3 ways to remember anything

MBOMBELA – It’s February already and the to-do list is not getting any shorter.  With too much on all of our plates, a few quick tricks on how to memorize can only come in handy.

• Don’t multitask – Concentration is incredibly important for retaining your memory.You need to keep things simple. This is why you enter a room and forget why you came in. It’s because you were probably planning your party at the same time, or thinking about the t.v. episode that you just watched and you weren’t concentrating.When you’re studying and trying to remember things for school, then focus on that one task.Don’t think about that friend’s party from the weekend. Don’t try and do a bunch of different tasks at the same time, or you won’t get the full benefit from any of them.
• Avoid external distractions – Get away from your typical surroundings that make demands on your time, when you need to study. This means leaving your house, your family, your friends, your pets, your t.v. while you’re studying.Find a specific place to study and don’t do other things while you’re there (like pay your bills, do leisure activities, etc.).  Make sure that you only study when you’re in that place, as it will help your brain get into the studying mode. Choose an area that has good ventilation and light so that you are more likely to stay awake and not get distracted. If you do find that you can’t work and that you’re not retaining anything, take a short break (not too long and don’t do anything that will start consuming your time like going on the internet). Go for a short walk, or get a drink.
• Be silly – Make up stories and rhymes and associate what it is that you need to remember with things that you already know.  The first letters of the words in a list can become an acronym.  They may even inspire a rhyme.  It may be silly – if it helps you to remember, you have accomplished your mission.

Partially sourced from wikipedia.com