It’s not just those who have memory disorders that want to remember better. In everyday life, at school, or at work we rely on memory to stay engaged, advance, and track information. Seems so simple. It is not. Ever try to remember which movies you have seen over the last 6 months? What books have you read (who wrote them? Details for discussion?)? What you have to do at 3:00? Here are some strategies that help.

1. Read physical books. Reading is reading, right? Apparently not. Turns out that reading a physical book leads to better memory than reading on an electronic reader. Also, taking written notes leads to better learning than transcribing notes on a computer or tablet. When I don’t care if I remember (like for reading just for fun novels), I read electronically. If I am reading to remember, I read hard copy as active notes seem to work better than highlighting functions on electronic readers.
2. Being married. Two memories are better than one. Additionally there can be division of memory labor. Pamela remembers some things better than I and I remember some things better than her. Together we construct a more complete memory of our past and present.
3. Write things down. The act of writing – especially elaborative writing – locks in memory better than single quick experiences or information that are not pondered. Even better, try to teach someone else what you want to remember. Being able to convey information beyond the self creates better understanding as well as better future recall.
4. Walk through the woods or on the beach. A recent study compared the recall of new learning between a group of participants that walked around in a forest to a group who walked around in an urban environment. The persons who walked in the forest did better on a later memory test.
5. Make associations. The best way to learn new information is to associate it with something you already know. Make a story. Draw a sketch. Associate the information with a song. Mark Twain used to walk a familiar route on his estate as he learned new speeches.
6. Review. Takes notes. Review notes often over increasing intervals. Quiz yourself.
7. Don’t ignore the One Minute Rule. This is the old science of mnemonics. The more time, effort, and thought you put into something, the better you understand and remember it.