people find it easier to remember two 3-digit numbers and one 4-digit number, like 123-456-7890.
Try this technique with grocery lists, birthdays, names or other things you want to remember. -
Step 2: Interact with other people.
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Step 3: Use mnemonics.
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Step 4: Laugh easily and often.
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Step 5: Try "chunking" information.
Detailed Guide
Your brain responds to activity and stimulation much like your muscles do—it gets stronger with regular exercise.
When you learn how to do new things, your brain forms new neural pathways, helping it to grow and make connections to other pathways.
Take up a hobby you've always wanted to try, learn a new musical instrument, or enroll in a college or night class.
This gives you longer-term goals that engage your brain on a regular basis, with measurable outcomes.
More immediate activities such as a crossword or sudoku puzzles, or reading up on something you know nothing about stimulate your mind as much as doing new things.
These tasks might seem difficult at first, and that's good––challenging means your brain is being forced to work. , Unlike a hobby, or a crossword puzzle, or even learning new things, relationships stimulate your brain because they're unpredictable and always challenging, forcing you to stay alert and engaged.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers found evidence that elderly people who have an active social life may have a slower rate of memory decline than those who are isolated.
In fact, they've found that not only do socially-connected people have slower memory loss, they also have a slower mortality rate.
So get out there and meet people! , This is a great tool for everybody to master, not just for people who suffer from short-term memory loss.
Mnemonics is the technique of attaching a word, phrase, or image to an object.
This skill can be very powerful, and the memorization will stick in your brain like super glue.
Perhaps you've never heard of mnemonics, but ask yourself: "Self, how many days are in September?" Chances are, the first thing that popped into your mind was "30 days hath September." If you meet a woman named Zoe, rhyme a feature on her face with her name.
It doesn't even have to make sense. "Zoe, eyes aglow-y," for example.
Make yourself laugh with your mnemonic.
Make your memory aid a rude limerick, as in "The new boss's name is Vig Ronson, who's rumored to have a...," etc. (Fill in the blanks—–it's good for your memory!) , Laughter engages multiple areas of the brain, and listening to jokes while you try to figure out the punchlines will help boost overall learning and creativity.
Psychologist Daniel Goleman writes in his book Emotional Intelligence, that "laughter seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely." It loosens you up, so to speak.
So... a 300-pound gorilla walks into a bar, sits wherever he wants, and orders a drink.
The bartender gives him the drink, and figuring he's just a stupid gorilla, says "that'll be 50 bucks." The gorilla scratches himself (gorillas do that) then hands the bartender two twenties and a ten dollar note.
The bartender, impressed by the gorilla's math says, "Say, we don't get many gorillas in here." The gorilla scratches himself again and says, "For 50 bucks a drink, I'm not surprised."
If you need to memorize something important and you're finding it difficult to do so, separate the information into smaller groups.
The most common example of chunking is phone numbers––instead of trying to remember one 10-digit number, most people find it easier to remember two 3-digit numbers and one 4-digit number, like 123-456-7890.
Try this technique with grocery lists, birthdays, names or other things you want to remember.
About the Author
Heather Cooper
With a background in sports and recreation, Heather Cooper brings 14 years of hands-on experience to every article. Heather believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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