We all know what memory is. It's the process by which the brain encodes, stores and retrieves information. This information can encompass facts and experiences. It can include something as recent as what we had for breakfast, or as long ago as our first day of school.
Now obviously we can't remember every detail of our lives. And who would want to? Admit it. Most of our lives are pretty boring and it would serve no purpose to remember what we had for breakfast every day of our lives. Our brains know this and tend to prioritize our memories. Retaining what we need to know to survive and thrive. (With some miscellaneous junk thrown in.)
Our brains can process and retain vast amounts of information. But there is a limit. And the older we get, the more crowded our brains become. So forgetting is normal, at any age, and happens every day. We have to forget in order to remember.
Memory Quirks
Misremembering is common as well. We're not computers with total recall. We’re human and fallible. So our memories can change over time. Our memory system is more interested in usefulness than perfection. We also have selective memory. We remember what we want to remember.
Interestingly, as we get older we tend to experience a "reminiscence bump" where we recall childhood and early adult memories more often and in greater detail. Memories we may have buried for many years.
And yet we can't remember the first few years of our lives. In fact we remember little before the age of seven. Science doesn't know yet what causes this "childhood amnesia". But the most logical theory is that it's due to developmental changes. Children and teenagers have earlier memories than adults do, so it could be less about forming memories and more about maintaining them.
The power of our memory tends to peak in our early twenties and slows down as we get older. (Like everything else.) But older brains are better at filtering out irrelevant information and making connections between experiences. Because they have more of them to draw on.
Memory Tricks
Even though memory declines with age, some people manage to stay mentally sharp (think Betty White). How do they do it? Well, good genes help. So does regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep. As well as keeping your brain active and challenged. (Can Playing Games Help Keep You Young?)
Some tricks to remembering include the following:
- Repetition, like with a new word definition.
- Paying closer attention to details in the moment (focus, avoid multitasking and distractions).
- Writing things down, using calendars and reminders.
- Putting objects in a routine place and keeping them there so they don't get lost.
- Spacing apart the time spent studying, rather than do it all at once.
- Testing memory of learned material (use flashcards, test yourself, explain the subject to someone else to reinforce it).
Memorization Tools
Mnemonic devices are memorization tools that help us sort and store data in a way that is easy to remember. I've used mnemonics for years and find it very useful. And fun.
Below are five types of mnemonics and examples of each:
- Acronyms and acrostics – an acronym is a word created by other words. For example, the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) spell HOMES. An acrostic can spell out a sentence or a phrase. For example, the planets, in order, but now minus Pluto (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) spell out "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles".
- Association – linking something new with something you already know. For example, remembering a new person's name by thinking of someone else you know with that name. Perhaps visualizing the same mustache, etc. The sillier the image the easier it is to remember.
- Chunking – breaking down information into "bite-sized" chunks. For example, social security numbers are in 3 chunks.
- Songs and rhymes – For example, the alphabet song we learn as a child.
- Method of loci – aka the "memory palace technique" involves remembering items based on their locations. Again, the more imaginative the better. For example, picturing your grocery list as fighting food objects in your kitchen. With hats and knives, and they're stabbing each other... okay, maybe you don't have to be that imaginative. It sticks with you though.
Personal Experience
I've been journaling for most of my life (Can Journaling Improve Your Health?). But I rarely go back and re-read entries. I prefer to look forward rather than back. And these days I'm all about the present. Every once in a while though, I want to verify a memory I have of an event or time in my life. So I bring out the old journals.
I usually think I have a pretty good memory. But I have to confess, when I go back and read what I wrote at the time, it’s often very different than how I remember it. I could have sworn I felt strongly about a particular event, but there's no mention of that. (And I would have mentioned it.).
Or I'll get sidetracked and read about some event with a person that was important at the time (based on the long entry). But I have absolutely no memory of that person or the event.
It's astonishing to realize that I have forgotten more than I know. But maybe it's for the best. I'm looking forward to making new memories. Time to clear some of my brain's cache and cookies to make room.
Are there any tricks you use to remember?
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At the age of 84 this was a great article for me. It is irritating to not be able to remember this. Lw
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