Improve Your Memory

1
|
MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Improve Your Memory
IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY
Remember names, numbers, and facts

2
|
Improve Your Memory
Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
ImproveYour
Memory
Introduction: Most of us complain at some time about our poor memories -
especially when we forget things that are important, such as birthdays, anniversaries
and meetings. But it is not memory that lets us down. Our brains remember
everything we have ever experienced. What is at fault is our ability to recall. In this
topic, we’ll look at 7 aids to improving our memories.

3
|
Improve Your Memory
What is Memory?
Some scientists look on memory as the Rosetta Stone of the brain: find out how memory works and you unlock
the mysteries of the mind. Every culture since the ancient Greeks has pondered the mystery of memory and
come up with their own metaphor to describe it.
A Brief History of Memory
The Ancient Greeks
saw memory in
terms of inscriptions
on wax tablets.
Medieval societies
portrayed it in a
complex system of
hydraulics, pipes
and valves.
In the 17th century,
memory was seen
as a clockwork
mechanism
In the 20th century
we talk of memory
in terms of how info
is stored on
computers.
Psychologist Alan Baddeley says we have more than one type of memory. We have a long-term memory which is like a
computer's hard disk; a short-term memory which is like a computer's read-only memory; and a sensory memory for recalling
sights, sounds and tastes.

4
|
Improve Your Memory
1.
SYNAESTHESIA
Synaesthesia is the association of memory with
our senses. Dr Frank Staub of Yale University
demonstrated that you can easily improve your
memory when you link the things you want to
remember with a memorable sight, sound,
feeling, taste or smell. In one experiment, he
wafted the aroma of sweet chocolate over a
group of students who were preparing for an
exam. On the day of the exam, he released the
same aroma while the students were taking the
exam. The result was that these students out-
performed everyone else.
What does the taste of hot chocolate remind you of?
Flickr attribution: /112923805@N05/15891995169/

5
|
Improve Your Memory
2.
LANDMARKS
The reason why synaesthesia works is because
what we want to recall is associated with a
striking landmark. Landmarks don’t have to be
limited to the five senses. They can be anything
emotional, shocking, funny, unexpected, silly,
embarrassing, or outrageous. That’s why people
can recall precisely what they were doing at the
time of shocking news events, such as the
assassination of John Kennedy or the death of
Diana, Princess of Wales. It’s also why we never
forget our first day at school, a beautiful
romantic holiday, and our first teenage kiss.
We always remember landmarks in our lives
Flickr attribution: /zedzap/10028751543/

6
|
Improve Your Memory
Things We RememberAll Our Lives
1
Jokes we made that
others found funny.
2
Things we did which were
well praised.
3
Our first morning in a
new job.
4
People we met whom we
found sexy.
8
Stupid mistakes which we
can't believe we made.
7
Our first day at first
school.
6
Risks we took which went
wrong or right.
5
Ideas we had that were
outrageous and worked.
9
Ideas we had that nobody
had ever thought of
before.
10
Magical moments with
those we love.
11
Moving music, warm
summer nights and
beautiful sunsets.
12
Our first kiss and our last
hugs.
We remember...

7
|
Improve Your Memory
3. THE PEG
SYSTEM
The peg system is a great way to remember a
sequence of numbers, for example the phone
number 302187. All you do is give each number a
rhyming “peg” word and then make up a crazy,
silly or exaggerated story about it with the words
in the right order. So, let’s say 3 = knee, 0
(nought) = wart, 2 = glue, 1 = sun, 8 = gate, and 7
= heaven. We could then make up the following
story: “First I wrote the phone number on my
knee around a wart. I put some glue on it to keep
it in place. Suddenly the sun came out, so I went
out the gate and found myself in heaven.”
Our brains remember unusual, silly, and funny connections
Flickr attribution: /wolfgangfoto/4613756745/

8
|
Improve Your Memory
How to Remember Numbers Using Number Rhymes
Here is an example of a peg system using number
rhymes, eg zero, 0, is "hero" and one, 1, is "gun".
Let's say you have to remember the following
telephone number:
0273 864594214
All you do is create a list of items rhyming with
the sound of the numbers 0 to 9 and then make
up a silly story that links the numbers in the right
sequence.
You can also do the same using visual images for
the numbers rather than sounds, eg 0 is "hole", 1
is "pole", 2 is "swan" and so on.
One day, my hero (0),George
Clooney, lost his shoe (2). So he
asked an angel from heaven (7) for
help. She landed on a tree (3) and
then hopped on a gate (8) which
collapsed into sticks (6) and broke
the door (4) of a beehive (5). The
bees flew off in a straight line (9) to
the door (4) of a nearby mansion
where they found George's shoe (2)
lying beside a gun (1). The bees
knocked on the door (4) and gave
it to him.
0 1 2 3 4
hero gun shoe tree door
5 6 7 8 9
beehive sticks heaven gate line

9
|
Improve Your Memory
How to Remember Numbers Using Number Visuals
Here is an example of a peg system using number
visuals, eg zero, 0, is a “hole” because it looks like
a hole and one, 1, is a “pencil". Let's say you have
to remember the following telephone number:
0273 864594214
All you do is devise a memorable story that uses
each of the visual items in turn. Here is the full
suggested list of items.
One day, I fell into a hole (0) that had
appeared in our road. My pet swan (2)
pulled me out and dropped me on the
edge of a cliff (7) where I found a brooch
in the shape of a heart (3). I checked the
time on my hourglass (8) and hurried to
the green where I found a golf club (6)
on my yacht (4). My playing partner is
Captain Hook (5). I won the round and
was awarded a balloon (9) which I
released from the yacht (4). There I
found the swan (2) drawing so I gave her
a pencil (1). And we both sailed away
into the sunset on the yacht (4).
0 1 2 3 4
hole pencil swan heart yacht
5 6 7 8 9
hook Golf
club
Cliff
edge
Hour
glass
balloon

10
|
Improve Your Memory
4. RHYMES
The Peg System works because we associate a
number with a rhyming word, eg 8 and “gate”, 2
and “glue”. The same principle holds true for
much more complex pieces of information. So
rhymes help us remember that "Boyle's law is
best of all because it presses gasses awfully
small."; that “i before e, except after c” (for
spelling words like “believe” and “receipt”); and
that “30 days hath September, April, June and
November…” (for remembering the days of the
months).
It’s easier to remember a song than a paragraph of words
The nursery rhyme, “Hey Diddle, Diddle” (Attribution:Wikipedia)

11
|
Improve Your Memory
More Examples of Rhyming Mnemonics
Example 1
Rhyming mnemonic for remembering the ill fated wives of Henry
VIII:
Divorced, Beheaded, Died,
Divorced, Beheaded, Survived
Example 2
Rhyming mnemonic device for remembering when Alaska and
Hawaii entered the United States:
'59 was the date,
When Alaska and Hawaii became new states
Example 3
Rhyming (sort of) mnemonic for remembering the zodiac signs:
The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins,
And next' the Crab, the Lion shines,
The Virgin and the Scales.
The Scorpion, Archer, and the Goat,
The Man who holds the Watering Pot,
And Fish with glittering scales.
Here is one of the best rhyming
mnemonics which reminds us of the
date that Columbus discovered the New
World:
“In fourteen hundred and eighty two,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue”

12
|
Improve Your Memory
5.
MNEMONICS
Rhyming words are known as mnemonics, after
the Greek goddess of memory, Mnemosyne.
Another type of mnemonic is associating letters
with names in a certain sequence. So, “My Very
Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” will
instantly help you remember the sequence of
the nine planets of the solar system, simply by
looking at the first letters of each word. Making
the sequence: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Can you remember the first 8 planets?
Flickr attribution: /royalty-free-images/145118335/

13
|
Improve Your Memory
Examples of Non-Rhyming Mnemonics
Example 1
Non-rhyming mnemonic for remembering the basic needs of the
human body:
Oh, Can Venus Flies Make Pretty Webs! (= oxygen;
carbohydrates; vitamins; fats; minerals; protein; water)
Example 2
Non-rhyming mnemonic for remembering the proper way to fire
a rifle:
BRASS (= Breathe, Relax, Aim, Sight, Squeeze)
Example 3
Non-rhyming mnemonic for remembering groupings of animals
in biology:
King Phillip Could Only Find Green Socks (= Kingdom, Phylum,
Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)
Example 4
Non-rhyming mnemonic for remembering the notes in the treble
clef:
The lines of the clef (Every Good Bird Does Fly (E, G, B, D, F))

14
|
Improve Your Memory
6. PEOPLE’S
NAMES
The idea of associating something we want to
remember with silly images is the key to
remembering people’s names. Let’s say you’re
introduced to a Mr Lazenby. All you need to do is
picture him lazing on a summer’s day on a B
road. Similarly, a Mrs Pakenham could be
imagined packing ‘em in in a fish factory and a
Mr Forsyth could be pictured as a gardener with
four scythes. These associations work because
your left brain holds the name and your right
brain remembers the silly image.
Now what the heck was she called?
Flickr attribution: /tedxmonterey/6970367716/

15
|
Improve Your Memory
One of the most common complaints of people
who claim they have bad memories is that they
cannot recall people's names. This can be socially
disadvantageous as well as an embarrassing flaw in
their management skills. To remember a person's
name, your brain has to remember a word, using
the left brain, and a face, using the right brain, and
connect the two together.
How to Remember Someone’s Name
Eg someone called Burton might remind you of a feature of
the actor Richard Burton or of a well-dressed person at
Burton's the tailors.
4. Get a peg on it
Get the name clear in the first place.
1. What is it?
Repeat the name in conversation as soon after hearing it as
possible.
2. Say it out loud to or with the person
Once you've learned it, rehearse it to yourself.
3. Re-hear it
Eg Cameron could have a camera on his head; Bush could
be hiding in a bush whenever anyone calls; and Sarkozy
could be a sarcastic and dozy person.
5. Make up a silly association
The 5 Steps in Remembering a New Name

16
|
Improve Your Memory
7. REPETITION
When we first collect a new piece of information,
it goes into our short-term memories. The short-
term memory is a holding area for new
information and unless we move something out,
it will quickly be replaced with newer
information. Moving information out means
moving it into our long-term memories where it
can remain indefinitely. The problem here is, it
can take anything up to 6 hours to get something
firmly embedded. And that’s where repetition,
review, and replay are needed.
Review, rehearse, recall
Flickr attribution: /sararistic/16005151934/

17
|
Improve Your Memory
Repetition
and Review
Everything that we wish to remember goes from our conscious brains into a holding
area called the Short-Term Memory and from there, if we want to recall it easily into
Long-Term Memory. 70% of what we learn one day can be forgotten the next unless
we use repetition and review techniques to transfer it to our Long-Term Memory.
Below are 6 ways to make sure something important sticks.
How to remember an event
Re-tell the
experience to
someone else.
Make notes
and drawings,
such as a
mind map.
Re-play the
event in your
mind's eye
while sitting
quietly.
Repeat the
event at the
actual place.
Write aide-
memoires and
post them
somewhere
we can see
them.
Discuss the
event with
others.
1 2 3 4 6
5

18
|
Improve Your Memory
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
Some scientists regard memory as the Rosetta Stone of the brain: the key that unlocks all the
secrets of the mind. In an age of information, where most people are knowledge workers of one
sort or another, having a good memory and being able to make the most of what you know isn't
just nice to have; it is essential.

Improve Your Memory

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Improve Your Memory

Similar to Improve Your Memory (20)

More from Manage Train Learn

More from Manage Train Learn (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Improve Your Memory