How to Remember Something

Be calm., Recreate the environment you were in when you first had the thought, learned the information, or last had the item you lost., Close your eyes.

5 Steps 1 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Be calm.

    Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and relax.

    Your anxiety about being unable to remember something might actually prevent you from remembering it.Frustration, panic, or beating yourself up over your "bad" memory diverts mental energy from your goal.

    Sometimes calming down requires you to walk away and do something else.

    Take a five-minute break to talk to someone, watch tv, or work on another task.
  2. Step 2: Recreate the environment you were in when you first had the thought

    When you had that great idea in the shower, the idea was recorded in your brain along with the context, or environment (in this case, the shower).

    That idea is now connected to your memories of the shower--the smell of your shampoo, the feel and sound of the water--and putting yourself back in that same environment might also lead you to the forgotten piece of information., A recent study suggests that closing your eyes can enhance your ability to recall information.This may be because you are eliminating distractions and can better focus on the memory and its details.
  3. Step 3: learned the information

  4. Step 4: or last had the item you lost.

  5. Step 5: Close your eyes.

Detailed Guide

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and relax.

Your anxiety about being unable to remember something might actually prevent you from remembering it.Frustration, panic, or beating yourself up over your "bad" memory diverts mental energy from your goal.

Sometimes calming down requires you to walk away and do something else.

Take a five-minute break to talk to someone, watch tv, or work on another task.

When you had that great idea in the shower, the idea was recorded in your brain along with the context, or environment (in this case, the shower).

That idea is now connected to your memories of the shower--the smell of your shampoo, the feel and sound of the water--and putting yourself back in that same environment might also lead you to the forgotten piece of information., A recent study suggests that closing your eyes can enhance your ability to recall information.This may be because you are eliminating distractions and can better focus on the memory and its details.

About the Author

R

Ruth Brooks

Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in hobbies and beyond.

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